Grande Ronde Unit

[AlbinoRhino]

A family member of mine drew the single Grande Ronde quality permit.. Anyone with advice or quality spots within the unit your info would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks in advance !

[257 Wby Mag]

Get a drift boat and talk to farmers... steep ground.

[trophyhunt]

Does that include the grouse flats area?

[AlbinoRhino]

Does that include the grouse flats area?

I don't believe so

[AlbinoRhino]

Really that's it?!

[92xj]

Really that's it?!

You really didn't expect anymore did you?

[Timberstalker]

Really that's it?!

You really didn't expect anymore did you?

13 posts should get him way more intel than that!

[92xj]

Really that's it?!

You really didn't expect anymore did you?

13 posts should get him way more intel than that!

I gave him your cell number. Your incredible wealth of knowledge of the unit should help. Heck any one that's killed 3 190" deer and 2 390"+ elk in that unit knows the unit like the back of their hand. Hopefully you don't get too many PM's with this info out in the open.

[X-Force]

http://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/gohunt/app.html?theme=bigGame
Limited state ground and no National forest.

Its steep.

[Timberstalker]

Really that's it?!

You really didn't expect anymore did you?

13 posts should get him way more intel than that!

I gave him your cell number. Your incredible wealth of knowledge of the unit should help. Heck any one that's killed 3 190" deer and 2 390"+ elk in that unit knows the unit like the back of their hand. Hopefully you don't get too many PM's with this info out in the open.

 

[steelhead59]

Drive to the mouth of the Grand Ronde river drive upstream cross the bridge, turn down Rogersburgh road and get to the big field and glass. You will get a big buck chasing does during that hunt. Any draw on that slope has deer in it. Lots of does down by the Snake and the mouth of the river. Be prepared for long range shooting if you stay at river level. Take a walk up any draw for a closer shot. There are some big ass Mule deer in there. Been trying to draw that tag for many years. Good Luck!!!

[splitshot]

   I also have been appling for that unit.  have seen some huge bucks floating from boggans to shoemaker.  think down by the mouth is much better if you don't have a boat.   mike w

[steelhead59]

The only problem with floating and hunting is most of the time you are in Oregon or passing thru the areas of private property. Once you get to Shoemaker you are on Game department land on the north side of the river, South side Private property. The ranch hands drive around looking for trespassers and they regularly fly it with a helicopter during hunting season looking for trespassers.

[andersonjk4]

FYI.  There is no part of the Grande Ronde GMU where the Grande Ronde river is the border between WA and OR.  The Grande Ronde River is the northern border of the Grande Ronde GMU, so if you are floating the river you can only hunt the South bank of river. 

[AlbinoRhino]

Thanks for all the input we won't be floating we will be hiking in still doing our homework and gonna head over Labor Day weekend

[scoutdog346]

I assume its a MFtag?...Go up tothe Chief Joseph trail area.  U could get a ver nice buck if u can shoot at 400 + yards.  If u can do 700yards it's a guarantee nice buck.

[Mtnwalker]

Wonder how these guys ended up doing?

[Maverick]

Yeah howd the hunt go?!

[Henrydog]

Not a lot of deer on the top of the unit, you are correct the elk live up top.  The deer are all in the breaks.  And I have seen some absolute monsters there

[AlbinoRhino]

Not a lot of deer on the top of the unit, you are correct the elk live up top.  The deer are all in the breaks.  And I have seen some absolute monsters there

We went where locals and game managers told we were compliant but we sat and glassed each draw we came to for a considerable time

When you saw um was it in huntavle land? Was also told that the unit is drastically overhunted in regular season

[scoutdog346]

Walk up the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area Trail to the top of the hill and glass

[AlbinoRhino]

Walk up the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area Trail to the top of the hill and glass

Spent two days up there that's where we saw most the does and the spikes oh and one little crab pincher Two point I forgot about

[andersonjk4]

Looks to me like over 50% of this unit is public land.  I wouldn't consider that limited access.   

[AlbinoRhino]

Looks to me like over 50% of this unit is public land.  I wouldn't consider that limited access.   

Most those spots are surrounded by the ranch owners we had our own gps unit telling us the same besides green gulch and Rosenberg that's the only access points that are accessible..

The comments of limited access game from the wildlife manager of the unit

[AlbinoRhino]

Thanks for all your input have a good day

[2MANY]

Sorry the hunt sucked.
Your dad should have gotten what he wanted out of the hunt.

Relying on the government and it's servants to get things right is a mistake.
They are there counting the days until their pension arrives.

[AlbinoRhino]

Sorry the hunt sucked.
Your dad should have gotten what he wanted out of the hunt.

Relying on the government and it's servants to get things right is a mistake.
They are there counting the days until their pension arrives.

all we wanted at one point was to see a legal deer I mean not like we were asking for a handout thanks for the input have a good one

[andersonjk4]

If you are purely talking about access points and not accessible lands, then you are correct that this unit doesn't have many points of access to the public land or roads running all over the public land, and if that is the impression the WDFW person gave you then I would be a little upset as well.  However, the limited access notes listed in the hunting regulations are only talking about public vs. private land not about quantity or quality of access points.   

[AlbinoRhino]

If you are purely talking about access points and not accessible lands, then you are correct that this unit doesn't have many points of access to the public land or roads running all over the public land, and if that is the impression the WDFW person gave you then I would be a little upset as well.  However, the limited access notes listed in the hunting regulations are only talking about public vs. private land not about quantity or quality of access points.

