Skagit and chilliwack valley conditions [Archive]

Taurusguy

11-05-2013, 04:11 PM

Havent read anyone adventuring up those ways this year so was just wondering what the conditions up skagit and chilliwack valley are like. Looking to take my little guy(9yo son) out to show him some animal tracks and possibly even shoot something and at the very least throw a few snow balls at eachother and take a few pics while we enjoy the scenery.

Hoping there is snow down low.

Thanks

Moe.JKU

11-05-2013, 04:15 PM

Dont quote me on this, someone the other day told me it was snowing at the top of the vedder. So i imagine higher up it would have stuck a little bit.

Taurusguy

11-05-2013, 04:22 PM

So nothing low yet?.... Darn. Hopefully someone will update the thread with more conditions if they been up there recently. Thanks

ruger#1

11-05-2013, 04:26 PM

Sunday snow was 1/4 the way down Sumas mountain. I use that as a guage for good blacktail hunting. It is enough to push the deer down lower.

Taurusguy

11-05-2013, 04:39 PM

Hmmm I may try and get up that way on sunday. Thanks. Hopefully people who visit can keep this thread alive with updates.

ruger#1

11-05-2013, 04:48 PM

I work close to Sumas mountain. Today couldn't see the top. If it is 4c or lower you can bet snow on top. I will try to keep this thread informed. Good luck on your hunt Taurusguy.

adriaticum

11-05-2013, 05:52 PM

This weekend snow was above 800m. Now it's probably even lower.

keoke

11-05-2013, 06:11 PM

I was up there on sunday and it was snowing by the second gravel pit. It was sticking, just stay out of my way this weekend lol

Mathil

11-05-2013, 06:19 PM

I was behind the lake, depot creek area last Saturday. Temp was about 2 high, -8 low. Snow was about 150 meters above lake level. It snowed and hailed on me, but none stuck.

Didnt see much sign to speak of, no prints in the mud on the road, no rubs or beds in the thick stuff.

Older gent that's been camped out the past 2 weeks said he hasn't seen anything but a doe and fawn the whole time there.

Theres a logging crew building a road on the far side of the creek, following it east. They're hauling timber out during the weekday, and making a whole lot of noise even on the weekend.

I'm new to waking about the area though, and don't know where exactly to look from past experience.

caddisguy

11-05-2013, 06:27 PM

If you see a blue jeep stuck, it's me ;-P

~T-BONE~

11-05-2013, 06:58 PM

Snows gone way up again. Could change by the weekend though...

Just

11-06-2013, 06:38 AM

Mathil

11-06-2013, 08:46 AM

I'm looking for bear too! Didn't see anything at depot creek (probably too noisy). Where should I be looking? I drove along foley creek, but it seemed packed full of people.

Taurusguy

11-06-2013, 11:56 AM

Last year I went towards depot creek 5x. Seen a huge blackie pop out onto the road just before paleface. It was huge! Probably 4-500lb bear and jet black. It was rolly and jiggly too as it ran away. I didn't have a bear tag or I could have shot it. I have never shot a bear so not sure how to gut it exactly or if there is any tricks to watch out for. But out of those 5x I went back there I seen a bear 3x. I found them in the afternoon too all 3 times. Around 2pm. They are there. Hope to get some snow down low in either valley soon. Keep up the good work on this thread for weather conditions.

Thanks

ruger#1

11-06-2013, 12:20 PM

http://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-24_metric_e.html

Taurusguy

11-13-2013, 11:57 PM

Anyone visit recently? Whats it looking like up there in either valley? didnt get a chance to get out. looking to spend a day this saturday on an outing with my son from coquitlam. Hoping for snow!

GrandA

11-14-2013, 10:21 AM

i ve been up in the wack plenty of times this year. have seen many does. ive climbed up to the snow line and thought id see a lot of tracks but didnt. at the 800M elevation mark I have seen most does. I have not seen a buck.

Brayden

11-14-2013, 06:36 PM

Just got back down; third day in a row and I haven't seen anything. Was past that camper that's still there and there certainly is a lot of logging activity. No snow yet under 3,000 feet.

I'm also taking up my little guy on Sunday hoping for a black bear (or at least some snow for him). I've been going up there all my life, and the best advice I have is to try all the small side roads past chipmunk/slesse (gated, have to walk them) and don't even bother fighting the weekend crowds. Weekdays only up there.

Skagit is really quiet this week (because the road is so bad) but as you head higher its snowy and extremely slick. Lots of grouse still at the right times.

caddisguy

11-14-2013, 07:18 PM

Skagit is really quiet this week (because the road is so bad) but as you head higher its snowy and extremely slick. Lots of grouse still at the right times.

