We left Klamath Falls early one cold November morning, long before the sun was even up. The kids were stretched out in the back seat of my Chevy Blazer, with blankets and pillows.

The rest of the hunting group met up with us at a truck stop just north of town, so we could all travel together.
It’s an all day drive from Klamath Falls to Starkey, (northeastern Oregon) not far from Le Grande Or.

Starkey is beautiful country with rolling hills with Tamarack, Cedar, Pine, and Fir trees. There is a lot of private property outside the out lying areas, but there are lots of public lands to hunt.

We arrived at camp seven hours later, pulled our trailers into a circle (like covered wagons), and began to set up camp.
The next couple of days were spent building an out house, gathering firewood, and looking for sign. The kids always love it out here as they can rip, romp, and rough house all they want.

Opening morning came soon enough, very cold, with light fog freezing to the trees. With no wind to speak of, we got to our stand just before daybreak. It sure felt good to build a fire in a pitch stump I had found.

Elk I’ve learned are a funny creature, they are not afraid of the fire or you, and will run over you in a heart beat.

A few hours into the day and you begin hearing distant gun shots ringing through the air, and then you see movement through the distant pines. You wait and watch until they break out into the open, you get ready, but it’s only deer. A large five by four and his three does.

Then two cow elk and a spike bull break out in the open on a dead run, you lead the bull appropriately and fire. I missed, these 30-06 Nosler hand loads are faster than I thought, and I aim point blank even for three hundred yards and fire. Hit right behind the shoulder, my first elk, man what a rush like nothing I ever felt before.

Another member of our group shot a spike the same day, and we got a spike and a fork over the next week. Better than an average year. There is nothing like elk hunting in northeastern Oregon.

By James Grimes
3/21/09

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