The good old days

[rides bike to work]

I know there's quite a few old timers on here that have been hunting Bc for 30 plus. Where there good old days in your memories when game was plentiful and limits were high.where there years when the wolves were thick and game was scarce. The 60's. 70's 80' when was the high lights and low lights.
Would love to hear some hunting Bc history and tales.

[two-feet]

Im not much of an old timer, but i remember plentiful moose in the 80s in the Bulkley Valley area when i was a kid. At times we would run into actual herds of up to 20 animals. I shot my first moose in 92 at the age of 14, i recall we saw 9 moose that day. All within 1/2 hour of Smithers. The high numbers were a legacy of intense logging coupled with wolf control i figure. Still moose around but not like back then.

[Big Lew]

The biggest changes I've noticed over the last 20 years is the number of
ranches and rural properties that have sprung up in former wilderness
areas, and of course, the massive beetle kill logging. Prior to the beetle
logging hunters would concentrate a lot of their actively around recent
forest fires. At one time, before the 70's, both sides of Kamloops lake,
especially Six Mile area, held some of the largest numbers of mule deer
in the province. Same with the Empire Ranch area. It was very easy to
get moose in the whole 100 Mile-70 Mile-Bonaparte-Little Fort plateau.
I remember fly fishing Plateau Lake during the late 60's and the smallest
of many fish caught was 2 1/2 lbs. Before they raised the water level,
Peterhope Lake was the mecca fly fishing lake, second only to Stump lake,
both frequently producing huge fish. You could just about guarantee success
when hunting for deer east of Okanagan Lake as well. Duck and goose hunting
on the west Cariboo and Chilcotin plateaus was fantastic before most of the
swamps, ponds, and lakes dried up. Fabulous grouse hunting was just about
province wide before the middle 80's.

[604ksmith]

Great thread idea, I'm interested in a few good campfire stories of the old days too!

[Bugle M In]

No quad/dirt bike trails...it was horse or by foot.
No development etc as Big lew stated......that's been a large factor ie...merit was tiny...Kamloops was small....now its a city.
So, more locals out there now if you from the LM.
Biggest difference....No Snow...especially in the Back High Country!
Wolves and Grizzly where you never saw them...ever...and now in big numbers.
But as for the good old days...
I am too young still to say that there were Hey Days..
I think the guys older than me, who hunted the late 60's would say those were the Great Days!
Seasons started earlier, but more important, the seasons lasted longer, so every buck or bull in the high country was down in the winter range,
and huntable.
Just my 2 cents, when I talk to the oldtimers that grew up in BC and hunted from the 50's on, as kids, and now are close to being finished ,
as far as hunting goes.

[Bugle M In]

forgot one thing.
So many more logging roads, that in my opinion, has allowed way too much access everywhere now.
No where for the game to hide, in a way.
Thus the ATV explosion.
The old timers would talk about how nice it was to hike in for an hour, and than you had the place to yourself.
I had a spot in Cache Cr, that held large deer, and took an hour and a half to two hours to hike, straight up, and steep.
But once up there, you would see lots of deer ...all day long.
Now, a 300 pnd guy, who would have never of walked more than 200 yrds, can get up there in an ATV or even a 2 seater.
Now....there are a few deer up there.....but not like the good old days.
It just killed it.
And it wasn't hunters on ATV's that started those trails.....it was the Dirt Bike Clubs.
I sure miss that spot.

[scretch]

Went to school on the westside of Vancouver. Before classes would put the shotguns in my friend's 46 Hudson and then after school drive to Wreck Beach and hunt the night flight from the log booms along University Beach. Would not dare to try that now!

[Bugle M In]

Went to school on the westside of Vancouver. Before classes would put the shotguns in my friend's 46 Hudson and then after school drive to Wreck Beach and hunt the night flight from the log booms along University Beach. Would not dare to try that now!

or down in Boundry Bay, with Sea Brandt literally covering all the foreshore ground in a sea of black.
As described by my Dad, when he moved in, in the late 60's.
Now, I don't even think you can shoot ducks....with all the "Dycke Walkers"...
God, it would be protest city, right behind you, if you were to hunt there (as said, I think you no longer can, just saying)

[britman101]

Also the interior of BC especially in the Okanagan Valley used to be known in the 60's and 70's for the upland game bird hunting- especially pheasants and hungarian partridge. Now due to urban expansion, loss of farmland and habitat there are only remnant populations of these game birds left.

