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View Full Version : jet boating the fraser



dino
10-02-2008, 02:45 PM
Can anyone send me some info on jetting the Fraser? I will be launching at churn creek mid to late november hunting for deer.

kmunro
10-02-2008, 02:50 PM
dont pick the wrong channel

dino
10-02-2008, 03:17 PM
Ya I hear ya Ive been high and dry before by taking the wrong channel with someone else who was driving their first boat , we even hit a large boulder ( have it on video ) I think in the churn area there is no channels. Good hearing from you old buddy.
dino

kmunro
10-02-2008, 03:25 PM
The Learning Curve Was Huge On That Vid ! Oh Well Just Need To Replace Impeller. :-( Nice To Here From You. Me And Some Guys Will Be Going Up Their Then To So I'm Glad To Get Some Info Too

jeeper
10-02-2008, 04:08 PM
Some big bucks up that way ! Ille be up above you so please feel free to make lots of noise and push them my way :)

Good luck on your hunt .


Bruce

kgriz
10-02-2008, 05:38 PM
Beware, I have been there in late November when there was tons of ice in the river

TimberPig
10-02-2008, 05:49 PM
Also due to the increasing popularity of using boats to drift the river for deer in this area, they are becoming more wary of boats than they used to be. It may or may not be an easy way to find a decent buck.

vortex
10-02-2008, 06:16 PM
Watch the weather closely north of there for ice forming from upstream as kozakgriz said. There were some guys a few years ago that woke up to there boats unable to run back upstream because of a very fast ice buildup in the river. Expensive helicopter bill to get them back to their trailers. Jetboat + ice = downstream drifting only. Watch for massive fluctuations in water level there as well. Up AND down. I've had problems in both directions.
I haven't hunted the river there since the region 5 any buck season extended to November 20th because as TimberPig said the decent bucks are more wary.

Jetboater
10-02-2008, 07:52 PM
pull the boat out every night!!!

mark
10-02-2008, 08:19 PM
If its yer first time going there, a few things ya should know. That river is very decieving and hard to read. Play it very careful as you have no idea how much water yer in! Some very large whirl pools in places that are more powerful than they look. Dont mess with the Frenchbar rapids if you go that far, I dont know anyone who has, youll know when your there! Some very nice country to see, but its no cakewalk to get a decent buck. I hunt it every year for years now, hike my nuts off and havnt found a buck worth packing out yet! Pretty expensive gas bill for meat bucks! Take lots of pics! Heres a link to my story of last years river trip!

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=15816

browningboy
10-02-2008, 08:24 PM
Watch the weather closely north of there for ice forming from upstream as kozakgriz said. There were some guys a few years ago that woke up to there boats unable to run back upstream because of a very fast ice buildup in the river. Expensive helicopter bill to get them back to their trailers. Jetboat + ice = downstream drifting only. Watch for massive fluctuations in water level there as well. Up AND down. I've had problems in both directions.
I haven't hunted the river there since the region 5 any buck season extended to November 20th because as TimberPig said the decent bucks are more wary.

I know those guys and they are very good boaters, the ice surprised them and their boats were stuck there for 2 months before the swaroski helicopter picked their boats up and dropped them on the trailer, bill was 10,000.00 and were also told if it got too windy they would drop their boat and fly away at no cost to them, just harsh!

mark
10-02-2008, 08:45 PM
I have also dragged my boat all the way out there to find too much ice in the river. Have a plan B when going in november!

David Heitsman
10-03-2008, 09:41 PM
I was just on the phone tonight with my uncle and we were talking about the Churn / Empire area and whether to use a jet or horses.

I'm having second thoughts on the area as I have yet to take or see a wall hanger in the region as well. The CO's keep telling me the migratory bucks don't show till end of the year, I'm scepticle of this cause if it's true
you'd think they'd keep the 4 pt season open longer.

I've taken 3 four pts. in 4 years but none are really trophy class and I find them hard to eat as they seem quite strong.

They, the CO's keep saying that they winter on the banks of the river
and yetI have yet to find a decent shed in the area.

As to the jets icing. One time we were heading upstream halfway to the Junction when we ran aground on a submersed sheet of ice and ground the boat high and dry. We were all out on this ice berg trying to pry our boat off it as we floated back down the river. Finally got free at about the Churn. If it had happened down around Lone Cabin... I'm scared to think what may have happened.

dino
10-10-2017, 07:07 PM
Wow its been a while. I'm heading up to the gang ranch again this year and I will be using a 14ft zodiac with an outboard jet. I can't remember how the water is south of the bridge. I can remember a set of rapids when I was in a real boat a few km downstream but just can't remember if they were doable with the zodiac.
Any info on rapids south of the bridge up to 10km would be great.