While I have been using this forum for just over a year, purchasing a few items and leveraging others insight for ideas on a variety of topics, this is my first post.
Quick background on me raised in Oregon's Willamette Valley, I deer hunted some as a kid. However, as I headed of to college and started a career hunting was not in the cards. A few years ago I had a major shoulder surgery and was laid up for over a month. During that time I streamed every hunting show I could. Last year at age 40, I returned to hunting chasing both elk and deer. I had a shot opportunity on deer, but did not have a shot opportunity on elk. I was also able to partner with someone who came from the Midwest originally, but had hunted dear as a kid. This year, I was fortunate to draw the Mallis GMU 6010 antlerless elk tag for muzzleloader season and will chase deer with modern. My hunting partner was not successful so we'll likely balance the week, hunting bulls for him and chasing cows on this tag.
I had reviewed maps for the unit prior to applying and saw while their is lots of private there was also a reasonable amount of public. However, this past weekend, I took my three young girls and did a day long scouting trip on the public property. While we did see a mature bear just north of the unit, there was not a lot of elk sign anywhere that we got off the roads and jumped into the vegetation on the north of hwy 6. On the south side, it would appear that much of that public property is seeing significant logging activity. Given this two fold, my presumption is that hunters in this ‘elk area’ will be more densely concentrated to the north. And the elk on the south will more likely push to the south and/or west of the boundary.
I would really appreciate any feedback and insight member have. I know there have been some similar threads in years past.
Thanks - TJ
