Road Conditions and Hunting Pressure Around The Harrison Area

[b.ashforth]

Hey Guys,

This whole year I have been reading tons on the site and as a first year hunter it paid off, grabbed a two point whitetail and 2 point muley. I would like to try and get one more in the freezer by the end of the season (wouldnt we all...). I have never hunted the Harrison area and would like to know the road conditions and if anyone could point me in the right direction I would be very open to all opinions. I drive a Silverado 1500 on some big tires so I have a fairly capable truck for 4x4ing. Also open to other areas like Squamish, Hope, etc. Trying to keep the drive within 2-3 hours from Whiterock and trying to stay in the "any buck" areas. Trying to go for a day trip this Sunday.

If anyone wants to help a first year hunter that would be greatly appreciated!!

[tuner]

You're probably better off going further afield, the Harrison area can be busy, as well as challenging. Black tails are notoriously hard to hunt( don't expect to see many road hunting if that's what you're into) if you hike high your odds go up but it's still hard to locate these elusive BT's. The rut might help though.

[Gun Dog]

Black tails are notoriously hard to huntYes they are because they're eating the shrubs next to my house where they're safe.

[Iron Glove]

I'd avoid the Hope area until the weather clears up for awhile. Trees down on most of the roads, ice, all the fun stuff.
We keep losing our power for a few minutes still.

[tuner]

Yes they are because they're eating the shrubs next to my house where they're safe.
So that's where they are!!! Mystery solved.

[dirtymax]

Not trying to be a critic or anything just confused but if you already shot 2 bucks . Are you aloud a 3rd ? The bag limit is 3 but one had to be a doe I thought. I am a first year hunter and just want to clarify for my sake as well. On the plus side the main Harrison roads are in good shape from what I saw last weekend before the storm. I made it to the hotsprings and 47 k up main road before I got turned around by blasting.

[b.ashforth]

Not trying to be a critic or anything just confused but if you already shot 2 bucks . Are you aloud a 3rd ? The bag limit is 3 but one had to be a doe I thought. I am a first year hunter and just want to clarify for my sake as well. On the plus side the main Harrison roads are in good shape from what I saw last weekend before the storm. I made it to the hotsprings and 47 k up main road before I got turned around by blasting.

haha sorry I didnt pull the trigger but it was a buddy and I that got the two, so technically he has both of them but I was apart of the festivities. The shots were a touch out of my comfort range so he took them. Great learning experience.

I want one of my own!

good call on the weather issues knocking all the trees over. Didnt even come to mind, maybe ill stick to some duck hunting this weekend until things get sorted out and I plan a two day trip and try to go further out of town.

Thanks for the input.

[hparrott]

Not trying to be a critic or anything just confused but if you already shot 2 bucks . Are you aloud a 3rd ? The bag limit is 3 but one had to be a doe I thought. I am a first year hunter and just want to clarify for my sake as well. On the plus side the main Harrison roads are in good shape from what I saw last weekend before the storm. I made it to the hotsprings and 47 k up main road before I got turned around by blasting.

If the muley was in a different region it would be fine. One of the two so far was a wt.....

[dirtymax]

So you are able to harvest 3 bucks ? Just one has to be a wt ?

[Salty]

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regulations/

[hparrott]

So you are able to harvest 3 bucks ? Just one has to be a wt ?

Page 17 of the regs that Salty posted explains how the bag limits work. You could potentially shoot 3 mule bucks, again, in different regions.

[Sinperama]

Hey Guys,

This whole year I have been reading tons on the site and as a first year hunter it paid off, grabbed a two point whitetail and 2 point muley. I would like to try and get one more in the freezer by the end of the season (wouldnt we all...). I have never hunted the Harrison area and would like to know the road conditions and if anyone could point me in the right direction I would be very open to all opinions. I drive a Silverado 1500 on some big tires so I have a fairly capable truck for 4x4ing. Also open to other areas like Squamish, Hope, etc. Trying to keep the drive within 2-3 hours from Whiterock and trying to stay in the "any buck" areas. Trying to go for a day trip this Sunday.

If anyone wants to help a first year hunter that would be greatly appreciated!!