[huckleberry]

I started hunting with my own tags in 1962. A deer tag was 50 cents, an elk, moose, or caribou 2 dollars. The fall was a great time to be alive as it is now, but back then it was a quiet time. No quads burning up the many logging roads. We hunted a few miles out of town and always filled our tags for our winter meat. Back then we didn't even have a deep freeze but the butcher had lockers to rent so we kept our early elk there and saved our deer tags for November and hung them outside frozen solid and sawed off a chunk when we needed it.
Elk, deer and moose were plentiful and we had a generous season including one for male and female caribou that lasted into December. It was rare to find a wolf track and since there were elk open seasons from Vancouver Island to the East Kootenay's most people hunted in their general areas other than a few from across the province that came and camped during elk season.
Times were good, but money was in short supply so what we shot kept us in meat from one season to the next. I believe the hunter numbers were as high then as they are now but with few logging roads there was limited access so everyone hiked the bush and packed their game out on their backs unless you had access to a horse.
The 60's, 70's, and even into the 80's in my opinion were the glory days of hunting, it didn't hurt that we were young and strong and could go from morning to night and do it again the next day. A five mile pack with an elk quarter was not a big deal then, just par for the course.
Today, with our management by politics those days will never be back and that is unfortunate for the younger generation of hunters.
I'm glad I lived and hunted back then, today, I still hunt at 68 but I'm a lot more cautious as to how far from the truck I go in case I decide to shoot something and have to pack it out.

[604ksmith]

For the "Old Timer's" here, have you noticed any changes in the animals themselves since the old days? Maybe changes in size, behaviour, habitat?

Thanks for sharing!

[HarryToolips]

just think how much better hunting would be again if we de-activated Forest service roads better...

[mpotzold]

Moved to BC from Ontario in ’65 when I was a teen. Bought my first rifle at Charlie Lake gun store from Foxy Wolf. It was a 30/30 Win Lever. Hunted in Ont. since 12-first with a bow & then a 12 gauge.
Serious hunting started after meeting LT (LOVER 308 ) at SFU in ’67. Hunted with 3 other SFU guys. Hunting was way more important than classes!

For deer- initially it was the Birkenhead Lake /D’Arcy area followed by Empire/ Gang /Big Creek area. The seasons were much longer & one could shoot 3 deer of any sex if I recall.
Almost all of our hunting was done by foot. The Trapper Nelson pack came in handy for the big deer & the smaller ones I would sometimes carry whole over my shoulders.
By Empire it seems like there were more deer than cattle. Some of the hunter’s campsites had many deer hanging.
We were never skunked.

For moose-mostly in the Nation Lakes to Uslika Lake area. In the 90’s we also hunted in the Big Creek area.
On our way up to Germansen we would see many moose cow/calf in the swampy areas. (I have never or will ever shoot a cow or calf moose). Until about 20 years ago we always got our moose within a day or 2 in the Germansen area. We were only after 1 moose per trip in general. We would share it equally.

The wolves were everywhere. Could hear the packs communicating every night sometimes in the middle of the day.
The cow/calf would have been easy pickings but the bulls- you had to work for it. There were plenty of moose until that dreaded Omineca model that was introduced in the 80’s :evil:followed by the indiscriminate year round moose slaughter & overpopulation of bears.Surprised there are any moose left in the area! :-(

On our last 4 day hunt north of Germansen(6+years ago) we saw only one set of fresh moose tracks(a cow & a calf) –that’s it! It was a moose track soup trip!

Remember the days of red plaid shirts & blue jeans. Camo was unheard of except in the military.

Still remember driving up the highway & seeing hunters displaying their kills. LT & I shot 2 moose one year near Nation & took them to Vancouver in my VW beetle.

[Daybreak]

For the "Old Timer's" here, have you noticed any changes in the animals themselves since the old days? Maybe changes in size, behaviour, habitat?

Thanks for sharing!

Hunting since 84 and there is far more pressure now in most areas I frequent. Animals have become more nocturnal.

[albravo2]

One big change since I started hunting is the number of immigrants that have started hunting (ducks mostly) or fishing after realizing that there is a very cheap food source available.

I'm not slagging them, if they hunt or fish legally they have the same rights as I do, but it is a big change.

[Bugle M In]

Moved to BC from Ontario in ’65 when I was a teen. Bought my first rifle at Charlie Lake gun store from Foxy Wolf. It was a 30/30 Win Lever. Hunted in Ont. since 12-first with a bow & then a 12 gauge.
Serious hunting started after meeting LT (LOVER 308 ) at SFU in ’67. Hunted with 3 other SFU guys. Hunting was way more important than classes!

For deer- initially it was the Birkenhead Lake /D’Arcy area followed by Empire/ Gang /Big Creek area. The seasons were much longer & one could shoot 3 deer of any sex if I recall.
Almost all of our hunting was done by foot. The Trapper Nelson pack came in handy for the big deer & the smaller ones I would sometimes carry whole over my shoulders.
By Empire it seems like there were more deer than cattle. Some of the hunter’s campsites had many deer hanging.
We were never skunked.

For moose-mostly in the Nation Lakes to Uslika Lake area. In the 90’s we also hunted in the Big Creek area.
On our way up to Germansen we would see many moose cow/calf in the swampy areas. (I have never or will ever shoot a cow or calf moose). Until about 20 years ago we always got our moose within a day or 2 in the Germansen area. We were only after 1 moose per trip in general. We would share it equally.

