Oregon Walla Walla Spike Hunting

I started putting in for a couple of Oregon tags this year since a close friend recently moved out there. I wasn't paying close enough attention when I applied, and instead of applying for a Walla Walla bull elk tag (which I never would have drawn) I applied for a spike tag (which has 100% draw odds). Thankfully I didn't have any points that were wasted. Now I have a tag I'm not sure if I should bother using. If I decide to go I'll have 5 days at the beginning of November to bag an elk. I'd like to hear any thoughts or experiences others have had in the area regarding spike hunting. It seems like success rates tend to be low, but I'm not sure if that correlates with opportunity rate or not.

There are elk up there just no deer. The wolves and cougars are decimating the big game in Eastern Oregon. I drew my Wenaha big bull tag with 22 points and I won't be putting in for North East oregon again now that I've drawn. Good luck!

biednick said:

I started putting in for a couple of Oregon tags this year since a close friend recently moved out there. I wasn't paying close enough attention when I applied, and instead of applying for a Walla Walla bull elk tag (which I never would have drawn) I applied for a spike tag (which has 100% draw odds). Thankfully I didn't have any points that were wasted. Now I have a tag I'm not sure if I should bother using. If I decide to go I'll have 5 days at the beginning of November to bag an elk. I'd like to hear any thoughts or experiences others have had in the area regarding spike hunting. It seems like success rates tend to be low, but I'm not sure if that correlates with opportunity rate or not.

Click to expand...

Did you happen to have any luck? What was your experience like? We have the same tag coming up this November. Thank you!

olsont2 said:

Did you happen to have any luck? What was your experience like? We have the same tag coming up this November. Thank you!

Click to expand...

Nope. I saw a decent number of elk, but the only spikes I saw were in a herd about a mile away. While I was making a plan to get over there someone killed one out of the herd and they ran off. That was the second day of the season, and I didn't see any spikes the rest of the week. It was pretty crowded, moreso than other western public land hunts I've done. There's definitely plenty of elk around, but based on my experience I'd say it'll take a heap of luck or a heap of work to be the first person to get a shot on a spike. If you're wanting to stay in the established camps I'd think of it more as an ambush hunt than a spot and stalk. By the time you get to the end of a stalk there's a decent chance someone who happened to be in a better spot already got a shot. If I did it again (which I probably wouldn't) I'd do it as a true backpack hunt and hike in 6 or 7 miles to set up camp. Getting in deep away from the crowds is the only way I can think of to tip the odds in your favor on that hunt.

Tollgate Crossing is a fun place. It's the area's coffee shop/gas station/restaurant/bar/convenience store/possibly casino if they've gotten that sorted out since last fall. The food is fantastic. They've got most of the essentials you'd need. The owner also owns a cattle ranch in I think ND, and they sell meat there. I came home with several pounds of steak instead of an elk.

There's definitely deer up there too. I saw good shooter bucks almost every day I was there. I'm thinking about putting in for a deer tag there next year.

Thank you for the info, im glad you were able to fill the freezer somehow!