Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: vandeman17 on March 03, 2013, 02:26:37 PM

Title: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: vandeman17 on March 03, 2013, 02:26:37 PM: My folks moved down to Redmond Oregon last fall and we have been endless researching different options for an elk hunt this fall. We are torn between Montana, Idaho and Oregon. We are thinking about putting in for the archery tag in the Ochoco unit but there is no season other than that in that unit. If we didn't get drawn we would want to hunt somewhere else and those are two units that we have found can be decent. Does anybody have any experience in either of them?
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: vandeman17 on March 03, 2013, 04:51:14 PM: I should also add that this is my dad's first year archery hunting but he is a very experienced elk hunter overall and can get around the hills just fine.
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: Crunchy on March 03, 2013, 04:57:02 PM: Both units you mentioned are good units to hunt. I hit the desolation unit every year for the last six years. Starkey is another really good unit to hunt.
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: vandeman17 on March 03, 2013, 05:40:42 PM: Quote from: Crunchy on March 03, 2013, 04:57:02 PM
Both units you mentioned are good units to hunt. I hit the desolation unit every year for the last six years. Starkey is another really good unit to hunt.

Do both of them have otc archery tags?
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: Crunchy on March 04, 2013, 07:11:29 AM: Oregon's 2013 regs are already out. Double check them. Starkey, Desolation, and parts of Hepner units are OTC. Murderscreek is draw only from what I saw for archery.
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: The scout on March 04, 2013, 03:57:48 PM: one of my uncles grew up in the heppner he still hunts it almost every year,decent elk hunting just dont pass on anything and dont expect to get a big bull,he hunts it more of a family tradition than the great hunting
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: vandeman17 on March 04, 2013, 05:28:15 PM: Quote from: The scout on March 04, 2013, 03:57:48 PM
one of my uncles grew up in the heppner he still hunts it almost every year,decent elk hunting just dont pass on anything and dont expect to get a big bull,he hunts it more of a family tradition than the great hunting

We would love to shoot a big bull but I am more after just getting my dad on an elk. I would be more then happy calling a raghorn into bow range and give my dad a shot at him!
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: Blacklab on March 06, 2013, 02:32:21 PM: Hunted the starkey unit a hundred years ago. Man I'm gettin old :'(. We didn't get any elk but it was one of my best hunting memories. :tup:
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: Opportunist on March 20, 2013, 02:20:55 PM: Both units are OTC archery tags, I haven't hunted Heppner archery since 2004, it's a good unit, murderers gets hit hard during archery the last two weeks.
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: Opportunist on March 20, 2013, 02:22:16 PM: That's a murderers creek bull in my avatar. 1st rifle season
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: vandeman17 on March 20, 2013, 02:23:53 PM: Quote from: Opportunist on March 20, 2013, 02:20:55 PM
Both units are OTC archery tags, I haven't hunted Heppner archery since 2004, it's a good unit, murderers gets hit hard during archery the last two weeks.

I can understand that being as the season opens the 24 of August. I wanted to hunt the last two weeks but there is a full moon about 3-4 days before the season ends so who the heck knows!
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: Opportunist on March 21, 2013, 01:40:51 PM: Moon phase can really screw you, especially once the elk get stirred up by hunters. I'm actually considering a treestand/wallow hunt this year in Murderers, I know where a 1/2 dozen wallows and some good crossings are and leaving my calls in the truck. I've done this style of hunt in southeast Idaho and have done real well. Calling in a screaming bull is always a whole lot more exciting.
Title: Re: Murderer's Creek and Heppner units/ Oregon Elk
Post by: vandeman17 on March 21, 2013, 02:58:35 PM: Quote from: Opportunist on March 21, 2013, 01:40:51 PM
Moon phase can really screw you, especially once the elk get stirred up by hunters. I'm actually considering a treestand/wallow hunt this year in Murderers, I know where a 1/2 dozen wallows and some good crossings are and leaving my calls in the truck. I've done this style of hunt in southeast Idaho and have done real well. Calling in a screaming bull is always a whole lot more exciting.

I agree. It may not be as "attractive" of a hunt but if sitting on a wallow is how to get it done then I am totally ok going that route too!