Oregon Trad only elk hunt

[Red]

How are the elk numbers in the Murders Creek Unit - trad only (Canyon Creek area)? What about hunting pressure, anyone have any experience with this hunt that they can share? Thanks.

[snag]

I have heard that the numbers are not very good in the Canyon Crk area. The herds that are in there when pressured go right down onto ranch land.

[Oregon Okie]

Heard the deer numbers aren't that good either. Hadn't asked about Elk. I'm thinking I'll go and check it out if I can anyway just to see for myself but it's a bit of a drive so I'll have to have a few days at it if I go. I didn't put in for the Trout Creek trad only area so I guess it's my trad only option this year.
Anybody do the wilderness areas here for Elk / Deer? Figured that's one way to get away from alot of other hunters??

[Ausable]

This is Red. Thanks for the feedback. I'm trying to decide if I want to go to that area or the North coast (Wilson) area. Same distance from where I'm coming from in California ~700 miles.

[dino]

Red,
I hunted the Trout Creek Mtns trad only unit in Oregon last year for mule deer.  Not a lot of deer down there from high winter kills and drought.  Thus the reason for making it a trad only unit.  My guess if Oregon has made a trad only unit for elk, it is for the same reason.  Not many animals there and inviting trad hunters only keeps the harvests low so the numbers rebound.  If you do it just be prepared for a hard hunt. dino

[snag]

Ever since the winter kill of '94 the deer down in Trout Creek Mtns. has not recovered. Use to be good. A friend hunted down there 4 yrs. ago. He talked with an old rancher that said the same thing.  They only saw one buck and they hunted hard.

[slivrslingr]

I don't know about the Canyon Creek area, but the Trout Creeks DO have deer, you just have to find the areas that are holding them.  I've been there 4 times and have seen many bucks, usually between 5-10 a day.  Most are small, a few medium sized, and the rare huge one.  Maybe I've just been lucky finding them!  The last time I was there, my brother and I found 4 bighorn rams on a spring, very cool to watch from across the canyon.  The biggest issue in the TC's is the weather, 2 of the 4 times I've been there, snow has chased me off the mountain, it's not a place you want to get stuck!  Sorry to hijack your thread!  Good luck where ever you decide to go!