To bear hunt or not to bear hunt in freezing temps, Region 2

[caddisguy]

I'm on out skirts Kamloops (barnhartvale) and I'm already having probs with a 4 year old blackie tumbling the garbage cans for bout 2 weeks now,,,,,and I've been spotting them all round in every direction of Kamloops,,,sooo yes they are definatly out and about

Things should be picking up all around. I'll be checking trailcams and trying to track down a bear this weekend.

[heatherdaddy]

Let me know how it goes out there as I have to work this weekend and will be there next weekend. I was there on Tuesday and the road was being graded then so it should be finished by Saturday.
The grader operator told me that his grader was shot up in the gravel pit just before maselpanik Rd there last weekend.
That being said I saw nothing and no sign at all, the grader operator said the only thing he saw was a couple of Lynxs back on the road to Sowerby.
I did notice some of the garbage was picked up as one of the shot up campers was gone but sadly the others are still there.

[caddisguy]

Crappy about the grader getting shot up and the lack of bear sign. It might be a tough year for that valley with enough food at higher elevations they could be more spread out rather than condensed bear the valley bottom but I have no doubt there's some around. I'll be back Sunday at the latest with the report.

[Gone_Fishin_]

Spent some hours in there this past weekend, TICKS TICKS TICKS!!! omg... one of my favorite areas and have some trail cams as well in very remote locations out there. Except with these little friggin ugly scary buggers i might stay out of there until summers over. Can't handle the thought of these little *******s digging into my skin. Flicked about a dozen off my pant legs in an hour hike.

Got home and found 2 crawling on my neck collar, went to get into the jeep the next day found 3 on my seats. Raided the shit outta that thing kept the doors shut for 2 days.

[caddisguy]

Spent some hours in there this past weekend, TICKS TICKS TICKS!!! omg... one of my favorite areas and have some trail cams as well in very remote locations out there. Except with these little friggin ugly scary buggers i might stay out of there until summers over. Can't handle the thought of these little *******s digging into my skin. Flicked about a dozen off my pant legs in an hour hike.

Got home and found 2 crawling on my neck collar, went to get into the jeep the next day found 3 on my seats. Raided the shit outta that thing kept the doors shut for 2 days.

I'm in the same boat. I have 3 trailcams out there right now and 2 of them involve hiking through some brush, bushwhacking and climbing. I was bitten a few times last trip and ended up with a few crawling around the apartment. Cleaning my rifle the next day I found one in the barrel. And that was being absolutely vigilant, checking every 20 minutes, turning clothes inside out, etc. Mostly deer (black-legged ticks) but one huge dog tick. It's not the whole valley that is infested, but there's a few pockets that are just awful. Worst is when you feel one digging into your foot and another digging into your leg while you're on the highway.

Do you have a wrangler or cherokee? If you drive an older wrangler (maybe blue, green or black? its been a while since I've seen it) and you're getting ticks, I know where you have been hunting and it's awful in there. I wonder how far apart our trailcams are... you ever happen to notice a Simmons 4PM out there, or maybe a rope or two? ;-P

I've never even seen a tick in there later than July, but this year might be an exception. If I whack a bear there, I wonder how many ticks it will be carrying lol

[Wild one]

Was in the Skagit Wensday and seen 1 small bear and the ticks are brutal in there this year.

[Gone_Fishin_]

Do you have a wrangler or cherokee? If you drive an older wrangler (maybe blue, green or black? its been a while since I've seen it) and you're getting ticks, I know where you have been hunting and it's awful in there. I wonder how far apart our trailcams are... you ever happen to notice a Simmons 4PM out there, or maybe a rope or two? ;-P

I've never even seen a tick in there later than July, but this year might be an exception. If I whack a bear there, I wonder how many ticks it will be carrying lol[/QUOTE]


2000 Jeep TJ Grey, lifted. Or usually in buddies truck as the 4:88's in the Jeep make a slow journey on the hwy. 2000 Green GMC Sonoma.

Only ever seen one trail cam, was in a locked homemade box at the 33km area, assuming not yours as it was 5 minutes off the main road and a 3 minute walk... lol. After the bridge, left, park at creek ditch, nice little walk down grass road. I'm sure you know this exact spot as well if you spend time in there like i do. I've hiked all over and if you don't have a picture of me yet then your cams are far off any path and well hidden ! lol

i've yet to get a picture of anyone or ever had an issue with our cams, all hiking and not near any trails and a few km's from any road. Pain in the ass to get in and check, plus packing salt. Starting to get some solid locations though that are visited regularly by some nice looking deer. Hopefully they stick around come fall, and when i can actullay hike and hunt, rather then brush my legs off and panic whenever i feel anything crawling on me, lol.

Driving out the other evening felt something weird in my left pant leg then a small pinch like something bit me. Instant panic, hit the brakes, jump out and literally started stripping right in the middle of the road. As im doing the funky chicken with pants around my ankles pulling my shirt off a couple campers came around the corner in their truck, im oblivious to this and am still jumping around brushing myself off in the middle of the road. Turn around and 3 people are giving me some weird looks waiting for me to move so they can pass. They drove by real slow and looked at me like i was crazy or something, lol.

I guess i'd find it strange too if i came around a corner and a fellow had his pants around his ankles whipping his t-shirt all over himself while standing in the middle of the road.

[caddisguy]

2000 Jeep TJ Grey, lifted. Or usually in buddies truck as the 4:88's in the Jeep make a slow journey on the hwy. 2000 Green GMC Sonoma.

Only ever seen one trail cam, was in a locked homemade box at the 33km area, assuming not yours as it was 5 minutes off the main road and a 3 minute walk... lol. After the bridge, left, park at creek ditch, nice little walk down grass road. I'm sure you know this exact spot as well if you spend time in there like i do. I've hiked all over and if you don't have a picture of me yet then your cams are far off any path and well hidden ! lol

i've yet to get a picture of anyone or ever had an issue with our cams, all hiking and not near any trails and a few km's from any road. Pain in the ass to get in and check, plus packing salt. Starting to get some solid locations though that are visited regularly by some nice looking deer. Hopefully they stick around come fall, and when i can actullay hike and hunt, rather then brush my legs off and panic whenever i feel anything crawling on me, lol.

Driving out the other evening felt something weird in my left pant leg then a small pinch like something bit me. Instant panic, hit the brakes, jump out and literally started stripping right in the middle of the road. As im doing the funky chicken with pants around my ankles pulling my shirt off a couple campers came around the corner in their truck, im oblivious to this and am still jumping around brushing myself off in the middle of the road. Turn around and 3 people are giving me some weird looks waiting for me to move so they can pass. They drove by real slow and looked at me like i was crazy or something, lol.

I guess i'd find it strange too if i came around a corner and a fellow had his pants around his ankles whipping his t-shirt all over himself while standing in the middle of the road.

Haha I know the spot you're talking about. Seems like many others do too. I might have seen your jeep up there. Though most don't venture beyond where the road was. I had a cam up in the hills there last year and that's the only place I've ever had a human on my cam. Unless you were there in August, wearing glasses and rocking and open shirt (I would too it's a bit of a climb especially in that heat) then it wasn't you. Good on that guy for not taking my cam though. He just checked it out... kind of from the side. After that I moved my cam up a lot higher... about a 45 minute bushwhack through all that nasty crap. Nice area but way too popular now... just eating lunch we had had a dozen people drive up. After we left yesterday, I went off to check another camera... came back a few hours later and some guys had it blocked off from the bottom with their truck... and it's only spring bear season!!! For that valley you always gotta have plan A, B & C.