Thoughts On Oregon & Washington As Hunting States

[Mike Matteson]

Just got off the phone with relatives from that area of Oregon who spent last week in the woods. Said it was nice visiting with the hundreds of people crawling all over the hills. Pay to play showed up there about a decade ago, driving a lot of locals off local farms and ranches to public lands. The California influx over the last 20-30 years double the population of the sate. While a lot moved to Multnomah County making Portland the joyus place it is, a good portion settled east of 97. It's still a nice place to live and half my extended family are in that area (rest bailed to idaho). But the hunting isn't what it used to be, or at least not for the dollars spent.

Lots of tent camping on the sidewalks. Drugs are easy to get too. That's in all three states. Idaho probable a better state to move too.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Pretty much watch what WA and CA does and expect OR to compete with them. It's a competition to see who is most liberal.

Got that right. Who can be bluer?

 

[Mike Matteson]

PLEASE move to OR and register to vote. We need all the help we can get.

I'd take more crowds in the woods if the state could be flipped.

Trial begins today on Measure 114 regarding firearms and whether it violates the State Constitution. Measure passed by voter approved ballot and is supported by politicians to make firearm ownership restricted.

The 2024 election has a ballot to ban hunting or other activity that harms animals. May sound crazy but 114 sounded crazy too. They kept at it - some faith based leaders and gun control advocates pushed it - and got it approved.

Measure 110 decriminalized drugs. We have open air drug deals and people doing fentanyl in public.

We can blame politicians but the examples above are voter measures.

I wouldn't give $0.02 for the coastline the west side of the USA. That referring to the counties on the coast. Interior counties are generally red areas.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I lived in Chehalis but worked in Olympia and the traffic was about all I could take, and it was still nothing compared to Lakewood/Tacoma. Olympia is like a mini Seattle too. The homeless problem and crime are really bad, yet people keep voting the same way.

Hell that nothing. Try LA Cal. You can real easy by living outside of LA and spend 2 to 3 hrs to and from.

 

[VaWhiteTailHunter76]

Pretty much watch what WA and CA does and expect OR to compete with them. It's a competition to see who is most liberal.

I think you mis-spoke ...... I think you meant most stupid! LOL!
Then again ..... I guess there really isn't any difference btwn the two ..... pretty much interchangeable when talking about members of a certain party.

 

[Reelman1]

I am thinking of moving West and finally got my wife on board. She wants to be somewhat close to the ocean (within 5 hours drive) so we agreed that Oregon or Washington would do (we wouldn't live in California). Unfortunately we have to be within 25 minutes drive of a JW Kingdom Hall as my wife is Jehovah Witness, but I think I can get that to work. Which state of the two has the best hunting culture? Which state has the most obtainable tags as a non-resident? Which state has the longest hunting seasons for rifle? I archery hunt as well, but rifle hunting is my passion. I know this is an elk hunting thread, but I am looking to hunt all big game with bolt action rifles (not AR's, not that I am opposed to that). Any crazy hunting laws I should be concerned of? I have really been looking around Bend, OR as it seems like a good mix of being close to high desert and dense Pacific North West forest. We love mountains and I also love to fish. Looking to cash out here on the East Coast and go all in on 40+ acres and a new home within the next couple years. Any suggestions, thoughts etc., would be appreciated. Thanks.

Kali on a diet.

 

[Jeffpatton00]

I wouldn't give $0.02 for the coastline the west side of the USA. That referring to the counties on the coast. Interior counties are generally red areas.

I was born and raised in Seattle, and I can say that the whole Puget Sound area has gone to hell. Sadly, we can't blame it on the politicians, the voters here keep voting for deep-blue politicians, and now tent camps on downtown sidewalks and rampant public drug use are the norm. The politicians publicly and loudly decry homelessness, but it's just lip-service, it's their policies which attract all this to our area. We have multiple universities in the area and it's ironic that the concentration of young, educated voters tends to vote so badly, and to be so blind to the effects of their virtue-signaling voting. I've tought of moving to Idaho myself, but I just hate to leave this beautiful area to those who are running it into the ground.

 

[softtail103]

I was born and raised in Seattle, and I can say that the whole Puget Sound area has gone to hell. Sadly, we can't blame it on the politicians, the voters here keep voting for deep-blue politicians, and now tent camps on downtown sidewalks and rampant public drug use are the norm. The politicians publicly and loudly decry homelessness, but it's just lip-service, it's their policies which attract all this to our area. We have multiple universities in the area and it's ironic that the concentration of young, educated voters tends to vote so badly, and to be so blind to the effects of their virtue-signaling voting. I've tought of moving to Idaho myself, but I just hate to leave this beautiful area to those who are running it into the ground.

The WESTSIDE VOTERS keep voting them in. Your side of the state Is the problem. Eastern Washington is glowing red.

 

[Jeffpatton00]

The WESTSIDE VOTERS keep voting them in. Your side of the state Is the problem. Eastern Washington is glowing red.

Completely agree. I helped a statewide candidate a few years ago and it was remarkable how, once we got over the mountains and into Eastern Washington, people over there seemed to understand what's real, and important.

 

[Philward]

Sure can. Anytime is snows over there. 2 inches of snow is the end of the world for them.

It's worse in NC. When I was at ft Bragg it snowed about an inch and everyone just stopped. I was helping move a Waterbed for a friend and had it in back of truck so pulled into the median and continued past the stopped cars.

 

[softtail103]

It's worse in NC. When I was at ft Bragg it snowed about an inch and everyone just stopped. I was helping move a Waterbed for a friend and had it in back of truck so pulled into the median and continued past the stopped cars.

I have seen people leave their cars on the freeway and bridges. The response was its cheaper to pay the tow bill than the insurance deductible.

 

[xsn10s]

I have seen people leave their cars on the freeway and bridges. The response was its cheaper to pay the tow bill than the insurance deductible.

Yup I had a meeting with one of the police agencies in the Seattle area back in 2008 or 2009. An ice storm locked down the city and people abandoned their cars on the road. It took me two hours to go ten miles. Not because of the road conditions. But to make my way around all the blockages.

 

[Retired2021]

Oregon wildlife management is all about protecting the wolf, cougar and bear. Deer and elk numbers are on a continual decline. I hunt the High Desert, it is not because of the quality, it is the only place where it is not crowded. It can take 3 days of hard hunting to find an elk track. As cougar and wolf populations expand, hunting will get worse. East side is very red (except for Bend) and has no say in any politics.

 

[NCWshooter]

You've been putting in for 3 years and have yet to be drawn and you're bothered by that? More than 40 years of hunting in this state. For everyone else Turnbull is a wildlife refuge. It meant for enjoyment and educating the younger generations. It has many Elk. But a small handful of archery hunters get drawn every year. 3 years and you think you should be drawn ahead of the rest of the hunters? Follow the program and build your points. Maybe wait a few years to have a decent amount of points accrued then apply.

This information is from the 2023 Washington big game regulations for elk and Turnbull drawings with an eastside tag (WA requires you pick Westside (Roosevelt) or Eastside (Rocky Mountain) for elk. Turnbull is an Eastside tag.
Bull elk:
1 Quality bull elk - Archery/ML/Modern firearm.
3 Spike bull elk - 1 each from archery, ML, MF
Antlerless:
12 Archery -
16 Muzzle loader
10 Modern firearm -
5 Master hunter - antlerless

Total of 47 tags for Turnbull. I don't know where to look for the success rate for that unit and it is basically a park. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/turnbull/visit-us/activities/hunting