Northern BC Canoe Trip / Hunt options

[huntinnut]

My girlfriend and I are always conflicted on what to do during August. She's from Ontario and grew up doing canoe tripping, and we try to get to Ontario at least every second year to do a 14-20 day canoe trip over 300-500km. I really want to do some hunting trips up north and I'm wondering if there are some decent paddling options on rivers and or lakes in Northern BC that could be combined with Caribou / sheep or possibly elk (though I get to hunt elk every year anyways). We would be open to flying in somewhere and paddling out as an option too. She doesn't hunt but can pack a lot and enjoys wild meat. Were not super technical paddlers so we wont be running any class 3 rapids or anything, but we can definatly portage around nasty sections. I'm open to anything really and getting a trophy animal wouldn't be that important for a trip like this a nice legal caribou would be fine. We probably wouldn't want to shoot a moose just because of the size and weight. We'd be potentially doing this in 2015 or the year after.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Karl.

[gerrygoat]

The Dease River would be a really nice paddle but you would be looking for mostly moose there and grizzly. I suppose there is a possibilty of sheep and caribou if you hit the alpine in the more remote northern section of the river. Fantastic fishing in September, in early August the fish were pretty sluggish and not into biting much. I suppose the Atlin area might good for you but will let others who have been there fill you in on that.

[Cordillera]

Gataiga river for sheep and elk. It's written up in laurel archers book canoe routes of northern bc. You can judge if you are profficient enough. It's on my bucket list.

[huntinnut]

We would definitely be willing to spike camp out for a few days to reach some better hunting terrain and pack an animal back maybe up to 10km or so. I would definitely like to get a moose, but I don't know if we would be getting close to being overloaded with us and gear and a deboned moose and rack. Our canoe is close to 19 feet and rated for about 1100 pounds.

[northernguy]

We would definitely be willing to spike camp out for a few days to reach some better hunting terrain and pack an animal back maybe up to 10km or so. I would definitely like to get a moose, but I don't know if we would be getting close to being overloaded with us and gear and a deboned moose and rack. Our canoe is close to 19 feet and rated for about 1100 pounds.

You should be OK with a boned out moose in a boat like that...provided you are not packing too much camp gear. I have a 17 foot prospector rated to 1000 lbs and I had no trouble on flat water with two guys, a 50'inch moose (boned out) and about 180 lbs of gear. This was on flat, smooth flowing water with some minor, minor "rapids". It was safe and comfortable.

Moose meat is good "ballast" in the bottom of a canoe :). Stack the gear on top of the moose meat. The cold from the water comes through the bottom of the canoe and helps keep the meat cool too.

As for your question as to where to go...I'm watching this post carefully for the answers. I have the same question myself!

[hellojello74]

I highly recommend both of archers books. Just got them both and starting to plan some good ones. There is also a few charters that can do fly in paddle out. Would see some awesome wild country. Let us know what you plan as we would love to hear about it more.

[gerrygoat]

The Spatsizi river apparently is good but I wouldn't want to canoe down the fast Stikine though. The other one I have always wanted to do is the Tuaton, Laslui, Happy lake area, would have to arrange a flight in and out though since I'm not wanting to canoe the Stikine :)

[Everett]

The Jenning River
http://www.laurelarcher.com/Images/2005_Gallery/JenningsRiverNorthernBC/index.html

[Trekker]

there are many great paddling rivers in northen bc. as others have said check out laurel archers northern british columbia canoe trips volume one and two. those books have very in depth info on many of the popular rivers up north. most of the rivers in the books have good hunting opportunity's, id say pick one and have at er!

[gerrygoat]

Great link Everett, looks like they have done a bunch of great rivers in Northern B.C.

[Peacepipe]

I would have to agree with Gerry. I have done the complete Dease and its very manageable with average canoe skills. Prolly a good 6 dayer working at it. But you have access to all but elk. Just remember to take a sharp left at the island when you see the Liard at Lower Post. Fishing is awesome.

[gerrygoat]

Can't believe I forgot to mention it, there are some pretty good goats along the Dease river too.

[huntinnut]

Thanks for the replies, I'll get archers books for sure and start doing a little more research. From google earth there looks like a few subalpine / alpine areas accessible from the dease if we wanted to stop for a few days and hunt caribou higher up.

