FOG Baker and Union County elk hunt outlook

Published 6:00 am Monday, September 23, 2019

Justin Primus isn’t about to guarantee hunters a clean shot at a trophy bull in Baker County.

Elk are far too unpredictable, and savvy, to justify that level of certainty.

But Primus does believe that elk hunters are in the midst of a prime period for pursuing the wily animals in any of the county’s four units.

“We’re kind of in the heyday for elk hunting right now,” said Primus, assistant district wildlife biologist at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Baker City office. “Overall the population has been growing.”

When state biologists surveyed elk this spring in the four units — Sumpter, Keating, Pine Creek and Lookout Mountain — they tallied more animals in each than ODFW has established as its management objective.

And since the counters never see every elk, the official numbers somewhat understate the actual population, Primus said.

The difference between the spring 2019 census and the state’s management objective ranges from relatively small in Pine Creek (730 counted, 650 objective) and Sumpter (2,394 counted, 2,000 objective) to considerable in Keating (748 counted, 400 objective) and another category altogether for Lookout Mountain (1,200 counted, 300 objective).

The latter unit is an exception in more ways than one, Primus said.

It has the lowest percentage of public land among the four units (38%), and as a result it’s often hard for hunters to get access to the bigger herds.

ODFW has tried to push the odds in hunters’ favor by adding cow seasons, and in some cases by lengthening existing ones, but elk numbers continue to rise in Lookout Mountain, Primus said.

Unlike mule deer, elk across the county endured the harsh winter of 2016-17, with its deep snow even at the lowest elevations and multiple days with sub-zero temperatures, with relatively few losses.

Primus said the county’s average spring ratio of calves per 100 females dipped to about 25 in 2017, but rebounded to 35 in 2018 and matched that number this year.

“Elk are just bigger, hardier animals, and typically they’re not affected by the winter snow events as much as deer are,” Primus said.

Baker County’s elk herds also seem to be withstanding the increasing threat from predators, primarily cougars and wolves.

Primus said biologists have seen evidence suggesting rising predation, such as herds during the spring census that are short on calves, as well as groups of elk congregating in rocky terrain that isn’t typical elk habitat but would serve to protect them from predators.

But so far predator pressure hasn’t had a quantifiable effect on elk herds, he said.

“We haven’t seen a downturn in elk numbers due to predation,” Primus said.

Elk in the hunting units in Union County could be large this fall.

And the wet spring and later start to summer deserve some credit for that.

Phillip Perrine, assistant wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s La Grande office, said the weather in northeast Oregon this spring resulted in the kind of forage that helps results in larger horns on elk in the area.

“We had an awesome spring, and more rain than usual,” he said. “A great green-up equals a good horn growth year. We had a ton of good forage for the longest duration through spring and summer. We had rain at the right times.”

The overall elk numbers in Mount Emily, Starkley and Catherine Creek units are down from a year ago. The population estimate for Mount Emily Unit is about 3,200. Starkey Unit is at about 3,750, and Catherine Creek is about 1,400.

Exact numbers on bull ratios weren’t available, but Perrine said they should be similar to a year ago. In 2018, the units had bull ratio of 21 per 100 cows, 4 per 100, and 16 per 100 for Mount Emily, Starkey and Catherine Creek units, respectively.

While the numbers may be down a bit, Perrine said the bulls available to be harvested — especially in the Mount Emily Unit — are big.

“Producing giant bulls in this unit is our goal now,” Perrine said, noting the amount of tags available are low.

How big are the elk? Perrine said he saw photos of a bull recently harvested in a special hunt that earned 404 points on the Boone and Crockett Club measurement scale. A score of 375 is required to be entered onto the all-time record list.

“Mount Emily, Wenaha and Walla Walla units are the three best for elk hunting,” Perrine said.