Yes that is what I'm referring too we specifically asked about access points because we knew there was "some private land" that goes back my original post of us being told that there was ton of public access points by wfw, yes we should have drive over and checked but didn't have the time and resources and us being experienced hunters figured game managers and WFW were our only option.. we drew the blues last year and they were a great help.. same on a tucanon elk hunt a few years ago.. lesson learned I guess

[Mtnwalker]

That is a bummer to hear, I had high hopes for that tag.Have seen some dandies while fishing over there. Not what you expect when you think 'quality' tag

[AlbinoRhino]

That is a bummer to hear, I had high hopes for that tag.Have seen some dandies while fishing over there. Not what you expect when you think 'quality' tag

Thanks... I was surprised I know that there has to be deer in there but what we heard from a couple locals we passed is they got slayed in the regular season and they have had a rise in the cats there wouldn't mind going back for some great fishing tho and saw a gorgeous ram on our hike

[Kenaiwild]

We have a cabin just downriver from the mouth or the Ronde and spend a lot of time running around the hills.  Though you can usually find a legal buck if you hunt hard and know where to go there are very few truly "big" bucks in the area.  It's nothing like the Okanogan. 

[bobcat]

This is the problem with having all the separate deer permit categories that the WDFW created several years ago. It used to be we had special deer permits and special elk permits. No categories. Deer was deer and elk was elk. Antlerless permits, buck permits, youth permits, all in the same pool. It was up to the hunter to decide what kind of quality each permit was and whether he wanted a doe or a buck. Now we have "Quality" permits and "Buck" permits so naturally people have much higher expectations for anything that the WDFW deems a Quality hunt.

[pcal]

  I gave up 30 years ago playing game department lottery with the confusing regulations which allowing poaching for the select few who are willing to play to pay the rediculas price for years to get that letter"selected".There was  a little forkhorn mulley posted here today by a hunter with a quality tag and I was so ignorant of the legalized poaching now allowed that I called him out on it.IF ANYONE WONDERS HOW POACHING IS NOW SUCH A PROBLEM NOW:THINK HOW HARD IT IS FOR LE (other than game wardens)WHO ENFORCE THE LAW ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THE GAMEWARDENS JOB NOW THAT WE HAVE SO FEW?There are even guys who can shoot deer and elk into march into next year! I am never going to report anyone I think might be  poaching as they probably paid off the right politician or got lucky on the poaching lottery.I wonder how wsdfw can say with a straight face that the seasons are set with the survival of our game when they are allowing them to be hunted 9 months out of the year,too?!

[Timberstalker]

I gave up 30 years ago playing game department lottery with the confusing regulations which allowing poaching for the select few who are willing to play to pay the rediculas price for years to get that letter"selected".There was  a little forkhorn mulley posted here today by a hunter with a quality tag and I was so ignorant of the legalized poaching now allowed that I called him out on it.IF ANYONE WONDERS HOW POACHING IS NOW SUCH A PROBLEM NOW:THINK HOW HARD IT IS FOR LE (other than game wardens)WHO ENFORCE THE LAW ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THE GAMEWARDENS JOB NOW THAT WE HAVE SO FEW?There are even guys who can shoot deer and elk into march into next year! I am never going to report anyone I think might be  poaching as they probably paid off the right politician or got lucky on the poaching lottery.I wonder how wsdfw can say with a straight face that the seasons are set with the survival of our game when they are allowing them to be hunted 9 months out of the year,too?!

You've contributed negatively to multiple threads today. You're a clown.

[splitshot]

   it is a human population problem and it will continue to get worse.  more people more regulation and more restrictions.  which states have the best hunting?  the least populated, simple.  nobody thinks about this but in my 75 years I have seen the big changes.  in the sixties we had a month long deer season and any deer was legal. you could shoot any bull in the blues.   no master hunter stuff, no quality stuff and no point stuff.   more people, more problems.    mike w

[Timberstalker]

 

[huntnnw]

I hunted the general rifle deer and barely put in any time and saw 3 mature bucks and passed 2 of them trying to kill a 180" buck. Saw about 10 bucks in total in a few days. Granted the area I hunted was gnarly steep and never saw a soul

[AlbinoRhino]

I hunted the general rifle deer and barely put in any time and saw 3 mature bucks and passed 2 of them trying to kill a 180" buck. Saw about 10 bucks in total in a few days. Granted the area I hunted was gnarly steep and never saw a soul

Unfortunately we didn't have the same luck... walked passed the end gate up the chief Joseph trail and glassed every inch of grass we could the only nice mature bucks we saw were opposite side of the river and behind the ranch fences, oh well great countryside and some fun memories

[huntnnw]

Bucks are there, but you gotta hunt where the ATV's cannot see or get to. I laughed at how many hunters were down there that never got off their quad or outta the truck. Never saw a rig parked anywhere with hunters in the field. The other thing I noticed being in that area a lot this year is Nov 20-24th is pretty much post rut. Just spent 9 days on the ID side in unit 11 and saw 1 buck the entire hunt with does.. the rest were all solo or bached up and feeding. When I hunted the WA side Oct 20th-25th bucks were chasing hard.. every buck I found was with does and chasing them around.