Is there snow again? I was there on Saturday and Sunday. Estimated 200-300 cars working the main road based on estimates, going by 30-50 other cars whenever I'd drive from point A to point B to hike... conveys of road hunters often 150 meters apart, no snow on the main road and only access to snow was up Sowerby by ATV or Jeep, but there was a half dozen ATV's working that road when I checked. Lots of idiots taking blind corners on the wrong side of the road too while avoiding pot holes. Saw a few close calls with nearly missed head-on's. Spent most of the trip hiking. Saw one doe while driving, one grouse and one cougar while hiking. Road is definitely bad... got a bit of play in one of my balljoints now and I had to replace a washer/nut on my battery hold-down. Craterville for sure, but it wasn't stopping anyone, including 2-wheelers cars. Only heard of one spike being taken. Seems like mostly road/atv hunting going on, so I might try hiking again on Saturday, mostly scouting and learning. Critters are bonus. Beautiful area to hike, but rough terrain for both hiking and finding sign. Love a good challenge though.

Taurusguy

11-14-2013, 11:51 PM

Skagit and chilliwack are both very steep and not alot of roads to just road hunt on.. especially chilliwack... i do like how it looks though when walking around off the road.

I got a bear tag this year too, never shot a bear before. But i have seen more bears though than deer in those areas so i figured i might as well expand my horizons on the wildlife i can harvest for my freezer.
cleaning shouldn't be too much different than a deer i suppose?

Snow not down low yet huh? Weather says we are going to get a -6c and possibly some snow Friday. That could get deer moving around in skagit and chilliwack valleys. Could have a blanket skip on Saturday and make a starting point for the day a bit easier.

I gained alot of confidence and learned alot this year stalking and exploring for mulies with my daughter on foot all day for 5 days in region 8 well off the beaten path. I seen alot and had my heart racing several times. Including my gun up on a 4pt that was bounding away from me and 3 seconds to decide what to do. My only shot was one up the arse so i didnt shoot. I spooked 2 WT deer 50ft from me coming out of the bush into a clearing as it was approaching dark. Gone in a flash. We also B-lined through the bush between logging roads one morning and came up on a cow moose less than 25 yards from me hiding in the sequoia trees in the middle of seemingly no where. Funny how a black moose can hide in yellow looking pine needles of the sequoia tree. If it didnt move ... I wouldnt have seen it and walked right by it (scared us both because it was so close and startled us). I have yet to find a rub... always just deer shyt and tracks or sheds.

Good experience...

I will be out and about those areas Saturday with my son and my buddy whos gunna be my camera man if something does happen. If nothing else ... just getting out there and away from here.

Good Luck on the bear!

Mathil

11-15-2013, 09:35 AM

Now I'm wondering if I should go to the backside of Chilliwack lake, or towards Merrit this weekend...

Mathil

11-16-2013, 11:27 AM

Went about 4k up paleface this morning. Started walking about 45 mins before sunrise (6:30) and followed the road all the way up. All the cuts there must be 20+ years old. Sucks that the culverts were taken out of the road and you need a highly capable 4x4 to cross them. Fullsize vehicles impassable after about 1k, even if you can cross the creek washes.

Snow level was around 100m above the lake. Snow on Chilliwack lake rd on the way in. No logging activity today, sign posted at start of road now says Monday to Friday.

Didn't see any tracks, scat or rubs along the road. On my way back I spooked a doe and a fawn, but no bucks in sight. Tried rattling with a promos bag, no dice.

I think I'm going to go towards Merritt everytime now, the hunting pressure is just insane in the valley. On the way out (around 9 am... Apparently road hunters don't get up early) I had probably 6 people pass in their trucks.

Brayden

11-16-2013, 12:39 PM

It's turned into an absolute gongshow up there unfortunately :( Sure wasn't like that 3-4 years ago.

There's still some good spots if you're A) okay to walk a bit and B) get up to your spot before 6am on a weekday.

Just

11-16-2013, 06:37 PM

keoke

11-16-2013, 08:25 PM

I was well off the road and I saw absolutely nothing today, not a single track in the snow, nothing.

takla1

11-16-2013, 08:57 PM

I was well off the road and I saw absolutely nothing today, not a single track in the snow, nothing.
you didn't see nothing...............until you do!! right place at the right time is all it takes,my 40 yrs of hunting tells me that...keep that chin up

adriaticum

11-16-2013, 09:09 PM

All the deer are on bench road right now :mrgreen:

Taurusguy

11-16-2013, 10:46 PM

ya was up Depot creek this morning hiked way up to the "bridge" that wasn't there. Only to have a guy come 4x4 up behind us on the depot rd fsr. WE were following deer tracks the whole way up too. He stopped and turned around when he came up to us, thank god. Lots of snow thou.