Karl.

[BromBones]

The Dease would be ideal. Possibly take out at French creek if you want to avoid the lower stretch, I'm not sure what access is like there right now though.

You can get into some great caribou country if you aren't scared to hike.

[gerrygoat]

BcBillies and I looked at doing that trip years ago but never did, there are some good caribou and sheep if a guy is willing to hike. This thread has been good for remembering stuff I had forgotten about, it is nice country. Hope my wife and I can do some moose hunting and fishing on the Dease this fall.

[albravo2]

The Dease is on my list since early last year when it got some mention on here.

The problem is I want to go back to all the awesome places I hunted this year and a guy's only got so many weeks he can hunt.

[BCbillies]

BcBillies and I looked at doing that trip years ago but never did, there are some good caribou and sheep if a guy is willing to hike. This thread has been good for remembering stuff I had forgotten about, it is nice country. Hope my wife and I can do some moose hunting and fishing on the Dease this fall.

IIRC we drove north with the canoe but it never touched water . . . had to change our plans upon arrival. At least we put our boots to the ground!

[huntinnut]

We are definitely up for hiking, though it will depend how much time we have. Every canoe trip we've done so far has been more of a hiking trip with a canoe on our heads looking for old cut marks or ribbons for the portages. I'm hoping to talk her into hiking across the Kawdy, or a trip like that, some year when we can leave our kids at grandmas and get dropped off at one lake and picked up at another. My girlfriend wants to do the Thelon river in NWT one of these years too, which will help me get closer to my goal of catching all the fresh water sport fish in canada. Too many trips to do and only one life, and not to mention hunting and fishing to do at home in the Creston area!!

[cassiarkid]

Horseranch Range is the only good place along the Dease River for Caribou. However is takes a full day to get up to the top where the caribou are and it would be a tough pack back. There is a trail all the way up, but haven't been up it for years. As far as sheep goes, there are a few, but not that great, along the Dease. Pyramid Mtn would be your best bet. Goats are pretty good throughout the lower section of the river. The mountains peter out closer to the Yukon border past Boya Lake Park.

Cheers

[onpoint]

The Jenning River
http://www.laurelarcher.com/Images/2005_Gallery/JenningsRiverNorthernBC/index.html

Everett, thanks for posting this link. Ordered both books and have been literally glued to them since they arrived...IMO the best possible way to cover some epic terrain in BC!

[Everett]

Everett, thanks for posting this link. Ordered both books and have been literally glued to them since they arrived...IMO the best possible way to cover some epic terrain in BC!

I am reading one of her books right now.

[nap]

I read in one of the northern B.C. books that the Tuchodi was a paddling route with drop off point by plane. Look up Tuchodi outfitters, just an idea. I myself would be to lazy to do it.

[brian]

She doesn't hunt but can pack a lot and enjoys wild meat

We would definitely be willing to spike camp out for a few days to reach some better hunting terrain and pack an animal back maybe up to 10km or so

My girlfriend wants to do the Thelon river in NWT one of these years too

Can I just say, your girlfriend sounds awesome!

[huntinnut]

I ordered both books and can't wait for them to get here! We're definately looking at doing a slow trip on the Dease, maybe next year. It's good inspiration to get working on our whitewater skills. My brother-in-law is a river paddling guide, so I want to hit him up on the St. Marys this spring and summer for some pointers. I'm really interested in doing the Turnagain all the way from the lake and accessing some sheep country on the way, and then looking for a Moose below the falls.

[geoskier]

One option I am hoping to do some day is canoe the Turnagain and hunt the Sharktooth Mtns for sheep. I have done the canoe before and I would canoe past the portage before hunting. Would be one hell of a trip.

[albravo2]

Having gone up and down the Tuchodi with Kevin from RiverJet Adventures I think it would be a fairly serious paddle. Fast and narrow in many places with no shortage of snags and sweepers.

I'm loving this thread. I really loved the Tuchodi area. Trying to figure out how to get a trip in this summer.

I just sent Laurel a note... the link to buy her books isn't working.

[eric]

you can buy her books on amazon.ca