Very Special BC Elk Hunt

[clu__82]

Hello All,

I joined this forum back in 2008 when I moved to AB and was closer to BC to hunt with my dad and was looking to learn from this great wealth of knowledge. Since then I have followed the forum from time to time. Long story somewhat short...I grew up in Kelowna, played hockey, moved away from home at a young age and then moved down to the states to play. I now live in Thunder Bay, ON. Hunting and fishing was always something that I was passionate about and grew up with but with hockey as a kid, hunting trips were limited to weekend afternoons of road hunting. Dad and I have always talked about an elk hunt but it never transpired due to life (you know how that goes). Fast forward to this past summer. Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Luckily, it was caught early, surgery has been completed and he continues to recover. With only a couple tests to go, we have our fingers crossed that his health and prognosis will be excellent!! Like everything in life, certain events have a huge impact in forcing perspective onto things. This was definitely one of these things when the big C word gets thrown in your face.

So, as you can imagine, this kick started our elk hunt talk and we are finally after forever going to make this dream hunt come true. Another amazing aspect is that both of my brother-in-laws now hunt, only taking up the passion a couple years ago. These are two amazing men that I haven't had a chance to hang out with very much due to distance and timing of things. So, this will probably be a once of a lifetime hunt due to distance and cost etc and a very special and memorable one at that. We plan on hunting in the Cranbrook area. None of us have hunted the area but my brother-in-law plans on putting his boots on the ground this summer to check things out (my dad and brother-in-laws all live in Kelowna). We plan on hunting Sep 1-18 ish which will be archery and then early gun (as you know). Now I am a hunter and I realize all of the hard work other hunters put in pounding the ground to find secret honey holes. I am not asking and don't expect that. What I am hoping for is some general direction of areas/names (WMAs ,ranges, rivers etc) so we aren't wasting the whole time running around looking for spots to camp and hunt. I/we want to do as much google map scouting as possible and trying to be as prepared as we can before Sep rolls around. A place to start with, with a couple back up plans would be awesome as the area is very vast. I will be driving out from Thunder Bay and will have all of the gear (including ATV) necessary for a long and exciting hunt. Although it would be awesome, we are not partial to shooting record breaking Bulls, we just want to have an amazing experience and hopefully tag out on something. Again, this is about the experience, the memories and being with family and partaking in a tradition I have grown up with. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Have a great and safe hunting season!!

If anyone is able to PM me and help us out a little, it would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks a bunch.

[riflebuilder]

Get back off the roads into valleys with out truck access and you will find Elk.

[Ride Red]

Hunter1947 could probably get you some great info as his boots have covered a lot of ground in that area. Good luck on your hunt and look forward to the after story.

[clu__82]

Thanks riflebuilder and Ride Red for the quick reply. Very much appreciated!!

[goinghunting]

It's pretty hard to go wrong almost anywhere in the east koots and for which valley is the best its kinda like which colour do you like because they all hold big game numbers. I'd look really hard at the elk valley if I was you though.

If a fly in is affordable for you all being that this is a once in a lifetime hunt there are some area's in northern BC with unreal elk hunting.

[rocksteady]

Don't forget to do your hunter host, out of province application or else if you are hunting elk, YOU will require a guide..

[guest]

As said ....... Careful of special rules for non residents, you are Canadian though so it's a bit easier if your hosted. If this is a one time thing ....... I too recommend Northern BC, Muskwa, Kachika, Tuchodi rivers area, these Elk are far less educated and in strong numbers compared to the Koots. If your going to be guided, do your home work, there are some good ones and some not so good, but be prepared to part company with big cash. The Koots can be heavy pressured and takes a while to figure where they are. It's full on competitive hunting there. You may get lucky, but don't expect to tag out four guys on four Bulls in the Koots, we have done it though up north a few times.

Good of luck to you.

[Mikey Rafiki]

I can PM you an idea or two. I prefer the places that maybe have fewer elk, but much fewer hunters, and I've had enough success in the area that my family from the Elk Valley is spending more and more time near Dinktown these days...

[clu__82]

Thanks rocksteady and yes we will definitely complete the necessary paperwork. Dad and I did a hunt in 2008 so we are relatively familiar with the process. As for area, we chose Cranbrook/Easy Kootenays for not only the hunting opportunity but location. My dad is going to drive to Cranbrook from Kelowna and then fly out to Thunder Bay. He and I are going to drive out from Tbay to BC with my truck and gear and then do the opposite on the way back. Having the airport and closer proximity to the East (TBay) allows for more hunting and less wasted travel days as I will need to take vacation. We will be able to get out there in a day. But I appreciate the info. As for self vs guided hunt. We definitely want to DIY it. I think in the future if the harvesting of the elk becomes the 100% purpose of the trip then we may spend some bucks and get that done. For now it will be about the trip (much like when I found out about dad this summer, I flew out and surprised him by taking him to Douglas Lake Ranch for some trophy rainbow fishing. Again, something we had talked about forever and just never did. Maybe just maybe we will do a guided Elk hunt in the future).

