How do you hunt the GOS?

[joshbazz]

Well Sep 10 is less than a month away. 3rd hunting season for my 45 yr old bones (I work at a computer so feels more like 55). Haven’t bagged a big game yet, just hares, but man do I enjoy every minute out there! Probably hunt less than 2 weeks a year including spring - going to change that this year.

Tried hunting 4 pt mule over first 5 days last year, got really close, needed a couple more days. Have never seen a 6pt Elk in the wild. Tried moose and bear but too little time. Never saw a wt buck in the wild either.

My questions is: what do people generally hunt, and how? - not asking for spots!

Do people generally hunt 4pt mules right away, or wait for the rut in Nov? If hunting 4 pt mules right away, do you find more success in timber or glassing elevation?

Do people focus on 1 species or go for ‘attacks of opportunity’ with 4 pt mule, wt bucks, 6pt Elk or bear? I have a feeling Elk is more of a dedicated effort.

Super excited, hoping this is the the year I bag something big, and by big I mean anything over 100lbs, before dressing lol! I buy tags for everything, just in case, inc cougar.

I think I’m going to focus more on still hunting timber, had a little success walking up on a moose last year. Freaked me right the hell out! Felt like thunder and mild earthquake in the thick timber when it startled and ran.

Good luck to all, and I appreciate any thoughts that may help others and myself.

Cheers,

Josh

[Weatherby Fan]

If your going to hunt 4 pt Mule Deer early season, go into the Alpine for the opener, anywhere in the southern half of the province, your best chance at a four point for early season.

I tend to like hunting South and west facing alpine bowls/shoots and set up on the east side of them so when the sun comes up its at your back and your not glassing into it, pick a good vantage point and be there 1 hr before daylight, sit down and glass glass glass.

All this changes depending on weather conditions of course.

[Vortex hunter]

I get way way off the road even hide from people . grab my pack and bike and Hike and hike..Vortex

[Bubbacanuck]

We have a few similarities. This is my third hunting season and I am a 43 year old desk jockey as well My first year I think I put 30 days towards hunting, which was a lot and didn't make my wife the happiest. I went after everything, which makes it difficult to get anything. I've been lucky to have a couple awesome mentors take me under their wings, so I think I've been fairly successful. Year 1 I was able to harvest a blacktail in region 2, 4 ducks and some grouse. Chased Elk a lot in a 6pt only season and came really close but elk are a tough hunt and they require a lot of effort and skill in my opinion...especially a 6pt. I tried for Mule deer near Whipsaw area in October that year, saw 30+ does but the bucks are elusive at that time of year. Last year, I got a spring turkey and a fall turkey plus 7 grouse, a few ducks, my first goose and two blacktail deer. This year I was able to harvest my first bear in the spring and look forward to crushing my third fall season. I will be hunting geese Sept 5/6 & 12/13. Then I will be up in 7-28 for our shared moose LEH hunt where we can harvest two bulls! Fingers crossed. Then it will be time for ducks & geese until the Nov rut. I will be going to my honey hole for 2 blacktails (hopefully) at the beginning over Nov and then onto 5-1 for my whitetail anterless LEH. I will also have tags for another bear, cougar and Elk...just in case. I personally try to always have a .22 with me for grouse and hare when hunting big game but only if I am not actually in my hunting spot as I wouldn't want to spook the species I am targeting. Good luck to you!

[warnniklz]

I'll go opposite and look for pockets of timber in the middle of a busy area.

[Bugle M In]

Well, when i was in better times:

I would go do some sub alpine MD hunts for opening day, meaning hiking in a day or 2 beforehand.
Then off for Elk later in September (however, i think the bow season early on is better at times, but would interfere with the MD hunt)
Then, off for either a MD hunt in October or a Sheep hunt that "used to be open". (kind of a combo hunt at the time)
Then MD in Nov/Dec and from time to time a WT hunt depending where i was.

LEH tags change things up, but usually did a Goat hunt during elk hunt if time/tag permitting.

[BRrooster]

In the last few years, early Elk and Moose up north from me, (my son lives and works Forestry near MacKenzie BC). Mulie October and Wt and Moose in November , Wt in Dec bow season.
The most important thing is just to be out there.
B.

[jac]

Keep going back to the same spot for a few years. Learning new area every year can be good
but often is tough. Just stick with it

[albravo2]

Josh, it is pretty obvious from your post that you are an analytic thinker and I expect you are a fast learner. All you need is time in the field.

The biggest thing for me was finding sign. Rubs and scrapes for ungulates, scat for bears and ungulates. Once you find sign you increase your odds dramatically.

Also, hunt where the critters are. I'm talking deer in Region 5 or bears in Region 1. I saw more deer in a morning in Region 5 than I saw in years hunting Region 2. I've never hunted bears on the island but I've heard they are prolific.

[RyoTHC]

My season looks like this each year since I’ve started..

May- spring black bear
September Grouse/duck
October -White tail
November - Mule deer

this year alpine mule deer sept 1-10 and moose sept 10-30 replace the grouse and duck.

ive tried to hunt mulies in October and white tail in September and it was useless for me.. just like bear in April