So a group of us went up for a week and were based out of one members cabin in Penticton.

We arrived to a September 29th snowfall of 18" in the morning. Making access to our desired area impossible. Elevation of approximately 1600m. We checked out couple other roads and saw a couple wolves who took off as soon as they saw us(!).
We headed back to a different area where we have also had success and have seen some game in the past. Elevation of 1500m. There was also snow there. This area we had a total of 6 moose sightings. By Wednesday, October 2nd, the snow was mostly gone in the lower area and we had seen 1 mule deer doe, 2-4 whitetail and fawns (could be the same doe and fawn) and possible whitetail buck sighting but it was gone as soon as we showed up even though it was a long ways from us and the previous does had let us drive up much closer before taking off. We walked, hiked, sat for hours at first and last light in a couple draws, one which shortly after we settled in produced a bull moose in the exact way we thought that deer would come in and follow. It never knew we were there since the wind was perfect. Came to within 45 yards, fed around us and continued on before the other half of our group spooked it off.

We did head into our first location to try and get to it again. Turns out, since it has been a couple years since we were in there, that we had the wrong cut marked on our maps. We found the access a little farther north but not the right cut. There was still 8-10" of snow but we got in. Didn't see anything. Saw some tracks and walked into draws but saw nothing.
We saw no rabbits, 5 grouse, 2 wolves, 1 bear, 1 coyote, some bobcat and lynx tracks, had 6 moose sightings, some whitetail does and fawns and two mule deer does, one of which was very low in the timber on our way in one morning an hour after sunrise. The variety of animals that we saw suprised us all and we are pleased to have seen something everyday.....but none of what we wanted to see.....bucks.

We thought at the start of our hunt that with a new moon at the beginning of our hunt, in the last few days of the 4pt MD season and the start of the any buck MD season, with our elevation and everything, that we would have at least seen a buck, either whitetail or mule deer.

But NOPE! At the end of the hunt, all we had to show was a couple grouse.

I am wanting to know what you guys think. Was our timing off? Did the snow play a factor? Would they have begun to move out, as a local said when we spoke to him out there, because of the first snow? Everywhere we were, there were prints of some kind, some old and some new.
We hunted from first light to last light everyday except one where we packed it in early to rest for the evening.

3 of us have hunted together a bunch of times since the fall of 2012 and never bagged anything. We don't have a learned hunter to teach us or anything and even though it is enjoyable to be out there in the wild and breathe the fresh air and de-stress, we also want to be successful. Previously, the 4th member of our group and I have had some success in this area. First, on the first day of our first hunt, second, on the second day of our second hunt. So we thought that going for a week, with 4 guys, that we would get something.

I know, I know.....its called HUNTING.....not KILLING......
We are just feeling frustrated that we take the time and money away from our families to do this and never have anything to show for it. We don't have any older, long time hunters to take us and have had to learn everything ourselves. The sign seemed to show that we were in good areas but not a single buck showed his face. We would have been happy to have seen spikes with their mamas......at least it would have been a buck. And the 4pt we saw after dark in town and the spike we saw in town don't count.

Just feeling frustrated......