Snake River Unit Elk - What to expect
Contributors to this thread:Oregon
From: La Crosse
06-Jun-07
We're looking at hunting the Snake River unit for elk in Mid September.
I plan on a scouting weekend in August. Question for anybody who's hunted the area, what should I expect during the season?
From: HoofsUp
06-Jun-07
Going to be crowded this year, I plan on doing the same. I plan on at least oe scouting trip also. Do you have an area that you are planning to hunt? Maybe we could trade scouting info to save on fuel costs. Good luck either way.
From: Chris
07-Jun-07
Well if you haven't watched 2 Weeks In Purgatory or Return to Purgatory you might want to. Both were filmed in the Hells Canyon wilderness. Great videos and would definately give you an idea of what you might encounter over there.
From: Trouble Shooter
07-Jun-07
Chris
are those movies hunting movies and if so who produced them, what were they hunting.
From: wsrob
07-Jun-07
They are hunting movies, made by a pair of brothers from Oregon. They filmed their pack-in hunts for elk, and give you a really good idea what those kinds of hunts are about. Probably my favorite hunting films ever.
From: brdkdg
07-Jun-07
I believe that the two brothers are from the Eugene area. The movies are really well done
From: manbugle
08-Jun-07
manbugle's Link
The guys are from the Sutherlin area I believe. I have both of their movies and really enjoyed them.
From: Ildor
08-Jun-07
Do you have to order the video from the website or is it available at somewhere like Sportsman's?
From: Mountain Climber
08-Jun-07
Ah! I always wondered where they hunted...My STRONG guess was Hells Canyon...Besides, where else in Oregon is there great big steep canyon with open hillsides with a great big river run through the bottom of it? Anyways, I have both videos too and they're good...I particularly like the Return to Purgatory a little bit better...They have a website which is....
www.onfootfilms.com
Chris
From: manbugle
08-Jun-07
I bought the videos from the local archery shop here in Eugene.
From: Oregon
10-Jun-07
I hunt Hells canyon every year, hard work, you have to know just where to go. What part or area are you planning to hunt, I will be out hunting the 3rd week of the hunt which is around Sept.2nd thru the 9th. I have hunted this area for 10 years now.
From: La Crosse
10-Jun-07
I'm not sure where I'll be going over there. I'm just starting to gather some information now...
Is it crowded over there even if I'm a couple miles or more from the road? Are there unmapped roads all over the place outside the wilderness like everywhere else in Oregon?
I've heard some stuff about road closures in that area, which might be good with a mountain bike. I think they mention something about that in the first video.
Nothing against you guys, but I can't stand hunting around other hunters. I know I can't get away from them altogether, but is this area more crowded than others?
Thanks.
From: Oregon
10-Jun-07
Where I hunt, its just my party, we are alone and there are 5 or 6 of us hunting. Also, most of the area is non-motorized vehical area, which means you cannot take any motorized vehical/quad/motorcycle ect.. I hike like 3-4 miles out of camp and see alot of animals. There are roads that are not on all maps, but alot of trails are. It all depends on the area, if you have a name of a road or trail that you know will be near where you think you will be, it iwll help me out on telling you more of the area is like. In my area, myself and my brother-inlaw have taken bull elk out almost every year.
From: Oregon
10-Jun-07
Here are some photos of some of the area I hunt in.
From: Oregon
10-Jun-07
and here
From: Oregon
10-Jun-07
From: Oregon
10-Jun-07
From: HoofsUp
11-Jun-07
Very cool pictures. I am planning on hunting there also. We are going to set base camp at the road closure, Warnock Corral. Plan to go in from there following the road almost to Somers Point and drop off where there are no hunters, but lots of suicidal animals.
From: Oregon
11-Jun-07
I know exactly where that is, you have to go through a green gate to get there. I saw some nice elk and big mule deer out there last year and the year before, a nice size bear.
From: GRBowman
14-Jun-07
We are also huting in the unit this year for the first time. I am going with a guy who knows the area, he is a rifle hunter and usually goes later in the year, but is going to show us the area, he is retired and has some mules. Looking forward to a great trip.
Oregon do run into many snakes?
From: Snag1
14-Jun-07
Sounds like Warnock is going to be full! When are you guys going over? I am planning on starting from there on Sept.9 and hunting that week.
From: GRBowman
14-Jun-07
We are heading over on the 13th and staying until the end of the season. We are packing in and I am not sure where we are heading in from yet.
From: Oregon
15-Jun-07
I have never seen nor heard any snakes, they generally are not up that high. I will be hunting the week of the 8th thru the 15th of sept.
From: Snag
15-Jun-07
I've got a friend that lives in Burns. He has horses and mules. He told me if I got one down to call him anytime. That could be real important if the weather is as hot as it can be over there.
From: HoofsUp
15-Jun-07
Snag1,
Haven't decided on a date yet, but may be real close to the same time. We haven't decided on how long we are staying in yet.
From: Padfoot
15-Jun-07
Guys, You should keep this info on PM's, and definitely not on Bowsite, for all the guys out there to figure out a new potentially good place to over crowd.
Just a suggestion from one who has seen more than one spot ruined by over crowding.
Ciao.
From: Three Creeks
02-Jul-07
Well, first message from a newbie to this site. I, too, am hunting that area this fall. I am going with a friend whose hunted the area for quite a few years. We're doing a pack in type hunt for the last two weeks of the season. Looking forward to the trip.
Anyways, I can't believe I just discovered this site. Good to be here.
-Three Creeks
From: aspencer
04-Jul-07
Sounds like a lot of people had the same idea..I too am packing in the same area this year..There will be four of us and we will be there from the 10th thru the end of the season..Looks like we'll all have pleanty of company..
From: Three Creeks
15-Jul-07
There's a wildfire out there burning as I type.....I don't have the specifics yet, a buddy in the fire service just sent me a quick email about it. I'll try to get some info and post it.
-Three Creeks
From: Snag
15-Jul-07
www.inciweb.org/ This site lists all wildfires. In the upper righthand corner you can select Oregon and it lists them all with maps. That one out near Burns has really grown. I remember when it was 20,000 acres, now it's over 100,000.
From: JensenLane
29-Jul-07
Sounds like the fire is clear out to somers point. Thats sure going to change the way to hunt this year
From: Three Creeks
29-Jul-07
From what I've heard they are back-burning below Somers (everything that had not burned yet anyways). If it crests and burns onto the rim, my buddy and I are out of luck and we'll have to go to plan b.....
-TC
From: HoofsUp
30-Jul-07
I looked at one of the sites and it doesn't look like it is up to the rim at Somers Point yet. They may be back burning in the area, but the wild fire has not gotten through yet. If they were able to put it out today, it would change the hunting in that entire area. Good luck to those that are still planning on hunting this area, I am moving to plan B now.
From: WapitiBob
30-Jul-07
My 7 buddies and I are heading out next week. Wanna make sure we get out there before everybody else.
yes, I'm kidding. Sounds like you guys are going to be bumping into each other every day.
From: Wirehair
30-Jul-07
Sounds like a freakin zoo to me!
From: manbugle
01-Aug-07
Yesterday I did a jet-boat scouting trip from Heller Bar to Pittsburg Landing and it is majorly burnt along the Idaho side from a fire over there and there were firefighters coming down from Somers. It was hot, 103 in the shade at Pittsburg. We did see a decent 3x4 buck and a ram right along the river on the Idaho side.
From: willieboat
01-Aug-07
Who,s going to bring the Beer!!!!! Sounds like a good party.
