Oregon 177 Fort Rock unit buck deer

Anybody else draw 177. Planning on hunting a new area a few miles from my normal camp. Lower in elevation, more water, more deer hopefully.

In the past the bigger bucks hung out along the fringes of the timber west of Ft Rock. My last time I was in there was in the early 60's but deer like elk seem to favor the same areas, year after year

in the 60's deer populations were ten times what they are today. Season was open later also. Most of the country west of the actual Fort Rock, is not in the Fort Rock unit. That is the Paulina unit today. I hunt 20-40 miles SW-WSW of the rock.

That's such great country. I love spending time there, but have never hunted it.

Well, except to blast some sage rats... :grin:

Best of luck to you on your hunt!

Guy

Did a scouting trip. New area looks great. Old camps are not being used. The tree farms are grown in enough to discourage the road hunters. Roads are grown in so a regular pick up will not fit. The thinned old growth lodge pole is so full of deer feed. The old bucks are fat and leaving deep tracks. Found an abandoned guzzler I hope to get flowing again. It was built for beef and I do not think the grazing permit has been used since 2014. I fixed the catchment gutter enough to capture the summer rains. If the tank holds water. I will get serious repairing the valves and water basin.

Good luck! I had a buddy who hunted Ft Rock area with his grandpa back in the late 90s and early 2000s. They usually seen and got a couple big old bucks down there. My cousin has a Steens tag this year and hes down scouting that this weekend. He also drew a Mountain goat tag for the Wallowas, so hes got his work cut out for him this year. I'm hoping to go on that hunt, we'll see.

Yesterdays scouting trip was to check places to hunt and the trails to start from. Checked some springs in the timber. two I found where dry already. So far I have found two large buck tracks. A good start.