Originally Posted by
muliemeat
I agree. The province is open to all hunters regardless of where you come from. There's no such thing as "my spot" and "your spot"; they belong to all of us. I might frequent some areas more than others simply because they are more accessible to me due to the proximity to my house. Anyone is more than welcome to hunt the same area. If you find an area is becoming too crowded, instead of discouraging fellow hunters; find a new area. The animals have most likely vacated that spot anyway. There are hundreds of thousands of acres in this province, there's lots of room.
As for Albertans, welcome to BC! Our hunting lifestyle is directly dependent on conservation and the cost to pay for that conservation comes from the sale of licenses and tags. It costs an Albertan $125 for a deer tag, $250 for an Elk and $1030 for a Grizzly! This money is coming from an outsiders pocket right into the funding of the lifestyle we pride ourselves so deeply in. Also if you're tired of seeing Alberta plates, you're probably seeing lots of BC plates too. My suggestion is to go places on foot where plates can't go. I just moved to the Okanagan and hunted for the first time in region 8 which has HUGE hunting pressure. However, I used google maps found secluded areas, parked my truck and disappeared into the bush for the day and never saw a single person. This year I came out with two deer, two grouse and a rabbit. If you choose the road hunting style I have no issue with it and personally it doesn't make you any less of a hunter; you're using modern tools at your disposal. But be prepared for the company you're going to encounter with that style. I could care less whether you get a deer on foot, tire, hoof, or seat...you're still hunting.
We (hunters) are far outnumbered by our non-hunting brethren and although the lifestyle is gaining in popularity it is still revered by the non-educated. But we (the hunters) know more about, have more respect for and do more towards the conservation of wildlife than our critics could hope for. The last thing we need to do is argue amongst each other about meaningless things like my spot, your spot and hunting styles. We should encourage the growth of our lifestyle, welcome and help new comers. My father in law truck hunts because he has to. He's 70 yrs old with a bad hip and has a hard time walking. He's hunted all his life, but he simply can't do it the way he used to but he won't give it up; it's in his blood. It doesn't make him any less of a hunter and he understands it drops his chances for success but he doesn't care.
By the way, I got my first white-tail buck (I've only been hunting a couple years) in region 8 in late November near Lavington. Head up King Edward Lake FSR and make the first left which at about 2800 ft according to google earth. Hike into some old cuts. It seems the deer are heading down to the farm fields to feed at night and coming back up in the bush to bed in the morning; you can catch them along their commute. Just be careful to observe the private property signs for Coldstream Ranch and other properties. Best of luck.
I'm going to try the alpine for early season mulies in the monashee mountains next year after some summer scouting. Maybe I'll see one of you up there; we can help each other lug out our monsters. Happy hunting!