Sorry about that. Was with my son and a buddy. My son asked to get a bit closer to the snow before we started walking. When I noticed the foot tracks I was looking for a spot to turn around. Was pretty tight up there. Didn't think I was going to be able to turn around with my big truck (full size brown older chevy with white canopy). On the way down after I managed to turn around another truck was coming up benind me. Told him you guys were on foot and to turn around.

We ended up parking at the last bridge and walking to the back of chiliwack lake. Checked out the new road cut up in there. No tracks crossed the new roads (they were really soft too and hardly driven on, my boot prints went deep into the road when I stepped) it has potential once it quiets down when they are finshed. Seen some tracks on the far beach. Followed them til it was so thick it looked impassable. They were huge too! My son said "How do they move through that stuff when its so thick?" It had walked all over the beach before it roamed its way back into the thick. On the way back from the back of the lake there was a shyt on the trail that wasn't there on the way in. We poked up into the trees a few times too and followed a few game trails but it got too steep for my 9yo son to continue safely so we headed back to the truck. Then went up paleface after we came back out.. That road is horrible. Managed to get through the first 5 digouts.... Scraped bottom and dragged my hitch all 5 times.. Never been all the way to the back of the lake before. My son was beat after and slept all the way home. O well. No bacon. Had fun tho. Likely go check out another area. Thought about norrish creek ..

Brayden

11-18-2013, 10:36 AM

Was up again yesterday... all day from about 4:45am. Tracked some HUGE deer tracks in a giant circle up at the top of Chilliwack lake (3,000 ft up, foot+ of snow). I even heard him trotting; my friend and I were in some thick brush just seconds/minutes behind and we had his ecstatic 10 yr old out on his first trip.

Also came across some pretty big black bear tracks across from Chipmunk along the river where all the fish are spawning. So there's activity, but not much.

caddisguy

11-18-2013, 02:45 PM

Hit the Skagit area on Saturday. We went up Sowerby FSR a little ways. The Jeep did not get very far with low tread AT's and no chains. Living in the LML my whole life and having pretty much 0 experience doing trails with snow, coupled with not having the right equipment has left me rather useless in knowing what I need and how to use it to tackle snowy trails. In the past, I'd always just stay off the roads--even pavement--for those 2-3 days a year in the LML when there's ice on the road or snow sticking. Now with hunting in mind, I see why this is no longer acceptable ;-P

Anyway, we hiked up the road a ways and bush whacked around a little. Only found one set of tracks... small doe I would guess. We followed them for a bit, but the tracks led down the hill and into the bush where there wasn't much snow.

Not much snow on the main road. Craterville though. Since we spent most of the day hiking Sowerby, we only had a little bit of time left. Drove to about the 20km mark and back, with the minutes winding down in the day and probably my season, hoping after all the time spent hiking with no sign, the mother nature would humor me with a big temporarily dumb cranker wandering out on the road. Darn! Didn't happen. I think my season is probably done, unless I get to the ball joints, tires and chains in the next week or two.

It was a good first season. I learned a ton, found some great places around Merritt, Kamloops and the South Cariboo. Saw dozens of does, a couple bears, some moose, a cougar, hundreds of grouse and passed on a whitetail doe. Already planning my spring scouting and fall hunting trips for next season. Pretty sure I'll get a decent buck before November, but I'll make sure I'm prepared for snow/ice instead of missing out on some peak season action.

betteroffishing

11-18-2013, 02:51 PM

ok , repeat after me " i will never again pass on a whitetail doe in season " now do 20 hail marries in restitution for your sins.lol

GrandA

11-18-2013, 02:53 PM

i have 2 trail cams in spots which had lots of action 2-3 weeks ago. I re visited the trail cams last Saturday (Nov 16) and was thinking there would be lots of action on them with the snow.. nothing at all.
I went up to the 1000M mark in 1-2 feet of snow and couldnt find a single track. Im not sure where they have gone, but they definately arent where I have seen them for the past month. GL

caddisguy

11-18-2013, 04:11 PM

ok , repeat after me " i will never again pass on a whitetail doe in season " now do 20 hail marries in restitution for your sins.lol

