Private Land Hunts
We have exclusive lease to approximately 100,000 acres of private ranch property. This country has very diverse terrain; from steep mountain mahogany south slopes to lodge pole pine & fir thicket north slopes at higher elevations to open grassy ridges with sage brush and juniper choked draws at lower elevations. The elevation varies from 3,000 ft. to 6,500 ft. I have had exclusive lease and outfitted and guided hunters on this property for the last 20 years. It has always been managed for quality elk hunting. We consistently take bulls over 300 and a few over 350, with the average bull taken being a five year old 5 or 6 point. Hunter success has averaged over 90% for the last 20 years. This area holds a resident population of about 500 – 700 elk, with a bull to cow ratio of over 30 bulls per 100 cows. “We don’t wait for migrations.”
Our rifle elk season is split into 2 separate hunts by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. We are hunting post rut bulls; the first season is 5 days and normally starts the last Wednesday of October. The second hunt is 9 days and normally starts the first full weekend of November. We offer only guided hunts on this property, on a very limited basis to insure the quality of the hunt and animals.We use 4x4 vehicles to access most of this area; hunting from horseback is also an option for those that are experienced riders. On this hunt we use a variety of methods, depending on the weather and the physical conditioning of the hunter. Our most productive is spot and stalk… “Hours spent glassing at short and long distances are never wasted” if you have the physical conditioning to get to a bull when we find one. We also track bulls if the conditions are right. When bulls brush up in tickets and the weather doesn’t move them out on the feed, we put guys on stands at natural crossings and go in and bust them out. This area has several logging roads that we use for access to high points to glass from, and to access most areas we hunt within a short hike. You don’t have to be in peak physical condition to be successful on these hunts, but being in at least moderate condition will increase the areas and methods used to be successful. All of these hunts are “Fully Outfitted”. You will either be staying at our Cottonwood ranch bunkhouse with all modern conveniences and semi-private rooms or our rustic log cabin base camp with sleeping cabins, your option when booking the hunt. In either camp you will be provided with excellent home cooked meals and a warm comfortable bed.
We provide: guides, (2 on 1 or 1 on 1, your choice when booking the hunt), all transportation after arrival, meals, lodging, care of killed game (field dressing, quartering, boning, packing, skinning, capeing, hanging in our cooler, preparation of antlers and cape for shipping). Not included in the hunt package is the processing of your meat and shipping it to you, but we can arrange to have it done locally for you.
National Forest Hunts
My son Cody Cole is also a licensed, bonded and insured Outfitter in the state of Oregon. He Outfits and Guides most of our National Forest hunts. We hunt the Murderer’s Creek and Northside Units under a special use permit administrated by the Malheur National Forest. This enables us to draw outfitter tags for some very hard to draw, rifle and muzzleloader hunts and guarantee our hunters a tag. (Drawing odds for these hunts for residents and nonresidents are low; it normally takes at least 5 preference points to draw.) The outfitter tags are on a very limited basis and can only be sold to non-residents of Oregon, with an April 1st deadline for purchasing. Our guide area encompasses several thousand acres of road less and road closure habitat. We use horses and mules to access and hunt areas away from the crowds. A drive to tent camp is used as a base on these hunts. Base camp consist of; wall tents with carpeted floors, framed beds with mattresses, wood heating stoves, shower tent and large cook tent with home cooked meals served family buffet style.The areas we hunt hold a good population of mature bulls. This hunt has produced bulls in the 360 – 380 range, with a 290 - 300 bull being the average harvest the last few years. This is a high quality, backcountry horseback hunt for trophy bulls. You can expect to spend several hours a day glassing from vantage points you have reached via horses or mules. This is big rough country; you must be in at least moderate physical condition to stalk bulls once they are located. Shots can range in distance from 100 – 400 yards with a rifle, and 50 – 150 yards with a muzzleloader, so it is imperative to know where your gun is shooting at all ranges. We offer a seven day muzzleloader bull hunt in mid-October. Our rifle bull seasons are split into 2 separate hunts by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The first season is 5 days and normally starts the last Wednesday of October. The second hunt is 9 days and normally starts the first full weekend of November. All of these hunts are “Fully Outfitted”. We provide: excellent camp cooked meals, warm comfortable wall tents, single frame beds with mattresses, guides, (2 on 1 or 1 on 1, your choice when booking the hunt), all transportation after arrival (gentle saddle horses and mules), care of harvested game (field dressing, quartering, boning, packing, skinning, capeing, hanging in our cooler, preparation of antlers and cape for shipping). Not included in the hunt package is the processing of your meat and shipping it to you, but we can arrange to have it done locally for you. Contact us for references, dates, prices and available openings.