The wolves were everywhere. Could hear the packs communicating every night sometimes in the middle of the day.
The cow/calf would have been easy pickings but the bulls- you had to work for it. There were plenty of moose until that dreaded Omineca model that was introduced in the 80’s :evil:followed by the indiscriminate year round moose slaughter & overpopulation of bears.Surprised there are any moose left in the area! :-(

On our last 4 day hunt north of Germansen(6+years ago) we saw only one set of fresh moose tracks(a cow & a calf) –that’s it! It was a moose track soup trip!

Remember the days of red plaid shirts & blue jeans. Camo was unheard of except in the military.

Still remember driving up the highway & seeing hunters displaying their kills. LT & I shot 2 moose one year near Nation & took them to Vancouver in my VW beetle.



Sounds like you and my father enjoyed the same hunting areas!
Empire, Gang etc and for weekends close to the city, Pemberton area or Gold Bridge
Goats in the Duffy lake, Cayoosh etc.
But Germansen was one of his favorite spots he felt he ever hunted, way back when.

[.264winmag]

[QUOTE=Bugle M In;1699303]forgot one thing.
So many more logging roads, that in my opinion, has allowed way too much access everywhere now.
No where for the game to hide, in a way.

Without logging many places that did peak for game numbers would have never been good in the first place...

[.264winmag]

I remember up the big bend hwy in the late 80's up to early 2000's being filthy with moose. Can thank the 'save the caribou by decimating moose' idea for wrecking that. Shoulda culled the wolves to begin with...

Van Island used to be a lot of fun up high,now everything's gated.

[blackbart]

Clearwater - during the period of about five-ten years ago.....

[Salix]

Been hunting the interior / north for 25 years. Mainly moose.
Biggest differences now is the increase in access as a result of more logging. With that and the use of ATV's people can cover a lot more ground. In my early days most hunters seemed to be locals, where as now if I go out for a week/ weekend I see mostly larger groups from various locations around the province.

[stugatz]

I remember hunting in chilliwack in the late 70's to the mid 80's with my dad, by the sumas river in a gravel pit for bandtail pigeons....there were hundreds of birds coming in and the limits were easy..... oh how many memories of the old Ace and Imperial shotshells and how cool those days were.

[Glenny]

Lived in Logan Bush in mid to late 70s. Not much for deer except for those WT pockets. Once the logging started in that vaust area the mule deer population spiked considerably.

[Glenny]

I remember hunting in chilliwack in the late 70's to the mid 80's with my dad, by the sumas river in a gravel pit for bandtail pigeons....there were hundreds of birds coming in and the limits were easy..... oh how many memories of the old Ace and Imperial shotshells and how cool those days were.

Aaaaah the Imperial shells. Remember them well, and CIL too.

[stugatz]

Aaaaah the Imperial shells. Remember them well, and CIL too.
Funny but am I the only one that thinks those imperial boxes had a particular pleasant smell to them...I still have a few boxes of those and they sure bring back some incredible memories,
not to mention the smell of freshly fired imperial shells.... are like redneck paco rabanne cologne.

[snakeplain]

the area just west of quesnel, i believe 5-13, has no atv access for some twenty years or more, thanks to the guides, anyhow, no moose there either, so i don't think blaming atv people is the answer, just saying, there is alot more to this story, i would think the provincial biologists are over their heads on this one, or else, someone should have an answer, i think predator numbers are way too high, we need someone with authority to take action in order to simply save the ungulates, or else, the old days will be forgotten.

[Glenny]

Funny but am I the only one that thinks those imperial boxes had a particular pleasant smell to them...I still have a few boxes of those and they sure bring back some incredible memories,
not to mention the smell of freshly fired imperial shells.... are like redneck paco rabanne cologne.

Haha I here you. Love the smell of gunpowder in the morning. Use to use Imperial for duck huntn way before the lead ban. Boy they packed a wollop. Middle finger next to the trigger guard would get all bruised up.

[Bugle M In]

I know of place, when in the "good old days", it was a large lightning strike burn.
You could sit there, and watch 50+ mule deer feeding either in the a.m. or close to dark in the p.m.
Year after year.
The burn never really grew up, with new timber etc, still very easy to see all over.
But, with the arrival of clearcuts all over, it seemed to cause the deer to disperse all over.
Clearcuts didn't hurt anything as far as game numbers, but what it appeared to do, was spread the same amount of deer over vast areas, and in
much smaller pockets...
So gone, atleast in this spot, are the good old days of viewing numerous deer in one general area.
And...
In the good old days, it took several hours to hike into, with just a small game trail, and than over time, a horse trail.
But,
With the introduction of Quads, and lack of restriction, and may I add, when restrictions "WERE" imposed, the quads worked their way in..
legally and than illegally.
Same goes for a spot where I hunted along the rive (sat waiting) in the EK.
There were no clearcuts back than, so with some patience and calling, a bull moving down on trails in the river bottom was easily persuade in.
Like sitting in a natural game corridor...the good old days.
But when Clearcuts showed up, I now found myself moving from one spot to the next, searching for where those elk now hung up in...not moving.

