Where would you put in in Oregon with 14 points?

[KopperBuck]

I can't emphasize enough how many people this unit can bring for any of the seasons and if it's rifle you'll be hunting alongside spike hunters. Just want to be up front about that. You will want to do your due diligence in how to get away from the crowds.

[SI Eagle]

I would be applying in either Mt Emily or Walla Walla

The only problem with that is that I will NEVER draw either of those units with my points for out of state. They only give one tag and I will be chasing it for $200 a year and it may take me another 15 years to draw it. Decided it's time to hunt and get out fo the points game there. I have 22 for Washington so it's not like I have had much luck in drawing.

[vandeman17]

I would be applying in either Mt Emily or Walla Walla

The only problem with that is that I will NEVER draw either of those units with my points for out of state. They only give one tag and I will be chasing it for $200 a year and it may take me another 15 years to draw it. Decided it's time to hunt and get out fo the points game there. I have 22 for Washington so it's not like I have had much luck in drawing.

Understood. Are you applying in other states as well? Murderer's creek and heppner would be my next choices.

[theleo]

I would be applying in either Mt Emily or Walla Walla

The only problem with that is that I will NEVER draw either of those units with my points for out of state. They only give one tag and I will be chasing it for $200 a year and it may take me another 15 years to draw it. Decided it's time to hunt and get out fo the points game there. I have 22 for Washington so it's not like I have had much luck in drawing.

The issue is you're in no mans land. There's a bunch of units worth 3-5 points but where you're at the only units worth the wait you've put in are the big three. You'll end up burning a decades worth of points or have to get another decades worth from a value perspective.

[vandeman17]

I would be applying in either Mt Emily or Walla Walla

The only problem with that is that I will NEVER draw either of those units with my points for out of state. They only give one tag and I will be chasing it for $200 a year and it may take me another 15 years to draw it. Decided it's time to hunt and get out fo the points game there. I have 22 for Washington so it's not like I have had much luck in drawing.

The issue is you're in no mans land. There's a bunch of units worth 3-5 points but where you're at the only units worth the wait you've put in are the big three. You'll end up burning a decades worth of points or have to get another decades worth from a value perspective.

 

[shallowforks]

I would be applying in either Mt Emily or Walla Walla

The only problem with that is that I will NEVER draw either of those units with my points for out of state. They only give one tag and I will be chasing it for $200 a year and it may take me another 15 years to draw it. Decided it's time to hunt and get out fo the points game there. I have 22 for Washington so it's not like I have had much luck in drawing.

The issue is you're in no mans land. There's a bunch of units worth 3-5 points but where you're at the only units worth the wait you've put in are the big three. You'll end up burning a decades worth of points or have to get another decades worth from a value perspective.

this isn't entirely true. The watershed hunt was 50% draw with 16 points and %100 draw with 17 points in 2018 so with a couple more years you could pull that tag. Or if your flat out done waiting the snake river tag was 100% draw at 12 points this year. That's hardly wasting any points and a damn good tag! Personally id go for the snake river tag. DIY opportunities as well as outfitted for whatever type hunt your looking for. Outfitter that heads out of freezout filled a lot of tags in 2017. haven't heard how this year was

[boneaddict]

“The issue is you're in no mans land. “


 

[theleo]

Or if your flat out done waiting the snake river tag was 100% draw at 12 points this year. That's hardly wasting any points and a damn good tag! Personally id go for the snake river tag. DIY opportunities as well as outfitted for whatever type hunt your looking for. Outfitter that heads out of freezout filled a lot of tags in 2017. haven't heard how this year was

What an outfitter can achieve in that country is only relevant if you're willing to pay said outfitter, or if you're competent in using stock. The OP is in his 50's, in decent to good shape, hasn't mentioned getting a guide or being good with pack stock, and said difficult terrain needs to have hunting to justify it. It's decent hunting in absolutely abusive country, where if you're on foot you're stuck close to the roads and trail heads with the other fools that underestimated the terrain. If the OP is willing to spend money on a guide there's multiple other units with easier terrain and better trophy quality where he could hunt private ground where animals aren't as pressured.   

