Anybody hunt the Heppner unit? Just 13 more days

I'm hunting there too, on private land.

North slopes, high as you can near rimrock.

Glass the draws early morning, watch where they bed, stalk.

Evenings, glass.

We hunt w/6 and we all filled last year.

:)

Well done fatty, well done :thumb
Thanks for the advice, it's much appreciated. Being young hunters we need all the advice we can get from anyone willing to give it. I figured I wouldn't get much of a response do to my low post count but I have been a member since march.
Thanks again,
Cameron

I'm not hunting Heppner, but I'm hunting the Starkey unit, not to far away. good luck to you both

i'd love to help you , but i haven't hunted it myself. i've always heard that it's better hunting by the "breaks of the john day river" but simply hear say. good luck and let us know how you did

I've hunted Muleys in the Starkey unit 3 years. One of our party of 5 got a fork. Other than that just does.

We hunting the Fly creek area.

Same side, Elk hunting once, a member of our party got a spike.

Seems more cow elk than anything when I see something.

Not even a lot of sign. I get frustrated. I wonder if there are some cats that are eating them all.

Hunted the Heppner unit years ago in the Texas and Madison Butte areas. That was several years ago I couldn't tell you how the buck-doe ratio is now but back then it was pretty low we would see 1 buck to about every 20 does. They removed several cats in 2007 from the Heppner unit that has probably helped a bit. Good luck. I just got back from bowhunting in the Starkey unit- where I elk hunt the mule deer population is terribly low and has been for years. I hunted 8 days saw 1 doe. My hunting partners and myself all total we saw 2 does and 1 buck.

hunted there for years. I spend lots of time down what I call the flats and hunting the different fingers that filter down that way. The big bucks and bulls tend to come out of Potamus and the other deep canyons in the area. You can hunt potamus by heading down by the north fork of the john day and walking back up. You will know what I am talking about when you see it. From Potamus if you hunt back towards ditch creek you will have great rimrock, patches of great little firs, rolling hill tops etc and then when you get towards dictch creek you will get back into more canyon and draws to walk and push. I have seen monster deer all over down on the flats when you get some cooler weather and I have also seen monster 4,5 and 6 pt bucks up in the timber by the madison butte area when they were logging years ago. Stop and ask the loggers what they are seeing, they told me once it was two beautiful bucks sitting under a tree in an area they had logged. I had already filled my tag but took a quick ride with them to see 5 deer laying under a tree. 5 pt, 6pt and 3 does. I would have been happy to mount either the five or six point. I was truely regretting filling my tag with a nice 3 point buck. You will have a good chance of filling a cougar tag while you are there also. I also used to hunter coyotes and we would see them in the bowl area down towards the flats. I can not remember the road number as my mind is struggling as I am taking off for the silvies tomorrow. The road to the flats is a main road that paralells ditch creek before you drop down the bouncy , rocky road to below. Ditch creek will be on your left and you will have a corral on your right and water hole on your left before you leave the trees for the lower area. Best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got back from a week of elk hunting there. Saw a few animals. One very nice buck in particular. Very nice symetrical 4pt. I've seen larger but this was a very nice wall hanger with thick main beams. This was just a mile or so west of Divide Wells. There has been a little logging in there so they are finding good eats.
If the weather cools off and specially if it rains or snows a little it should be good for you up there.
Get a cougar tag too. (check quotas first). My hunting buddies and I all saw fresh sign while there.
Best of luck!
:thumb