Don't get me wrong, logging is a renewable resource, as is hunting when done right in a proper conservation manner.
And ya, game like these new spots...
But over the course of a few years after these new cuts, game seems to dwindle.. maybe due to less food, or, maybe due to the new, constant hunting
pressure.
Nothing wrong with logging, but maybe more deactivation is really needed.
That being said, it would stop trucks, but not ATV's.
So, the roads that are put in, due allow more access, and less, should we say, safe havens for game...possibly?!
But I do know this, that nice, hard to get to, deer plentiful, with large bucks spot, was somewhere you could hike into, and not ever see anyone.
Now, as I said, anyone, whether their in shape or not, can get in their due to the introduction of ATV, without restrictions.
And even if I did see someone else up there.....
They sure as S*** didn't cover 3 km's in 2 minutes, in prime mule habitat, like they do know...
Giving every deer up there the "heads up" that they are not alone.
Just the good old days...IMO

[stugatz]

Haha I here you. Love the smell of gunpowder in the morning. Use to use Imperial for duck huntn way before the lead ban. Boy they packed a wollop. Middle finger next to the trigger guard would get all bruised up.
They were very long range..... I remember 60-70 yard kills in Brunswick point....the good ol days

[finngun]

Army and navy was selling cheap ammo in down town vancouver...no question ask (maybe age limit)don,t remember...cheers f-g:roll:

[Glenny]

They were very long range..... I remember 60-70 yard kills in Brunswick point....the good ol days

70 easy even some 80s but that was my pop shootn. Damn he was good. Average of 23 birds to a box easy. Even more sometimes. Saw him do a 4 in one, one day. made my head spin. He was a master of the wait and the lead. Shot lots a ducks out of crescent beach back then. Moved up to Logan lake after that and there are a few spots there are duck hunners paradise and still produce well today. Been outta the duck hunting scene for a while but might just have to grab a migratory license before i head up next Friday. Hey why not. gots 2 WT tags, 1 MD an 1 Moolse. May as well wax a few ducks too.

[takla1]

I grew up in S.Surrey on 400 acres and hunted every fall for deer and waterfoul and grouse from 1972 on thrumy high school yrs.My granddad got me started and we always got at least 1 blacktail on the farm yrly.My dad hunted B.C before a hunting licence was required and took many,many moose up north in the 150 mile house area as well.Once I married I started to hunt Way up north primarily on the Prophet River but also up at Smith River on th BC/Yukon border and it was ANY bull in those days,we had our pick and never came home skunked ,many times harvesting double headers/2 bulls at once.
When they initiated the tri-palm restriction up in 7-49 we went in only to find bulls all over our area that didn't have the right antler configureation so we decided to start playing the LE and picked an area north of Ft st James.
The last 15 yrs up in that area we have generally received at least 1 draw in our group and usually connect.
Both my sons were raised hunting and have taken some awesome animals.. Im waiting for grandkids now to pass it along too :}..

takla

[stugatz]

70 easy even some 80s but that was my pop shootn. Damn he was good. Average of 23 birds to a box easy. Even more sometimes. Saw him do a 4 in one, one day. made my head spin. He was a master of the wait and the lead. Shot lots a ducks out of crescent beach back then. Moved up to Logan lake after that and there are a few spots there are duck hunners paradise and still produce well today. Been outta the duck hunting scene for a while but might just have to grab a migratory license before i head up next Friday. Hey why not. gots 2 WT tags, 1 MD an 1 Moolse. May as well wax a few ducks too.
I believe you...seems like the old timers were very aware of the cost of ammo and as such only shot when they knew it was a good shot, not to mention they did it with older tied by wire guns and became good shots....my dad was deadly on snipe on Brunswick. Having shot many quails and woodcock growing up in Italy as a young man.

[Glenny]

I believe you...seems like the old timers were very aware of the cost of ammo and as such only shot when they knew it was a good shot, not to mention they did it with older tied by wire guns and became good shots....my dad was deadly on snipe on Brunswick. Having shot many quails and woodcock growing up in Italy as a young man.

Nice. Back in the Ontario days dad slayed a lot of woodcock. Fast buggers. Good eating too. Still got the the old mans sxs Miruko. Retired in his honour, plus the barrel is getting a little thin. Couldn't handle steel. He was a good European too as me. PS if yer hunting teal out at Brunswick. Keep you head low. lol. Never know who's just a few yards away.:)

[bridger]

I started hunting in the peace in 1966. I too bought my first rifle from Foxies Gun Shop at Charlie Lake a 7mm mag. Hunting seasons were unreal. Moose season opened August 1 closed December 15th long seasons and few hunters were the norm. Moose hunting was unreal. I remember seeing a hi boy truck and trailer with nine Bulls laid out in a row. Guys would routinely shoot Bulls on the high side of the road for easier retrieval.

Sheep hunting then about the same as now, but way fewer resident hunters. Sheep hunting spiked in the late 80's early nineties after the governments predator management program in the 80's. Can remember several times seeing bunches of 20/25 rams mostly legal. On one trip into the Besa country we saw 47 legal rams in four days.

