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Thread: Harrison Gong Show

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    563

    Harrison Gong Show

    Ok, so took the wife for a road trip/preliminary scouting trip to Harrison - first time in the area (just moved here). Heard about spring bear in the area. Drove up the east side FSR for a good 2h, turned right after Rainbow Falls and up the mountain, rather aimlessly, taking random turns.

    Great views, but what a *#&^$SWD Gong Show!

    Quadders everywhere, people shooting "targets", shotgun shells literally covering clearings by the road. Not going to lie, we were actually uneasy driving around some parts due to the amount of shooting going on there.

    Did I take a wrong turn? Are there any areas that are a little...hmmm "less busy"? Don't exactly expect solitude but THAT was harsh yesterday! Or should I write off the area all together? No idea how things are in April/May...

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Peace Country
    Posts
    2,079

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    Welcome to little Iraq.

    I suggest driving a wee bit further either Boston bar or Larson hill and past up the coq.

    High population of LML means higher population of asshats, just drive further then them.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    In the bush near a lake
    Posts
    7,198

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    Get out of the lower mainland if you want to avoid the gong show

    Outside of blacktail hunting leave the lower mainland

    If you want to learn the lower mainland look for places that are not easily accessed and that does not mean you need to hike miles

    Best advice do like I did MOVE

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    forbidden zone
    Posts
    594

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    that place is no good used to go up there a lot.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Abbotsford, BC
    Posts
    1,047

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    I went up Harrison a few km in October and then gave up and turned back. Too many rec vehicles bombing by having way too much fun to be concerned about others. For me it was like a scene from Mad Max - horrible. But, they're out there doing their thing and that's fine, I won't try go up there anymore - no problem. It's a shame but they need to go somewhere and they all might as well be in one location - that's just fine with me except I'll never go into that hornet's nest of ATVs again yet it really has so much to offer.

    ATVs are everywhere now but the further you drive the more peace you can find.

    Only time you see a reduction of ATV traffic is in our coldest portion of Winter. Soon as there is decent (non-freezing) weather, the boys take out their toys. You can't blame them - that's why they bought the toys in the first place - to enjoy them.

    You think it's bad here in the LML. Hit the backroads between Penticton and Kelowna and onto Vernon or beyond. The woods are buzzing and thrashed with by the ATVs and the garbages associated with all that human traffic. Sad, but you have to find alternate locations if you want solitude.
    Last edited by Rieber; 01-02-2019 at 11:43 AM.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    563

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    ^^^ "Little Iraq" and "Mad Max" describe it quite nicely. So even going further North and East (I see "Cogburn Creek FSR", for example) it will be similar? Shame really, the terrain is beautiful...

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    563

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    So, ditching Harrison.... For Spring Bear - would Boston Bar or the Coquihalla be a better/quieter area to explore (coming from Coquitlam)? How far up the Coquihalla would you have to drive to hit FSRs that take you into suitable terrain?

    Thanks for the feedback...

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Aldergrove, BC
    Posts
    4,466

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    Harrison west main FSR is under the new "no shooting" restrictions so it is not surprising that more people would be out on the east side.

    Both sides are FULL of recreational 4x4 use these days. Quads have become affordable and anyone can afford one pretty much. There are new trails all over.

    When I was big on the 4x4 scene up there, between 2007-2012, it was almost exclusively jeeps and trucks.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Langley
    Posts
    6,032

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    Never hunted up that way but spent some time out there. We used to do some early season camping at the beginning of the March. We would just drive up some random spur with a good view of the lake and the perfect mix of stars and the Harrison lights off in the distance... then we would re-heat Jim's Pizza on the pocket rocket and play some cards. It was never too busy that time of year. I went up there a year or two ago and was sad to see the timber companies are gating a lot of the spurs. No equipment or anything, just gates. Lost some easy nice views for sure.

    Like most places in the Fraser Valley though, the roads are super busy but the overall land mass on average likely receives less hunting pressure than anywhere else in BC. 98% of hunting pressure is condensed into less than 5% of the actual land mass, in and around roads. I have poked my head in the timber for a few little hikes and it looks like everywhere else... mess of animal trails, rubs, mauled stumps/logs, bear crap and hardly any sign of humans.

    Kinda funny. Last year I tried to help a guy on Facebook who was complaining about doing something like 2000km's up and down east harrison FSR and various spurs on ATV over a few weeks and didn't see a bear. I gave him a few tips on some terrain to look for and suggested walking around that area a bit, as Region 2 bears have decades of education to bolt for cover when they hear a vehicle and that where I hunt, I have only ever seen 2 bears (bolting away) on the road (April to December) in around 25 years, but on foot, we see one pretty much every day late April to June and have shot one every year without much effort. He promptly told me to F off and, that I am wrong and that I am the reason there are no more bears left in Region 2. Can't help stupid I guess

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Abbotsford, BC
    Posts
    1,047

    Re: Harrison Gong Show

    Quote Originally Posted by caddisguy View Post
    Never hunted up that way but spent some time out there. We used to do some early season camping at the beginning of the March. We would just drive up some random spur with a good view of the lake and the perfect mix of stars and the Harrison lights off in the distance... then we would re-heat Jim's Pizza on the pocket rocket and play some cards. It was never too busy that time of year. I went up there a year or two ago and was sad to see the timber companies are gating a lot of the spurs. No equipment or anything, just gates. Lost some easy nice views for sure.

    Like most places in the Fraser Valley though, the roads are super busy but the overall land mass on average likely receives less hunting pressure than anywhere else in BC. 98% of hunting pressure is condensed into less than 5% of the actual land mass, in and around roads. I have poked my head in the timber for a few little hikes and it looks like everywhere else... mess of animal trails, rubs, mauled stumps/logs, bear crap and hardly any sign of humans.

    Kinda funny. Last year I tried to help a guy on Facebook who was complaining about doing something like 2000km's up and down east harrison FSR and various spurs on ATV over a few weeks and didn't see a bear. I gave him a few tips on some terrain to look for and suggested walking around that area a bit, as Region 2 bears have decades of education to bolt for cover when they hear a vehicle and that where I hunt, I have only ever seen 2 bears (bolting away) on the road (April to December) in around 25 years, but on foot, we see one pretty much every day late April to June and have shot one every year without much effort. He promptly told me to F off and, that I am wrong and that I am the reason there are no more bears left in Region 2. Can't help stupid I guess
    Stop telling these road warriors how to hunt. They need to stay on the roads where they belong. I'm actually starting to like how it is now because I can better predict where I need to be when the roads are buzzing.

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