Yeah I wish I had a do-over on that one. Walked along a deer trail through the bush out to the ridge. Fresh moose and deer sign everywhere on the way in. Doe standing there broadside down hill about 20 meters away. Slowly buggered off, broadside the whole time. I'm looking for her boyfriend and pleading with her to grow antlers. That and only being 99.999% sure it was a whitetail, even after seeing dozens of mule does. Would have been the first one I saw with pointy ears, not much of a rump and a tail with a white trim and underside. All the time in the world for the perfect shot. Newb mistakes in being optimistic that it's morning I'd see a buck for sure, being in 3-20 and third week into any buck season. Main deal breaker was not being confident in the ID though. I replay it in my head and just tell myself that my first deer should be a buck anyway, then subsequently agree with myself. Makes me feel better ;-P

Fine...hail mary x20

BuckNaked

11-18-2013, 05:17 PM

All the deer are on bench road right now :mrgreen:

Yup all over bench the other day, HUGE BUCKS!

swampdonkey

11-18-2013, 05:19 PM

You seen them to . I passed them up looking for something bigger.

BCHunterTV

11-21-2013, 10:53 PM

hows the snow on the skagit river?

thanks

caddisguy

11-22-2013, 10:10 AM

hows the snow on the skagit river?

thanks

Here are some pictures a short way up the Sowerby FSR from Saturday Nov 16. A couple are looking down to the valley bottoms to help.

http://stabs.org/sowerby01.jpg

http://stabs.org/sowerby02.jpg

http://stabs.org/sowerby03.jpg

That's the Skagit Valley weather forecast from top to bottom... straight from caddisguy the weatherguy. Stay tuned for traffic. It is a little bumpy on the main. Ammo may bounce out of the cup holder and items on dash will slide around. This has been your traffic and weather.

Taurusguy

11-22-2013, 10:27 AM

Haha! Great update. Love the view. Animals should be moving around with this coldsnap. Gunna be a great weekend to knock down some unsuspecting freezer meat.

natebavis

11-22-2013, 06:47 PM

was in there on wednesday, crunchy snow, saw nothing, hope more Constant snow comes soon

keoke

11-22-2013, 06:50 PM

Sounds like im going to mgr and try my new crony and see what my hand loads are doing.

gearjunkierob

12-05-2013, 02:58 PM

Anybody have any recent updates on the Skagit Rd? Did it get snow before the big clear and cold snap hit? Thanks!

ducktoller

12-05-2013, 07:16 PM

Yeah I wish I had a do-over on that one. Walked along a deer trail through the bush out to the ridge. Fresh moose and deer sign everywhere on the way in. Doe standing there broadside down hill about 20 meters away. Slowly buggered off, broadside the whole time. I'm looking for her boyfriend and pleading with her to grow antlers. That and only being 99.999% sure it was a whitetail, even after seeing dozens of mule does. Would have been the first one I saw with pointy ears, not much of a rump and a tail with a white trim and underside. All the time in the world for the perfect shot. Newb mistakes in being optimistic that it's morning I'd see a buck for sure, being in 3-20 and third week into any buck season. Main deal breaker was not being confident in the ID though. I replay it in my head and just tell myself that my first deer should be a buck anyway, then subsequently agree with myself. Makes me feel better ;-P

Fine...hail mary x20

Do wr have the same season, but it's my first year. Couldn't confirm I'd till her but turned and ran away ( too far and too low light to positive Id) Haven't seen a buck after that point whether hikin. Or trucking.

howa1500

12-08-2013, 09:48 PM

Not much snow, road is in terrible condition as always

~T-BONE~

12-08-2013, 09:59 PM

Skagit... Took a boo in there sat.. A dusting of snow.. Noisy walking conditions with minimal deer activity, even a klick of the rd. Seen lots of cougar, bobcat and coyote tracks. Not to mention 5 goats with a stomper billy above!

howa1500

12-10-2013, 04:12 PM

I agree, very little deer activity down the skagit this time of year compared to the past.

Lots of cat sign everywhere! Saw a beauty of a bobcat off the main road.

caddisguy

12-10-2013, 05:58 PM

I went up to punish the ball joints a little more in craterville. Ground was crunchy and snow sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Only critter I saw this weekend was a small coyote in some old growth timber. I was about to use natures washroom and the stupid thing wandered right up and did not realize I was standing right there until I told it off. Thought for a second I was going to end up needing a rabies shot... and then I couldn't go anymore :(

howa1500

12-13-2013, 05:20 PM

$20 it'll be a super highway tomorrow

adriaticum

12-13-2013, 06:54 PM