Elk were here not as wide spread in the peace as they are now, but numbers in the Tuchodi and Gatho were phenomenal. This is hard to believe but one day at the head of dead dog we saw 64 bulls in one day. Back then you rarely saw a grizzly bear or a wolf track. Not that way now and those great elk herds are gone.

[one-shot-wonder]

This thread is good, but a few pics would make it great!

[stugatz]

Nice. Back in the Ontario days dad slayed a lot of woodcock. Fast buggers. Good eating too. Still got the the old mans sxs Miruko. Retired in his honour, plus the barrel is getting a little thin. Couldn't handle steel. He was a good European too as me. PS if yer hunting teal out at Brunswick. Keep you head low. lol. Never know who's just a few yards away.:)Yup my dads first gun in Canada was a Baikal ij58 12ga sxs still have it.... blasted thing is as strong as the Russians that made it....and don't get me started on the Brunswick thing.....there were so many guys I felt I was in a scene from the movie Platoon :roll:

[Glenny]

Yup my dads first gun in Canada was a Baikal ij58 12ga sxs still have it.... blasted thing is as strong as the Russians that made it....and don't get me started on the Brunswick thing.....there were so many guys I felt I was in a scene from the movie Platoon :roll:

Haha Believe it or not my 13th birthday present was a Baikal SXS in 12G. I have shot a semi full of steel thru that Russ machine and no sign of wear. Still use it today As the grouse blaster. Its my only shotgun. Grabbed a Fraser Valley map today to see how much white was left on it. Still a bit. Wouldn't mind taking my 12' out this year in da maarsh. See if I can wax a few dux, but would really like to nail some geese. Crap This convo has got the Waterfowl blood pumpen again.
.

[Ajsawden]

I grew up in the late 80's and 90's and was introduced to hunting early on. I loved it, but hunting vancouver island in the 90's as a 5-13 year old was pretty grim. We regularily saw 1 and 2 deer a day in places that in the early 80s dad used to see 50-80. For me it's almost the opposite feelings that the old timers are having. Deer numbers are better now than back then (I think, maybe I'm just a better hunter). I can usually find 10-15 deer a day now, and the future actually seems bright. Would have loved to have seen it in the hay day though. Can't even imagine it when my grandpa hunted in the 50's. I only started hunting the mainland in 2009 and it seems like that was the last of the good years, at least the areas we hunt near princeton. Most people we talk to say it's been gettin worse every year there.

[scretch]

Friend loaned me his old 12guage double barrel exposed hammer shotgun. He told me to use Canucks or Maxums shot shells as Imperials were too powerfull for the gun. I still got powder burns on the side of my face from the loose barrel connection but it made things interesting to say the least.My own shotgun was held by Reg King the game warden at that time as he caught me shooting after hours on the Sea Island dykes one night. I was fined 5 dollars and told by the judge to buy a watch!

[stugatz]

Haha Believe it or not my 13th birthday present was a Baikal SXS in 12G. I have shot a semi full of steel thru that Russ machine and no sign of wear. Still use it today As the grouse blaster. Its my only shotgun. Grabbed a Fraser Valley map today to see how much white was left on it. Still a bit. Wouldn't mind taking my 12' out this year in da maarsh. See if I can wax a few dux, but would really like to nail some geese. Crap This convo has got the Waterfowl blood pumpen again.
.
Ha! Go enjoy your waterfowling.... Nowadays the ol lady doesent get my heart pumping anymore.... But hunting still does

[two-feet]

I would like to think that there are some good old days yet to come. Elk populations seem to be expanding generally in the province, and white tails as well. Bears are everywhere. Mule deer up and down depending on winter snow loads. Moose are in a troublesome spot, and they are my favorite game to chase by far so hopefully we can see some recovery there. Caribou are in deep trouble.

Maybe in 10 years wolves will be past the peak of the cycle?

[Keta1969]

Hunted the Island since the early seventies. Numbers seem to fluctuate but generally seemed to be more deer around until the mid nineties. Still some nice bucks around. I really feel that not burning slash has had an impact on deer population on the Island. Blacktail used to love those slash burned areas and the timber surrounding them.

[mpotzold]

Sounds like you and my father enjoyed the same hunting areas!
Empire, Gang etc and for weekends close to the city, Pemberton area or Gold Bridge
Goats in the Duffy lake, Cayoosh etc.
But Germansen was one of his favorite spots he felt he ever hunted, way back when.

I wouldn’t be surprised if your dad & I crossed paths probably more than once.
He would probably remember my camper!

In 1970 (I think) bought a Ford truck, my first, & an Alaskan camper(a unique combination) & used it for quite a few years hunting our favourite spots & sometimes hunting for moose on Alaska highway & the Sorrento area.

All I can say is that all the hunters we met those days treated us as old friends(&likewise) & were more than helpful. I don’t remember ever meeting an a-hole.