[SI Eagle]

Or if your flat out done waiting the snake river tag was 100% draw at 12 points this year. That's hardly wasting any points and a damn good tag! Personally id go for the snake river tag. DIY opportunities as well as outfitted for whatever type hunt your looking for. Outfitter that heads out of freezout filled a lot of tags in 2017. haven't heard how this year was

What an outfitter can achieve in that country is only relevant if you're willing to pay said outfitter, or if you're competent in using stock. The OP is in his 50's, in decent to good shape, hasn't mentioned getting a guide or being good with pack stock, and said difficult terrain needs to have hunting to justify it. It's decent hunting in absolutely abusive country, where if you're on foot you're stuck close to the roads and trail heads with the other fools that underestimated the terrain. If the OP is willing to spend money on a guide there's multiple other units with easier terrain and better trophy quality where he could hunt private ground where animals aren't as pressured.   

That's absolutely the problem. I don't have stock but willing to pay an outfitter to pack me in or someone that has stock that is familiar with the unit. I am looking hard at the Snake and would be in shape to hunt it. Not sure what the cost is compared to other hunts with better potential or better hunt per $ spent. Actually, when I checked, I have 16 points and my partner has 13 so the Snake is somewhat #1 on the list. Just don't want to waste all those points after all the years. Would even be willing to pay an outfitter a discounted price in another unit if he had a client with no points and needed to partner up to get drawn for a quality hunt. Just don't want to spend thousands of dollars in points waiting to hunt one of the big 3 and be 75 when I finally draw.

[KopperBuck]

Outfitted could definitely change the game as far as unit. I know nothing about outfitted hunts or outfitters, but my beef about Heppner would soften as I know some of those ranches they hunt in.

I’m in the same situation as a resident as far as no man’s land. I’ll be most likely on the Snake or one other unit.

My wish is that OR would make you declare a weapon and have to stick with it regardless of drawing.




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[theleo]

Or if your flat out done waiting the snake river tag was 100% draw at 12 points this year. That's hardly wasting any points and a damn good tag! Personally id go for the snake river tag. DIY opportunities as well as outfitted for whatever type hunt your looking for. Outfitter that heads out of freezout filled a lot of tags in 2017. haven't heard how this year was

What an outfitter can achieve in that country is only relevant if you're willing to pay said outfitter, or if you're competent in using stock. The OP is in his 50's, in decent to good shape, hasn't mentioned getting a guide or being good with pack stock, and said difficult terrain needs to have hunting to justify it. It's decent hunting in absolutely abusive country, where if you're on foot you're stuck close to the roads and trail heads with the other fools that underestimated the terrain. If the OP is willing to spend money on a guide there's multiple other units with easier terrain and better trophy quality where he could hunt private ground where animals aren't as pressured.   

That's absolutely the problem. I don't have stock but willing to pay an outfitter to pack me in or someone that has stock that is familiar with the unit. I am looking hard at the Snake and would be in shape to hunt it. Not sure what the cost is compared to other hunts with better potential or better hunt per $ spent. Actually, when I checked, I have 16 points and my partner has 13 so the Snake is somewhat #1 on the list. Just don't want to waste all those points after all the years. Would even be willing to pay an outfitter a discounted price in another unit if he had a client with no points and needed to partner up to get drawn for a quality hunt. Just don't want to spend thousands of dollars in points waiting to hunt one of the big 3 and be 75 when I finally draw.

Outfitted, the Snake would be an alright choice. Looks like Del Sol would charge you and your buddy $2,250.00 a piece according to their website. But... you open the can of worms once you go guided because then some other units become much stronger contenders. For rack size, outfitted on private ground in units south of the big 3 down to around John Day would have better potential. I'm just trying to give you an unbiased opinion on this since my natural inclination as a guy that uses stock is that I'd just head for the ugliest hole I could find and go kill something.

