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Thread: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    80

    Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    Got our bison tags for LEH at 7-42D Oct-1-15! Looking at setting up camp on the airstrip at 22km on Sept 28th and then scouting before opening day. Anyone else headed up for this time? Anyone local want to meet up and have a few cold ones in exchange for some tips? We will have Camper and 2 quads and lots of cold beer.
    tu no serás hard core, si no vives hard core!

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Central Interior of our beautiful british columbia.
    Posts
    6,340

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    Not sure if you been up there before, but the only locals you gonna be visiting have fur, and sharp pointy teeth! Take your sunshine with you, and tires chains to get out! Tale LOTS of gas for ATV's too!! Good luck hunting for the Tatonka! You will be in Beautiful country!! moosin
    "A good day hunting is mud on your truck or blood on your hands"

    “Some people go to church and think about hunting……………others go hunting and think about God!”

    It's actually called the 375 "ouch and ouch"!!

    "Not asking for any spots or anything like that............................................"

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Prince George
    Posts
    352

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    Lots of good area to cover. Like said, take chains, as the little bit up and down at the creek crossing can get stupid after a small snow fall. Was there 2 years ago. The previous year a few went over the bank coming back out, on the way down from the strip.

    Look for the crossing across the sikanni river, and check out the other side as well. Just watch the water level of the river as it can fluctuate, and I don't know what it is.

    The far end, to the end of the allowable quad trail, and then walk a few kms further is decent as well.

    Really all depends on where they are at the time. We had a hard time, and didn't see any, as they were pushed FAR to the back of the area, and only horse access, as it is a few days travel.

    Be prepared for elk, and whitetails in the lower areas.

    You can order a detailed map from Frt St Johns, McKellaney I think they are. If you want and haven't been up there before.

    It is a hard hunt, if the herd are not close.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    The REAL BC Interior
    Posts
    3

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    I hope the hunt is going well.
    Has anyone heard of issues with access to the area?
    i heard a rumour that some roads were blocked this week.
    We’re heading up there next weekend.
    Remember that we haven't inherited this earth. We are borrowing it from our grandchildren.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Fraser Valley
    Posts
    4

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    Which roads? There’s only the one road in at 172 mile that I know of. We are heading there on the 14th.. maybe see u there gramps!

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Fraser Valley
    Posts
    4

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    Sikanni bridge is supposedly open to 2 lanes again as well, FYI

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    76

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    We just got back from the Oct 1-15 done D bison hunt and are wondering if anyone had a different result than us.

    We started out on the Halfway side sleeping at horse camp before the opener. Explored high and low between the Blueberry Ranch and the end of the zone, including hiking up to the 1800+m peaks behind horse camp and glassed every valley and mountain as far as we could see and saw 0 bison and 0 sign fresher than spring time i.e. crap so dry it was almost dusty.

    Then we relocated to Sikkani and repeated the effort with the same result. Again hiking up to the top of the ridges off the valley and glassing everything we could see including spots so far back where even if we saw a bison, we wouldn't shoot it as it would take a week to pack it out. All the other bison hunters we met, including those on foot going back into zone C had the same feedback. And there were lots of other hunters going to every corner of the zone seeing 0 sign.

    As a last resort we thought we'd give the infamous Redfern trail a go in the open zone. After a half day of hard travel on quads and making it ~1/3 of the way back we realized we were not prepared to make it to near the end of the trail, supposedly where the bison were, and get one back out, so we turned around. Just too much risk for us novice out-of-town quadders with little old machines. It was a good choice because our quad trailer fell apart a few KM from the trailhead.

    We chose to not continue hunting as I can't guarantee there wasn't a bison in our huntable zone but I'm pretty darn sure. One would need to do a serious aerial survey to be sure. Word is the bison were back deep in the valley near the big mountains. If true, all zone D hunters had essentially 0% chance at a successful hunt. Vern at Pink Mtn said "he hasnt seen a bison in a long time". At least when elk or moose hunting you can keep motivated knowing there are bulls out there somewhere, but bison aren't like that. I hope that the situation changes for the tag holders for the later hunts.

    We did see two big bull moose that we could have shot on the road before the regs changed this year... Ugh.

    Gramps - we did not encounter any road closure issues.

    1prime - The Sikkani bridge was still single lane traffic but at worst you are looking at a few minute wait, not a big deal.

    Scoopy - I wonder if we chatted on the trail?
    Last edited by Rampager; 10-07-2022 at 08:02 PM.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Somewhere between the mud and the snow
    Posts
    222

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    We are still here, camped at duhu now since it's a little quieter but we were camped near the end of the south sikanni main.

    We have changed over to elk hunting since at least those we have seen, just not connected yet... Same as you, we could have dropped a cranker moose in 7-58 before the regs changed this year but oh well. Only thing we have shot so far is a bunch of grouse.
    Missed connecting with you I think, we were on foot hiking the river banks on the south side, east of the river crossing or on the red polaris 2-up off the 156 road at the west end.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    2,537

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    Quote Originally Posted by sed8ed View Post
    We are still here, camped at duhu now since it's a little quieter but we were camped near the end of the south sikanni main.

    We have changed over to elk hunting since at least those we have seen, just not connected yet... Same as you, we could have dropped a cranker moose in 7-58 before the regs changed this year but oh well. Only thing we have shot so far is a bunch of grouse.
    Missed connecting with you I think, we were on foot hiking the river banks on the south side, east of the river crossing or on the red polaris 2-up off the 156 road at the west end.

    not the news I was hoping for sir, I was wondering how you two were doing…
    hopefully you’re staying until the bitter end and have a shot at finding one if they get moving..

    the reports from these hunts seem to get more and more depressing yearly.. clearly they need to adjust the bison zones or quit sending so many people up there to waste all their time and money.

    it’s one thing if it’s a tough hunt it’s another if there’s no legal animals in the zone.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    06
    Posts
    351

    Re: Sikanni Airstrip 2 weeks.

    I was way back in redfern earlier in september, i wasnt looking for bison but i didnt see any. Hunted from nevis creek area to redfern lake area and didnt see any bison sign that wasnt very old. We also broke a marlon tub trail, and had a quad break down as well as a swamped quad. There should be pockets of bison somewhere in sikanni area, i think there always is but its a very large area to cover. When the big herds are there, it is very obvious.

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