8-12 to 8-15 whitetail/elk help!!!

[WestCoastHunter]

Hey everyone, I'm planning a trip to one of these areas over thanksgiving weekend. I'm thinking of hunting around kettle river, Granby river, or Christina lake but I still have research to do. I was wondering if anyone could help me out with good camping spots in any of these areas, and is there lots of posted land or not?

Thanks all,

Cheers! :biggrin:

[416]

Explored the north end of the Kettle last year and will probably go back out this year, along the river itself are some really nice small camp grounds......your issue may your timing. Thanksgiving weekend is a very popular weekend in the bush, and camping spots may be hard to come by.

[WestCoastHunter]

Hmm okay thanks 416, is it a highly populated hunting area?

[palmer]

Hmm okay thanks 416, is it a highly populated hunting area?

That weekend it is busy everywhere.....what are you thinking of hunting for..?

[palmer]

if you are looking for a WT doe...lots...Bucks and Bulls are very different. early for the Bucks and getting late for the bulls....

[WestCoastHunter]

That weekend it is busy everywhere.....what are you thinking of hunting for..?
Mainly WT, I will have all of my tags though so whatever is legal and we run into we will have a shot at. A nice buck or bull would be ideal but I think that's on everyone's hit list..

[palmer]

If you are just looking for what walks in front of your gun. I would hunt the Granby, stay at 28 mile bridge where it turns from road to gravel and hunt the Burrell FSR and the Granby FSR...Lots of WT and you could see an Elk or Mulie...Hunt some of the old spurs and around Burns Lake for ELK...Its a nice place to stay and plenty of game...but at that time of the year...you will have company...

[WestCoastHunter]

Hmm ok awesome thanks for the help Palmer I appreciate it! When you say "stay at 28 mile bridge" do you mean camp there? If not are there spots along the Granby?

[Seeker]

You can cross the river and there is a small area to camp there, but a lot better sites all along the river both before and after the bridge. And that bridge is at "28 km's". There are some cabins you can rent at the 20 km mark if that's your thing, but you better phone the owner to reserve if that's your thoughts. I think 20-25$ per head per night, cabins sleep 4. You will NOT be alone, that is the probably the busiest weekend of the hunting season, and in the CV that's purdy darn busy! I do not personally know or have seen a busier place while hunting, but lots of deer. PM me should you want more info.

[Seeker]

My bad, I don't think good in miles, but there is a bridge up at the Granby FSR which maybe "28 miles"(not totally sure about the camping). Coincidently another bridge at 28 km......Good campsites at 38 and around 40 ish, but the latter is a little tight for trailers. Campers are good in there, trailers at both 36 and 38.

[Wrayzer]

Get up back any of the drainage creeks off grandby and you should be into the elk. Look for thick timber with water sources.

[palmer]

My bad, I don't think good in miles, but there is a bridge up at the Granby FSR which maybe "28 miles"(not totally sure about the camping). Coincidently another bridge at 28 km......Good campsites at 38 and around 40 ish, but the latter is a little tight for trailers. Campers are good in there, trailers at both 36 and 38.

So when you leave Grand Forks on either North Fork rd at the OK tire or you take the Granby rd by the Omega restaurant. The first bridge is Hummingbird or TEN MILE where the two roads join and head north. The next bridge you come to is 28 MILE and its the bridge over Burrell creek where it goes from pavement to gravel. Right as you cross the bridge you will see a nice camping spot with lots of room and outhouses on the left. From there if you head down the Granby FSR you will see a large road going off to the right,that is the Burrell Creek FSR. So from that junction about 1km past your camp ground you can hunt both roads...Both roads hold Elk, Deer and Bear...Let me know if you need any more help..
The Elk will have ben hunted hard by the time you get there but if you get off the road around Burns Lake you may run into one...some mulies there too. Both Granby and Burrell have whitetails all along the road

cheers
Palmer

[WestCoastHunter]

Thanks for the info everyone! It is definitely going to help me I have learnt a lot already.

[palmer]

Another spot to have a look for Elk is Bunchgrass FSR..It is about 4 KM before 28Mile bridge, when you are still on the pavement...it goes off to the right when heading towards 28 mile bridge...
PM If you need anything else...

[300H&H]

The Christian Valley can be VERY busy with hunters...uhhh...I should say, ROAD HUNTERS.

Find a likely spot...park your truck and walk ! I almost never run into anyone when I am out of my truck and off the road walking.

[WestCoastHunter]

The Christian Valley can be VERY busy with hunters...uhhh...I should say, ROAD HUNTERS.

Find a likely spot...park your truck and walk ! I almost never run into anyone when I am out of my truck and off the road walking.
Ok thanks! I will be doing lots of walking and hopefully have an atv so I should be off the main FSR's most of the time. And Palmer thanks for all of your help, we will be in touch!