Doug Field & I getting our moose right after a fresh snowfall near Nation Lakes in in ’70 or ’71.
Doug is the celebrant . The one with the red plaid shirt is yours truly cooking Kraft Dinner!
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/cariboo_2008/1970_1-1.png~original

[.264winmag]

Hunted the Island since the early seventies. Numbers seem to fluctuate but generally seemed to be more deer around until the mid nineties. Still some nice bucks around. I really feel that not burning slash has had an impact on deer population on the Island. Blacktail used to love those slash burned areas and the timber surrounding them.
Bingo on the slash burning.

[Bugle M In]

I wouldn’t be surprised if your dad & I crossed paths probably more than once.
He would probably remember my camper!

In 1970 (I think) bought a Ford truck, my first, & an Alaskan camper(a unique combination) & used it for quite a few years hunting our favourite spots & sometimes hunting for moose on Alaska highway & the Sorrento area.

All I can say is that all the hunters we met those days treated us as old friends(&likewise) & were more than helpful. I don’t remember ever meeting an a-hole.

Doug Field & I getting our moose right after a fresh snowfall near Nation Lakes in in ’70 or ’71.
Doug is the celebrant . The one with the red plaid shirt is yours truly cooking Kraft Dinner!
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/cariboo_2008/1970_1-1.png~original


Holy Jesus!..are you sure you ain't related!!!!!!!
My Dad has owned 2 Alaskan Campers !!!!
His brother owned that exact version of Alaskan that you have there, but with a blue Mercury pickup, maybe a few years older than your pickup!!!
Back than, my dad drove an old ford panel truck, and than a yellow blazer/ with those white top which could be taken off.
Being they were from german background, many of the other friends of his hunted in either Volkswagen Buses or as my Dad started with,
that Volkswagen station wagon style that he would take up to the Cayoosh for goat.
Before the buses, some used to drive beetles, with those large oversized rear tires on them...lol.
Man, that brings up memories seeing that camper, as my uncle was a good friend to me over the years, but passed away a few years back.
Good times! as a small kid for sure.
I will post a pic of the new Alaskan, when I dig it out from the archives.
I only wish I had quick access to post pics of all of them back in the day to show, but that will have to wait.

[Bugle M In]

ok lets see if this works??
one of the beetles
http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/BugleMIn67/Hunting%20010.jpg (http://s811.photobucket.com/user/BugleMIn67/media/Hunting%20010.jpg.html)
the panel truck
http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/BugleMIn67/Hunting%20%20opa%20herb%20horst%20001.jpg (http://s811.photobucket.com/user/BugleMIn67/media/Hunting%20%20opa%20herb%20horst%20001.jpg.html)
My uncles Alaskan and my dads blazer
http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/BugleMIn67/Roche%20Lake%20%20Hunting%20Duffi%20lake%201111975 %20010.jpg (http://s811.photobucket.com/user/BugleMIn67/media/Roche%20Lake%20%20Hunting%20Duffi%20lake%201111975 %20010.jpg.html)
my dads original Alaskan, but at one time was carried on the box of a 76 ford
http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/BugleMIn67/224.jpg (http://s811.photobucket.com/user/BugleMIn67/media/224.jpg.html)
the new Alaskan
http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/BugleMIn67/sept%202011%20huning%20004.jpg (http://s811.photobucket.com/user/BugleMIn67/media/sept%202011%20huning%20004.jpg.html)
hope this works??

[Jagermeister]

I have hunted from the late '50s. I bought my licence at the age of 13 without my parents' consent. Didn't need it. Bought a surplus "sporterized" Enfield in.303 British and the ammunition too without parental consent. Wasn't needed. Bought a 12 ga pump shotgun so I could shoot doves and grouse and pheasants and chukkar and geese and ducks and ..............
Mare's shank and bicycles were the mode of transportation. Didn't score much game, youthful ineptness but it was worth every moment. Waited eagerly for Saturday morning and then repeated it again Sunday. Up and at it at 4 AM and home in time on Saturday to watch the barely visible hockey game with play by play with Foster Hewitt. Who?........Foster Hewitt.
Repeat on Sunday. Just getting out was great, clean air and solitude. Things changed in the '60s. Got wheels and then it became more serious. Got whitetail on the brain and hunted them up near Bridesville. Same deal though, Saturday and Sunday ritual. I was never eager to fill a tag too early in the season. I loved the thrill of the hunt and bagging an animal made it anticlimactic. So the longer I could go without cinching that metal tag the better. Best on the last day of the season,but one could not rely on that. As the season drew toward the closing date, one did not pass on an opportunity.
Some poster suggested that hunter numbers would be equal today as they were back in the the late '70s, I don't think so. Hunter numbers back then were about 250,000. We don't have that recruitment today. I think having to take CORE probably started the decline and then the requirement of an FAC and then the PAL were a great deterrent to hunter recruitment.

[Bugle M In]

agree, there was a time when everybody could just go down, grab some tags, pick up a cheap gun and scope...and off they went..
Kind of scary when you think about it!!....one thing I like about the present system now..lol

[mpotzold]

Photo from Aug. 1969 -just west of Germansen Lake.


