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Thread: 2020 bison hunt

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Here and there.
    Posts
    3,900

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    Was camped at the airstrip from Oct 15 to Nov 1 last year myself. I think it was the 3rd day there we woke up to a solid foot of snow. Chains for the truck and quad are a must to bring, make sure you have 4 chains for the truck if it gets warm / slick and you want a hope of getting back out to the highway with a toyhauler. There was a performance on the big hill while we were there involving a pickup, gooseneck horse trailer, and another pickup that didn’t go well for everyone involved.

    Grizz are plentiful in the area. Expect to be actively hunted by them, especially with an animal down. If there’s snow on the ground you’ll see what I mean. One followed my boot and quad tracks over 14 km one night.

    We saw lows of -16C in late Oct, so don’t expect LML weather. Most days saw melting temps, especially when sunny, but once that sun drops.... High, gusting winds are a reality at times at the airstrip too, make sure to tuck your camp off to the side and tie any tents down WELL!

    Trimble Ck to the airstrip is about 35Km as said, at least according to my odometer with oversized tires. 2 hours at a reasonable pace is accurate, but I won’t say it can’t be done in an hour and ten if an animal is down, night is falling, and you’re going for the rest of the group and a quad trailer. An hour and 45 with a heavily loaded trailer. That’s pushing hard, to say the least.

    It’s pretty awesome, wild country once you put the boots to work and venture off the beaten trail and all the other draw winners, and thanks to bison being a mainly herd animal, any success in accessible areas is usually followed by heavy “gutpile hunting” from other hunters.

    Enjoy, be safe, and go prepared for anything. Having done the late Oct. hunt twice now, my #1 advice is to over-prepare on how to stay /get warm. Heated grips and a full windshield. Heavy bib overalls with legs zips for when you’re on the quad. Good mitts. A nice stack of dry firewood for the stove if tenting. A propane torch to carefully pre-warm the quad engines if needed, they can be grumpy to start below -15. Even a small generator and battery charger is a good thing to have along too.
    Pretend hunter.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    813

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    You can't use a snow machine off of the designated routes in the M-K, snow or no snow, until Nov 1. So, you can't go past Trimble Creek with a snow machine until Nov 1.

    The warnings about heavy loads should be heeded — the hills are fairly steep and long and can get nasty.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    130

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    Quote Originally Posted by Redthies View Post
    The GOS is great for those that have a bison on their “to do” list, but I can’t think why we would not want them to expand their range? It’s not like they are invasive...
    Plains bison in the sikanni and halfway drainages are invasive. They escaped from a rancher in the late 80's or so. They absolutely reek havoc on the environment from the valley floor, to the top of the mountain. They also out compete sheep and elk on the winter ranges. The wood bison around the liard are native however.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    06
    Posts
    351

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    Quote Originally Posted by AshleyM View Post
    Thanks for all the replies! 😊
    ya I’m thinking wall tent might be the way to go.
    Well I guess I’ll just be as prepared as possible Goin in there n hope we don’t end up stuck lol
    as for why they want to keep the bison from roaming I’m not 100% but I think it was because they were encroaching on the goats habitat or something. Ya know.... like how they think killing the moose is going to help bring down the wolf populations, so then they don’t eat as many Cariboo 🙄.
    Many years ago my hunting partner and i found a beautiful hunting spot between two ridges in the sikanni area. Green grass everywhere, fresh creek, elk moving through most days and hiking up high we didnt notice any buffalo sign. Now going there 2 years ago, the grass was eaten all down to the dirt and no elk sign. Hiking up there was even buffalo wallows on the highest ridges where you expect sheep and goats. The impact visually is very noticeable but it sounds like they can also be aggressive and push everything else out.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    1,617

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    Is there a difference in how invasive plain and native wood bison behave and the havoc they reek?

    I still hear many biologists disagree that they are different species, just different "races" (phenotypes).

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Posts
    12

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    So much great info! Thanks! Out of all of that the grizzly bear is sticking out the most in my mind lol. I kind of assumed they would be mostly hibernating by November 1st.,.. is this not the case? Would a 300 win mag be enough to drop a grizzly if it were coming for us? Also what are people’s thoughts on bringing my dog? I typically bring her and she stays at camp while we are out hunting... will she attract grizzlies if we’re out? I just always feel safer at night with her as an alarm. She is a 120lb Fula mastiff but ofcourse no match for a bear just a good warning. I also don’t want to come back to a torn up camp and no dog though.
    Good call on brining battery packs too! Never even considered the cold affecting my machines!

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Here and there.
    Posts
    3,900

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    Up until Oct 31st, the grizz were very active last year, despite the weather I described. I couldn’t say for how much longer exactly, as we packed up Nov. 1st.

    I would consider a 12v electric fence around camp over the dog. But if you camp at the airstrip you won’t be there alone. Set up 1/2 way down and use everyone else as your early warning systems.

    Anything that you’re going to hunt a bison with is plenty good enough to save your hide if the need arose. Don’t be scared, just very alert and aware. Keep camp squeaky clean. Give any gutpiles a wide berth.
    Pretend hunter.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Posts
    12

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    Oh ya an electric fence isn’t a bad idea. Had never considered that. Thanks! I wouldn’t be concerned at the airstrip because I would be in the toy hauler and ya lots of early warning from others lol it’s just being out in the wall tent. Any other tips for grizzly deterrents? Incase you can’t tell I really don’t wanna be munched by a bear lol. Their presence is never going to stop me but it sure makes me uneasy so any ideas to keep them away are appreciated.

    does anyone know if they are used to the hunt in the area kinda thing and start heading down if they hear a shot? I have been told stories from other areas where many hunters get pushed off their kills by grizzly because they know a gunshot means dinner for them.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Prince Rupert Again, Formerly Fort Nelson
    Posts
    2,035

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    They are definitely around, but don’t hear muni about pushing hunters off their kill, not like the lore of the Dease Lake area. There were a couple incidents last year when we were there as a sow with 2 large cubs charged a group of hunters...one less cub in the end. There was also a grizz feeding on a horse in the side of the road, but it was mostly at night....I monitored its daily progess Also a warning shot was fired by another couple guys.....just be aware of what you are walking up on and into.
    "Dy'in ain't much of a livin' boy"

    "There is NO Keyser Soze"!!!!!!

    "Do cow moose have white inside their ears"?!!!!!

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    3/4 of a degree North of 60, and a little west of 135
    Posts
    1,043

    Re: 2020 bison hunt

    Up until Oct 31st, the grizz were very active last year, despite the weather I described. I couldn’t say for how much longer exactly, as we packed up Nov. 1st.
    I kind of assumed they would be mostly hibernating by November 1st.,..

    Just my $0.02 on grizzly activity late in the year. This pic is from where I'm trapping west of Whitehorse. Taken in mid November and this bear was still ripping up my cubbies but he must have learned that 330's sting as he started taking them apart from the back. This guy was active until almost Christmas.



    RC

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