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Thread: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    52

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Quote Originally Posted by shortrange View Post
    Someone mentioned Barry the butcher in Queen Charlotte City. He is a good guy and he is fast. For a good motel I usually go to Engelhards Oceanview Lodge in Massett. They do a complementary breakfast starting at 6am and you can put your deer in their freezer. To get deer, drive the Mainline. The deer are all over. Don't bring a big gun since you will waste a lot of meat. I use a 20 gauge rifled slug gun. Any time is good for hunting but early fall has decent weather most days and it is less crowded. BTW there are bears so if you want to get one be aware that only a half dozen in total can be harvested each year then the bear season is closed on QCI.
    thanks for the info i find it always tough to know the right places the first time you go to a new area, i plan to be on the north side of the island, and if i find a butcher out there do you think they host lessons or walkthroughs or let me watch if i took a deer to them?

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    14

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Quote Originally Posted by TheTwelve View Post
    ill be driving up from the fraser valley, finding the right ferry for the right amount of time is the hardest part so far haha
    Yea it seems like the closest thing to a slam dunk in BC once you get up there. I would love to go just for the experience. Are you planning on doing any fishing when you go? I am a passionate fisherman but I think late August would be too late to fish for salmon, but Tuna could be there if the water is right.

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    1,110

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Your choice of Sept 30th is a fine choice. It's a good compromise of decent length days up there and hopefully less wet weather than you will see a little later during the rut. As you stated that you haven't shot any big game yet, I think you couldn't have picked a better spot to learn the ropes. The deer are very manageable in size, so take advantage of it and skin and quarter the animals before putting them in your coolers (start collecting plastic milk jugs now to freeze). Please remember to keep evidence of sex on your animals so you don't ruin your trip with legal issues. Your 30-06 is fine, and there is no need for expensive shells. Just get a few extras to practice your shooting because you want them to drop quickly....that bush is really thick and it's super easy to lose a wounded animal. There is a good gravel pit outside of Masset to shoot at or a really nice little shooting range in Port Clements to site in. Don't fixate on getting the biggest bucks out there. Does open Sept and they make awesome table fare. In my opinion, it's probably more important to go through all the steps of finding an animal, stalking, shooting, finding, field dressing and finally quartering the animal than collecting a little set of antlers. You will have 5 tags each so you can get a lot experience in a short time if you try. When I do drive back to the lowermainland with fish or deer I try to take a night ferry back, get a room on board and then I drive it in one shot (about 17 hours). Audio books make the trip much better. If you see a blue GMC 4x4 give a wave and I can maybe point you in the right direction and give you a quick butchering tutorial. We have a house that we occasionally rent out to fisherman and hunters up there but I will be up there at the same time using it doing the same thing as you.
    https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/16111927...s=0&s=RmUXo-5u

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    52

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Quote Originally Posted by LachlanStevs View Post
    Yea it seems like the closest thing to a slam dunk in BC once you get up there. I would love to go just for the experience. Are you planning on doing any fishing when you go? I am a passionate fisherman but I think late August would be too late to fish for salmon, but Tuna could be there if the water is right.
    i do love fishing but i will not be doing any up there during this trip

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    52

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Quote Originally Posted by scott h View Post
    Your choice of Sept 30th is a fine choice. It's a good compromise of decent length days up there and hopefully less wet weather than you will see a little later during the rut. As you stated that you haven't shot any big game yet, I think you couldn't have picked a better spot to learn the ropes. The deer are very manageable in size, so take advantage of it and skin and quarter the animals before putting them in your coolers (start collecting plastic milk jugs now to freeze). Please remember to keep evidence of sex on your animals so you don't ruin your trip with legal issues. Your 30-06 is fine, and there is no need for expensive shells. Just get a few extras to practice your shooting because you want them to drop quickly....that bush is really thick and it's super easy to lose a wounded animal. There is a good gravel pit outside of Masset to shoot at or a really nice little shooting range in Port Clements to site in. Don't fixate on getting the biggest bucks out there. Does open Sept and they make awesome table fare. In my opinion, it's probably more important to go through all the steps of finding an animal, stalking, shooting, finding, field dressing and finally quartering the animal than collecting a little set of antlers. You will have 5 tags each so you can get a lot experience in a short time if you try. When I do drive back to the lowermainland with fish or deer I try to take a night ferry back, get a room on board and then I drive it in one shot (about 17 hours). Audio books make the trip much better. If you see a blue GMC 4x4 give a wave and I can maybe point you in the right direction and give you a quick butchering tutorial. We have a house that we occasionally rent out to fisherman and hunters up there but I will be up there at the same time using it doing the same thing as you.
    https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/16111927...s=0&s=RmUXo-5u
    yes the ferry schedule has it departing PR on the 28th at 10am and ill have to take the night ferry on oct 6th 1230 am... i think or the morning one on the 9th.. at 10 am... i just dont know how much time i will need.. 1 week? 2 weeks? whats an average time that you would recommend staying?

    we are using this trip mainly for learning purposes. traking, stalking, field dressing, quatering, skining... ill have my ipad with videos on everything so i can watch them step by step just incase i hit a blank space and dont know what to do.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    the edge of civilization
    Posts
    522

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Surrey boy yes it says on the box expanding bullet, 99% weight retention, no lead. Should pass easily through a blacktail without having too much meat damage.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    1,110

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Quote Originally Posted by TheTwelve View Post
    yes the ferry schedule has it departing PR on the 28th at 10am and ill have to take the night ferry on oct 6th 1230 am... i think or the morning one on the 9th.. at 10 am... i just dont know how much time i will need.. 1 week? 2 weeks? whats an average time that you would recommend staying?

    we are using this trip mainly for learning purposes. traking, stalking, field dressing, quatering, skining... ill have my ipad with videos on everything so i can watch them step by step just incase i hit a blank space and dont know what to do.
    I would give yourself at least a week on the island plus the ferry and travel time. It's a big trip so you don't want to rush yourself but if you took 2 weeks on island you run into issues with keeping your early deer fresh.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    1,110

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    ..........

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    52

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Quote Originally Posted by scott h View Post
    I would give yourself at least a week on the island plus the ferry and travel time. It's a big trip so you don't want to rush yourself but if you took 2 weeks on island you run into issues with keeping your early deer fresh.
    so the 28th to the 6th should be ample time?... and ill have the long weekend to relax after that crazy drive :P

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Prince Rupert
    Posts
    271

    Re: New Hunter Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii

    Wherever you decide to hunt it pays to find and drop into the local logging camp office, they can usually supply logging road maps for free, and show you where there is active hauling, it all helps. They might even give you tips on where to go!

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