My VW is in the background.

Ron Martin(guy on the right) & I were scouting/hunting for moose when we saw a vehicle stuck & stranded in the middle of the rapidly flowing & secluded deep creek. In the vehicle were 3 people- a middle aged woman & 2 seniors, a guy & his wife.
After digging out all the big & small boulders that the vehicle was stuck on we managed to free it & drive it to shore. This involved jacking up the vehicle numerous times. We drove it back & across without getting stuck. The older lady made us some great sandwiches & the older guy patted us on the back with a $50 bill in each hand which we politely refused but the guy was adamant.


The younger woman was the owner of an Airline Co. stationed in Ft. St. James & the older guy was a steel tycoon from N. Carolina.

http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/cariboo_2008/Rescue_1969_2.jpg~original

[argyle1]

well lets see now---

In the early sixties we could get our limit of grouse or rabbits hunting on foot from home. You still can but you need to burn a lot of gas

One time about 1963 my Mom and I counted 85 moose between Burns Lake and Endako along the highway in February.

There were very few wolves as they had been poisoned off in the fifties. A grizzly track was a big deal, now there are lots.

The moose browse was eaten off to almost look like a four foot high willow lawn, and many moose starved. That will probably never happen again due in large part to the huge clear cuts supplying almost unlimited feed.

Trapper Nelson was the pack of choice, and worked fine for me up until ten years ago when I finally broke down and tried a modern pack--hola, that was a wake up call

Rifles were blued and had wooden stocks--you actually had to clean and oil them. My go to rifle is still a pre 64 model 70, but I did break down and buy a ramline for it. Probably 60% of the local hunting rifles were military surplus

No one thought anything of a person walking down the street carrying a rifle, and no one thought anything of kids hunting small game with a .22

Conservation officers were called "game wardens", and they understood that without befriending farmers, loggers, and ethical hunters and fishermen, their job would be very difficult if not impossible. Very few of the new breed understand this concept, preferring to go it on their own and believing that everyone is guilty of something

As my old Dad said 'well son, we saw'er when she was good !"

[Big Lew]

You stir up fond memories. I lived in Whonnock on the north side of the
river in the Fraser Valley. I had access to about 250 acres along the north
side of the hwy and successfully hunted deer, bear, pheasants, grouse,
and pigeons. I often could be seen walking along the hwy while carrying
a shotgun and toting a rifle slung on my shoulder. Later, around 1965-70
I also rode my endurance/trail horse throughout Maple Ridge from Pitt River
to Stave River and everywhere north, including Alouette Park and Blue Mt.
while having my 30-30 in it's saddle scabbard. Nobody paid much attention
in those days. Blue Mt and Sylvester Road in Hatzic had fantastic numbers
of band tailed pigeons, in fact people from all over the valley would be standing
on Sylvester road like fence posts, many sky-busting, and there were often
fights over it and who's bird was shot. It's illegal to shoot firearms throughout
Maple Ridge now-a-days.

[mpotzold]

Holy Jesus!..are you sure you ain't related!!!!!!!
My Dad has owned 2 Alaskan Campers !!!!
His brother owned that exact version of Alaskan that you have there, but with a blue Mercury pickup, maybe a few years older than your pickup!!!
Back than, my dad drove an old ford panel truck, and than a yellow blazer/ with those white top which could be taken off.
Being they were from german background, many of the other friends of his hunted in either Volkswagen Buses or as my Dad started with,
that Volkswagen station wagon style that he would take up to the Cayoosh for goat.
Before the buses, some used to drive beetles, with those large oversized rear tires on them...lol.
Man, that brings up memories seeing that camper, as my uncle was a good friend to me over the years, but passed away a few years back.
Good times! as a small kid for sure.
I will post a pic of the new Alaskan, when I dig it out from the archives.
I only wish I had quick access to post pics of all of them back in the day to show, but that will have to wait.

Loved the Alaskan. It was like a large truck canopy. Never had to take it off when hunting.
You probably wont believe this but before the VW beetle hunted with my 56 white Chevy for 3 years.:shock:
BTW -Thanks for digging up those photos!

[northof49]

Funny but am I the only one that thinks those imperial boxes had a particular pleasant smell to them...I still have a few boxes of those and they sure bring back some incredible memories,
not to mention the smell of freshly fired imperial shells.... are like redneck paco rabanne cologne.
Heard someone started making the imperials again....likely not same quality/feel tho.