I'm thinking about going up on Harrison this weekend. PM me if you wanna meet up.

[Wile E]

I'm going up there after work, going for a couple days camping.
Leave your rifle at home, there are no deer to be seen ;).

[wideopenthrottle]

So you are able to harvest 3 bucks ? Just one has to be a wt ?

pg 17 of the regs has a table that summarizes what and where

whoops...I was beat to the punch by hparrot

[mastercaster]

So you are able to harvest 3 bucks ? Just one has to be a wt ?

As long as you are hunting in different regions you can shoot 3 mule deer bucks. You just can't exceed the number of bucks alotted for any one species in a given region.

[dirtymax]

Thanks was mislead before.

[caddisguy]

I got shut down in my area last night. Road was too icey (flooding and frozen over) and I only had one set of crappy chains. Might have been able to get further but having just one set is a recipe for getting into something you can't get out of AND a single point of failure. That and I chickened out. Becoming too responsible in my old age. Fastest hunting trip I ever had.... yesterdays timeline:

5am - wake up and go to work
7pm - get home and load up jeep
9:30pm - sliding on ice on a small incline, had to chain up just to get down safely without ending up in the creek
11:30pm - home
2am - sleep
11am - woke up
current - sitting at home pouting because 1) my own fault I was ill equipped and 2) todays warm temps a lot of the ice will be melting and draining off the road... should be just fine for the next few days

Thinking about taking a couple days off to make up for the lost hunting time.

Lesson: Always have 2 sets of GOOD chains... not one set of halfass chains. That and timing can be a royal b****

[MichelD]

I've been on a few desperation end-of-season I hope I get one trips to Harrison with no luck.

All I ever came back with was a treetop I cut off a downed tree for a Christmas tree.

[jjsachmoe]

I was up the east Harrison FSR today and made it only to 6 km before I had a tire punctured by all the sharp rock on the road. BFG AT KO2 and only 6000 km on them and the rock was so sharp and long it went right through the lugs and BIG HOLE in tire. After looking around for a little bit I decided to forgo the trip as I only have the one spare on the truck. In the 20 minutes to change the tire I was passed by 8 or so more trucks with hunters in them. All of whom stopped to check if we were OK. At least we're all helpful up there:D. They did say that they pretty much had all lost a tire up that road. (the tire shop in aggasiz said that road is famous for eating tires.) Road was clear and good other than the abundance of sharp rocks that were potential dead tires.
I decided to try the east side as the west side is fire ravaged for a good portion before 20 mile bay and they are actively logging of the fire burnt trees. And the quad and 4x4 clubs race up every road and mess with your hunt with their antics. Hope that updates the conditions and Hunt pressure for you all.
Good Luck.

[caddisguy]

I was up the east Harrison FSR today and made it only to 6 km before I had a tire punctured by all the sharp rock on the road. BFG AT KO2 and only 6000 km on them and the rock was so sharp and long it went right through the lugs and BIG HOLE in tire. After looking around for a little bit I decided to forgo the trip as I only have the one spare on the truck. In the 20 minutes to change the tire I was passed by 8 or so more trucks with hunters in them. All of whom stopped to check if we were OK. At least we're all helpful up there:D. They did say that they pretty much had all lost a tire up that road. (the tire shop in aggasiz said that road is famous for eating tires.) Road was clear and good other than the abundance of sharp rocks that were potential dead tires.
I decided to try the east side as the west side is fire ravaged for a good portion before 20 mile bay and they are actively logging of the fire burnt trees. And the quad and 4x4 clubs race up every road and mess with your hunt with their antics. Hope that updates the conditions and Hunt pressure for you all.
Good Luck.

Good on you for calling it off after blowing one tire. I gave up first light last November to help some guys who 1) didn't have a jack 2) didn't have the a tire iron that fit their lug nuts... they had already spent one night below -15C and were excited that they could start road hunting again with their undersized spare. If I'd run into them stuck again I would have been hesitant to even call them a tow!! Ok I would have, but seriously... collectively we need to make better decisions like you did.

Awesome that everyone who cruised by was ready and willing to help!! :)