Heading out for first muley/blacktail hunt, last tips?

[ducktoller]

Heading out near Elkhart lake road (near merritt) with a buddy who is starting with me (he doesnt have his lisence yet but will help glass/spot). Buddy has been sick so hopefully he is still okay to go.

Driving in for before first light and hike in a bit off the road gonna camp out in cover near cut block and start glassing. hunting with .270win rifle. Spot and stalk. Not confident with shooting past 100 yards so I want to get as close as possible to avoid wounding.

Havent cleaned any game yet but saved video on phone and wrote down very detailed directions. rewatched many videos on it. Will leave bone in. Im less worried about equipment though.

So my question is anything missing re simplified day plan. not trying to overthink it mostly want to learn and hope for a chance

Get in pre first light, start glassing, see where they start to bed down and go in. If we spot nothing they often come out again at noonish and last light correct? When I walk heel first then outside, then rest down, stay low, someitmes if they notice you and start to bolt a quick ch ch ch or shout can make them stop, aim for vitals only.

Mostly expecting this to be learning experience. Have a whitetail and a mule deer tag. Would it be worth it to get a moose tag for up there too? Spike fork bulls only.

will also be bringing .22 if any grouse show up while walking the roads.

[ACE]

Just a 'heads-up' ...... you may want to look at page 3 of the Hunting & Trapping regulations .... Hunt & Hunting. This is concerning your un-licenced friend, and his participation. A grey area with many interpretations ......
Good luck, and have fun!

[wrenchhead]

Sounds like you have the right ideas. Now all you need is the experience. An ya there's a good population of moose up there.

[bc_buckshot]

One good piece of advise i was taught and its true and swear by it. The advise is, " the day you dont expect to see anything or think your wasting your time, is the day you will see alot and probley bring one home."... Just have fun and glass with taking your time.

[ducktoller]

Just a 'heads-up' ...... you may want to look at page 3 of the Hunting & Trapping regulations .... Hunt & Hunting. This is concerning your un-licenced friend, and his participation. A grey area with many interpretations ......
Good luck, and have fun!

I was gonna get him to bring binos but i may make him not use binos just to avoid trouble. I am trying to light the fire under his butt to get his core and want the company. FIrst hunt alone would be no fun. Friend who actually hunts is away on LEH moose right now.

[ducktoller]

One good piece of advise i was taught and its true and swear by it. The advise is, " the day you dont expect to see anything or think your wasting your time, is the day you will see alot and probley bring one home."... Just have fun and glass with taking your time.

Ill try to keep my hopes down then :) Got shitty birding binos but would rather save for a better pair next year than cheapos this year.

[MB_Boy]

Just a 'heads-up' ...... you may want to look at page 3 of the Hunting & Trapping regulations .... Hunt & Hunting. This is concerning your un-licenced friend, and his participation. A grey area with many interpretations ......
Good luck, and have fun!

Ya....you can't take any non-hunter out with you....friend, family or kid. :roll: If you do ensure they are blindfolded in case a CO comes by. :wink:

[Jelvis]

Sounds like you got it down perrty good, only one thing.
--The part about the animals coming back out at noon is kinda merky
do as you planned but at noon maybe walk above the clearcut in the bush they wood be laying down in there, unless you just want to hang out til towards late afternoon then they will come out again.
Good luck and it wood B nice if your friend will go along to help you.
Only you carry a gun if he hasn't got a license and everything wood B good 2 go

[ducktoller]

Sounds like you got it down perrty good, only one thing.
--The part about the animals coming back out at noon is kinda merky
do as you planned but at noon maybe walk above the clearcut in the bush they wood be laying down in there, unless you just want to hang out til towards late afternoon then they will come out again.
Good luck and it wood B nice if your friend will go along to help you.
Only you carry a gun if he hasn't got a license and everything wood B good 2 go

Thanks for the tip, if seeing nothing at noon i can always take that time to explore more or rip into merritt for coffee :p I guess ill take him to mission before to get his shooting jollies out.

[Jelvis]

Sounds good, have fun and always think gun safety first. Remember when loading and unloading your gun, is the time to be really thoughtful of safety and muzzle control.
Put safety on and keep safety on til you are ready to shoot at a deer.
Don't panic or get too excited when you see an animal, remember it's about having fun and a good time so be safe, and take a camera along hunter.
Jel ( Big) Daddy lol.

[gutpile]

nothing wrong with your buddy having binos !

[caddisguy]

Just a 'heads-up' ...... you may want to look at page 3 of the Hunting & Trapping regulations .... Hunt & Hunting. This is concerning your un-licenced friend, and his participation. A grey area with many interpretations ......
Good luck, and have fun!

By the definition given, as long as the friend does not have the intent to kill wildlife and the OP is the one doing so, my opinion is that the friend should be able to glass, admire and point out all the animals he wants.

No intent for him to make the kill, not carrying a firearm... does not leave much wiggle room at all--even for the most speculative CO on his worst day--to claim your friend is hunting. The CO needs to prove the friend has the intent to kill if searching for wildlife. If the friend carries a firearm at all (under supervision) he can not search for wildlife at the same time.

I put a lot of thought into this, as my gf does not have her CORE yet. She has her first aid and is more handy in the bush with surival, navigation, camps and hauling gear than most hunters I've went with.The reality is, if a CO is out to get you, he could charge you for baiting bears for eating some beef jerky in the field, or charge you with careless transportation of ammo for having a mag in the glove box (careless is undefined and this has happened)

Sure there is the odd crooked/corrupt LEO of any kind, but most are reasonable folks who took up the profession to help and not to dominate.

[Merch]

Would those new initiation hunting licenses apply in this case?

[caddisguy]

Would those new initiation hunting licenses apply in this case?

Guessing not if this is OP's first muley/blacktail hunt. You have to have had your license for 3 years before a hunter with an initiation license can actively hunt with you.

[hotload]

Your friend getting charged by a C.O. for hunting while just tagging along and sporting binos will be a tough conviction in any court in this province. Best the C.O. doesn't even waste his time and ink writing out a citation, he would be best devoting his attention to more important problems....................

[MB_Boy]

I won't say you'll NEVER be charged but it would be the most ludicrous charge ever. That's like saying you couldn't take your kid out hunting with you if you were trying to give them an intro to the sport/pursuit we love. :roll:

I head out with my six year old kid for example (if I had one).....I am turned the other way taking a leak and he says "psssst....Daddy put your willy back in your pants there is a deer over there". Is he technically hunting without a license? I think not.