[guest]

Back in the 60's the Ringneck pheasants were plentiful in the Lower Mainland. Bro and I would walk with Pops, in those days he would harvest an average of 25 to 35 roosters a season, and Old Midge used to catch almost as many. What a terrific time and bird dog. The duck hunting was unreal in those days too. Dad would even take the odd BT in the Vegetable gardens when the chance arrived. Back then Bro and I were not doing the deer thing yet but Pops and his buddies would hit Harrison area late in the year some times taking all night just to get into the Cabin. Which some scroats burnt down after not being able to rent it. There they would harvest some incredible bucks ! One of which is still on my wall to this date and holds a place in the BC Record book and has one of the smallest of deduction points to this day, almost a Mirror image side per side, a beauty 4x4 not counting brows and this wasn't their biggest by any means. Then 1970 rolled around and bro and I got into hunting bigtime. Still great rooster and duck hunting was very good. Dad kind of shied away from the LM hunting as he hated a crowd. As our late teens rolled around we would both get up to a couple doz Roosters per season with some 32 to 35 bar roosters in the mix. We hunted Land in Surrey mostly, some times Ladner. slowly the lands been sold away getting smaller and smaller, yet I still have a little piece of the ol club and get out from time to time with long term friends. Our Moose hunting, elk hunting and or coarse deer followed pops in his foot steps to this day. We got into Goat and Sheep too which Pops never really pursued although seeing our success wish he had darn it. This year, We took him to Saskabush on an Epic goose hunt he wanted to do his entire life. Thanks to nice relatives, good friends and the farmers and residents of Saskabush his dream was fulfilled . Over the fifty years bro, pops and I have been at it weve had too many good times to remember them all. Yet we all strive for our time in the great out of doors. Times have certainly changed, and we no doubt have seen the best. We are saddened with the bleak out look this present government has taken towards its own residents in favor of foreign investment and big bucks for as we see what has happened to hunting in Europe. It sickens us to see that the rich get favored and the back bone of BC, its residents are being slowly pushed out and away. For the mean time we will continue to try our best for those good times together with family and friends but understand if this brutal trend continues, its only a matter of time till its gone and it will almost all favor the rich high and mighty mostly non resident of this beautiful province of BC ..... all for the mighty buck a selected few at the top and its friends in foreign investment and government. In the mean time enjoy what you can. Happy and good hunting to you all.

CT

[Bugle M In]

well lets see now---

In the early sixties we could get our limit of grouse or rabbits hunting on foot from home. You still can but you need to burn a lot of gas

One time about 1963 my Mom and I counted 85 moose between Burns Lake and Endako along the highway in February.

There were very few wolves as they had been poisoned off in the fifties. A grizzly track was a big deal, now there are lots.

The moose browse was eaten off to almost look like a four foot high willow lawn, and many moose starved. That will probably never happen again due in large part to the huge clear cuts supplying almost unlimited feed.

Trapper Nelson was the pack of choice, and worked fine for me up until ten years ago when I finally broke down and tried a modern pack--hola, that was a wake up call

Rifles were blued and had wooden stocks--you actually had to clean and oil them. My go to rifle is still a pre 64 model 70, but I did break down and buy a ramline for it. Probably 60% of the local hunting rifles were military surplus

No one thought anything of a person walking down the street carrying a rifle, and no one thought anything of kids hunting small game with a .22

Conservation officers were called "game wardens", and they understood that without befriending farmers, loggers, and ethical hunters and fishermen, their job would be very difficult if not impossible. Very few of the new breed understand this concept, preferring to go it on their own and believing that everyone is guilty of something

As my old Dad said 'well son, we saw'er when she was good !"

Well said...
I am lucky to say, I have met one CO from Invermere, who has taken the time...but there is truth to what you said.

[Jagermeister]

Photo from Aug. 1969 -just west of Germansen Lake.


My VW is in the background.

Ron Martin(guy on the right) & I were scouting/hunting for moose when we saw a vehicle stuck & stranded in the middle of the rapidly flowing & secluded deep creek. In the vehicle were 3 people- a middle aged woman & 2 seniors, a guy & his wife.
After digging out all the big & small boulders that the vehicle was stuck on we managed to free it & drive it to shore. This involved jacking up the vehicle numerous times. We drove it back & across without getting stuck. The older lady made us some great sandwiches & the older guy patted us on the back with a $50 bill in each hand which we politely refused but the guy was adamant.


The younger woman was the owner of an Airline Co. stationed in Ft. St. James & the older guy was a steel tycoon from N. Carolina.

http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/cariboo_2008/Rescue_1969_2.jpg~original Looks like member of the band that smoked a reefer and took the wrong turn and missed their gig. LOL
Rawhide jacket, cardigan sweater with white shirt. Where TF is the tie dude?

[rides bike to work]

I'm 35 but unfortunatly I have a good old days story.

the fraser river
i grew up on this river with great sockey fishing every year. Springs opened in may and were plentiful. Not no more the whole fishery has go e to crap. Sockey are only once every four years and the spring fishery is all but shut down.
My kids are 4-7 I doubt the will get to experience half of what I got to in this river. Hopefully some one wakes up and we can turn this around .

[Sofa King]

why, I remember when.......you could walk across a cut-block without falling down a half-dozen times.
........................................you could walk through the forest that was easy-walking, not littered with windfall from the nearby clear-cuts and deadfall from the beetle-kill.
........................................you actually had forests to hunt, with the very occasional sweet-spot, cut-block to go check out, not massive clear-cuts to hunt with the occasional spot of trees.

[ncurrie]

Amazing thread!thanks for sharing all your stories. :)