Sorry to Shallowforks if I came off rude. I grew up in NEO and still spend most of my times in the mountains there. Year in and year out the top three units for chewing up and spitting out DIY guys on foot are the Snake, Minam, and Imnaha. Maps don't do them justice for the terrain, and most don't understand that that until it's to late. If you've got good stock they aren't bad, if you don't you should just wake up every morning  in punch yourself in the privates because that's the best you're going to feel all day.

[theleo]

My wish is that OR would make you declare a weapon and have to stick with it regardless of drawing.

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Even better would be pick a side of the state for OTC tags.

[shallowforks]

The snake is rugged to be sure. I just wanted to throw a couple options out there that I hadn't seen mentioned. If your in good shape you can definitely do it. One could cover a lot of ground by staying on top glassing into all the steep canyons and then go vertical once you find a bull that you like. I know its not always the case but most of the time theres a reason for all the points it takes to draw a unit. Ive seen 340 bulls up on the forest service just by glassing from imnaha rd. that would be a good way to spend a weekend scouting and getting familiar with the unit. Id definitely depend heavily on glassing for that hunt, and stay as mobile as possible. Good luck deciding

[whuppinstick]

That's absolutely the problem. I don't have stock but willing to pay an outfitter to pack me in or someone that has stock that is familiar with the unit. I am looking hard at the Snake and would be in shape to hunt it. Not sure what the cost is compared to other hunts with better potential or better hunt per $ spent. Actually, when I checked, I have 16 points and my partner has 13 so the Snake is somewhat #1 on the list. Just don't want to waste all those points after all the years. Would even be willing to pay an outfitter a discounted price in another unit if he had a client with no points and needed to partner up to get drawn for a quality hunt. Just don't want to spend thousands of dollars in points waiting to hunt one of the big 3 and be 75 when I finally draw.

If you do the Snake I would stay far, far away from Steen's Outfitting.  My dad and uncle burned their points a few years back on this "last hurrah" big hunt and we did a drop camp with Steen's.  That guy is a joke and he ruined the hunt by putting us in the wrong place.  We had requested a very specific camping location from the moment we booked, even checking in 2-3 times along the way, but he was just lazy so put us a couple miles away, which was too far of a daily commute for my dad and uncle.  I was able to get there every day and take pictures of numerous 300+ bulls.  My dad and uncle saw zero elk in a week where we were camped and I never even cut a track in the snow in that area.

[SI Eagle]

That's absolutely the problem. I don't have stock but willing to pay an outfitter to pack me in or someone that has stock that is familiar with the unit. I am looking hard at the Snake and would be in shape to hunt it. Not sure what the cost is compared to other hunts with better potential or better hunt per $ spent. Actually, when I checked, I have 16 points and my partner has 13 so the Snake is somewhat #1 on the list. Just don't want to waste all those points after all the years. Would even be willing to pay an outfitter a discounted price in another unit if he had a client with no points and needed to partner up to get drawn for a quality hunt. Just don't want to spend thousands of dollars in points waiting to hunt one of the big 3 and be 75 when I finally draw.

Damn, that's good to know because they were on my list to contact!! Thanks for the information. Anyone have any suggestions on a good outfitter for a drop camp?

If you do the Snake I would stay far, far away from Steen's Outfitting.  My dad and uncle burned their points a few years back on this "last hurrah" big hunt and we did a drop camp with Steen's.  That guy is a joke and he ruined the hunt by putting us in the wrong place.  We had requested a very specific camping location from the moment we booked, even checking in 2-3 times along the way, but he was just lazy so put us a couple miles away, which was too far of a daily commute for my dad and uncle.  I was able to get there every day and take pictures of numerous 300+ bulls.  My dad and uncle saw zero elk in a week where we were camped and I never even cut a track in the snow in that area.