DeepWoods Calls

A group of us drew 119A high cascade buck. The plan is to set up base camp at 6556' then do spike camp hunts into the wilderness. On the muledeer side of the cascades. This is a september hunt with the tag turning into a general blacktail tag if unused in september. The combo we can hunt is deer/bear/cougar/grouse on this trip. With oregon hunting for deer and elk going to crap, We are attempting to try a different tactic for big mature muledeer. Hunting high in the big timber where the deer are feeding on mushrooms, before they leave summer range.

Good luck with your hunt,baltz526.

What seems to be the problem with the deer and elk hunting in Oregon?

About 16 years ago the voters of oregon outlawed the hunting of cougar with dogs. This allowed the cougar population to explode. The cougars ate the herds. Other areas have additional issues like cattle over grazing the winter range, drought. ODFW over selling tags for units, calling them recreational hunts. Camping with a tag.

Very interesting.I take it you can still hunt cougars without dogs?

Yes, Calling or tracking in fresh snow works and glassing can work. But dogs Are very effective. Hound hunters killed about 10% per year, This kept the cougar population stable. Now there are 1000 times the tags sold but the % of population killed every year is below 10% of total cougar population. In 1994 they estimated total cougar population at under 3000. Today the offical guess is 5800 but it could be 8000. each adult cougar eats an average of about 50 deer/elk per year. more or less, depends on who you ask. If you multiply the official #5800 by 50 = 290,000. If the number is 8000x50= 400,000. You can see how the cougars could eat themselves and us hunters out of deer and elk to hunt. I think in some areas the cougars have eaten all the game and the cougar population has crashed. Now there are no deer/elk or cougars. Game management by voter is insane.