[palmer]

Ok thanks! I will be doing lots of walking and hopefully have an atv so I should be off the main FSR's most of the time. And Palmer thanks for all of your help, we will be in touch!

YOUR WELCOME...


I would offer to show you around Christina lake but when you are coming I am heading to the Flathead 4-01 for Moose and Goat for a couple of weeks....and its tough without a local tour guide or access to some private property...

[Fisher-Dude]

You should be able to bump into a whitetail even when it's busy. Sometimes more people = more deer movement = more success for the patient.

Keep in mind the new regs for those MUs - 4 point mule deer only, all season. It won't make more mule deer, but it will make fewer large bucks available.

Cheers!

[palmer]

Fisher-Dude is right it did not help last time they tried it....but it did seem to cut down on pressure as many who used to come went to an any buck area. Not the best management plan.

[bpeters]

east of the kettle is good timber for whitetail, plenty of game trails, hike through the bush and you will find something, as far as elk I'm not sure in that immidiate area

[HarryToolips]

Was in that area last year, buy a black bear tag...didn't see a lot of WT surprisingly..I think most of them are takin it easy at the local Grand Forks school and A&W:-D

[WestCoastHunter]

Okay so here is a question, where do you guys think will be more hunter populated, up the kettle or Granby/Burrell?

[palmer]

The more east you go the less hunters...until you hit 4-09

[WestCoastHunter]

Hey everyone, so I was reading the regs and I'm a little bit confused on them. There are a few roads up the Granby it is saying that are no motor vehicles. Anyone know about this and can help clarify a little bit?

[tater]

Map J12 page 89 is pretty clear: There is a MV closure on the boundaries of the Granby Park. The five listed FSR's that go into the boundary have a point that cannot be crossed with a motor vehicle of any type. Those markers are as follows:

Granby (MUs 8-14, 8-15). The area is closed 600 m north of the 5 km mark of Burrell-Young Lake FSR, 300 m north of 2 km mark on Arrow Neck FSR, east of the 22 km mark of Grano FSR, east of the 8 km mark on Arthurs Rd, and 500 m east of the 10 km mark on the Goatskin-Rendall FSR. Snowmobiles allowed Nov. 1 to May 31.

All of those roads are clearly marked (and a couple seriously water-barred), but it is still up to you to know exactly where you are in relation to the MV Closure areas.

Spend the $25 on a BC Backroads Map Book. It is clearly illustrated there.

[Monashee]

I hope no one shoots a whitetail doe in 8-12 to 8-15 . It is a simple cash grab by the BC government to sell tags. The whitetail population is low outside of town limits .

[tater]

I hope no one shoots a whitetail doe in 8-12 to 8-15 . It is a simple cash grab by the BC government to sell tags. The whitetail population is low outside of town limits .

Interesting point of view. Not consistent with what is seen. The WT have actually been moving to a less predictable pattern and more of what Geist referred to as "Randomized Roaming" like Mule Deer. Makes them harder to pattern (and less vulnerable to cougars), but the deer are there.

Spring count was seeing upwards of 65 does and yearlings (pre-fawn drop) in several areas outside of town(s).

The buck to doe ratio is still unhealthy (hence all of the late fawns seen all over the 8-12 thru 8-15 area), but that means either we take MORE DOES or shoot LESS BUCKS. I'm not hearing you campaigning for a four point or better buck season.

[Fisher-Dude]

Hey everyone, so I was reading the regs and I'm a little bit confused on them. There are a few roads up the Granby it is saying that are no motor vehicles. Anyone know about this and can help clarify a little bit?

There are some up the Kettle/Christian too. Top of Rendell has a closure, Grano too, and others.

Map J12 in the regs.

[Fisher-Dude]

I hope no one shoots a whitetail doe in 8-12 to 8-15 . It is a simple cash grab by the BC government to sell tags. The whitetail population is low outside of town limits .

Oddly, the whitetail spring counts have gone UP since the doe season was started in the Christian Valley.

I guess it's a win on the cash grab to fund the fish & wildlife branch and a win for hunters having more opportunity and a win for the deer which are following what every whitetailed deer study shows - harvest across all sex and age classes produces a better herd of deer.

[HarryToolips]

Oddly, the whitetail spring counts have gone UP since the doe season was started in the Christian Valley.

I guess it's a win on the cash grab to fund the fish & wildlife branch and a win for hunters having more opportunity and a win for the deer which are following what every whitetailed deer study shows - harvest across all sex and age classes produces a better herd of deer.
Exactly....read Whitetail Advantage, very interesting science that supports this...

[palmer]

Whitetails are spotty in 8-15 but you just need to away from the road..numbers are not what they used to be for both WT and Mule...but maybe the 80's were just very good times...but lots of Elk now...it all works out