I will also throw along that we plan on having the fly fishing rods on pack, perhaps pontoons and my dad may even bring his boat and we plan on doing some fishing for a couple hours if it makes sense. We will also have other tags (Moose, Whitetail, Muleys and I believe my BIL may also be getting a sheep tag). So if there are any areas (again, we are all green to the area) that offer more of a overall experience, probably the better. Our focus for sure is Elk, but as I said in my original post, we are going to hunt hard and have an amazing trip regardless of success. This trip is about fulfilling a dream hunt one that I have talked about since I was a kid with my dad and now BILs.

Again, I want to thank everyone for being so kind and replying 'live' and PMing me as well. I truly appreciate it and the info will definitely assist us in confirming a plan. With that being said, if anyone else has anything else to say your info is greatly appreciated. Thanks and ciao for now!!

Clu

[hunter1947]

Clu_82 Send me a private message and I will put you in a few areas that are decent places to hunt for elk deer at that time of the year

[Husky7mm]

If you want to relax and have a good time with your Dad, and be more casual about if by all means take a few extra tags and the fishing rods. Have a nap during the day back at camp. Breath in the fresh mountain air and drink in the sceenery, its a beautiful place.....
Honestly if you want to getherdone I wouldnt spend much time chasing moose, mulies, whitetail, sheep and fishing, that is a distraction. The time will fly, and it takes a bit to figure out where the elk are and what they're up to. A fleeting glimps of a cow once or twice a week is a long way from putting a 6 point bull on the ground, and some dont realize that. The EK is a popular place for both locals and the traveling hunter, pretty much every peice of it is either hunted or fished. The elk population is way down in recent times and bulls can be call shy. That being said the area still holds a better elk population than many other units in southern BC. Good luck, and dont forget what some have said about a fly in drop hunt in northern BC, if people could drive there the entire province would be hunting it.

[clu__82]

Thanks Husky7mm. I guess I just meant that if there was an area that gave us the opportunity for 'everything' we would probably lean towards that as both my BILs have not shot anything yet and are itching for their first animal and my dad hasn't shot anything in a long time either. Hopefully, I can be a part of those memories!! So, if we are pursuing elk (which will be our focus) and a deer, moose etc jumps out, we will definitely be taking it.

Again, I want to truly say thank you to the people on this forum (you guys know who you are) for helping me out. It is really cool to see hunters helping other hunters out especially to somebody that just popped onto the forum out of nowhere! It seems nowadays getting the simplest information can be challenging. This is an amazing forum and group of people. I am really hopeful and confident that our trip this fall will be excellent no matter what the result is with the information I've been given. Thumbs up HuntingBC members!!

[hunter1947]

To me helping others out if you can is what HBC is all about good luck on wherever you hunt this fall :)..

[Brez]

If any of you have a chance to scout in late Aug, that would really help for the archery season. Find wallows, trails, water sources that you can set up tree stands or rough blinds on. At the very least, you'll know where they will show up eventually. Wherever you are pointed to, I find a water source is a must - doesn't have to be much as they will drink out of a filled in foot/hoof print. pm sending

[clu__82]

So the hunt is a go! Tons have changed in my life since I started this thread but the one constant is that the trip is going to happen.....strange question...I have never gone on an extended 15+ day hunt without heading back to a shower etc... how to guys freshen up and try and eliminate scent etc day-to-day as the hiking and heat start to take their toll. I am thinking unscented baby wipes....spraying down our clothes with scent spray and storing in a bin with spruce/pine needles etc. But what do guys do that take on a long, extended hunting trip do in warm weather? Any tricks of the trade are most welcomed. Only a couple weeks away and we are super excited! This is a dream hunt for myself, dad, best man and brother-in-laws. Again, thanks to everyone for helping me/us out.

Clu

[Jrax]

jump in any creek or lake with clear water, if you lucky its just cool or cold but honestly it will be the most refreshing thing you do! Sure beats baby wipes. Ive done glacial lake 10 second bath worst case scenario. I do also use the scent spray and keep downwind as best I can. On a hot day in September I have scrubbed my hunting clothes in the lake/creek and hung to dry in sun/wind. Never hurts to take off hiking boots to air out socks and feet while glassing when u get a chance as well and dry out jacket or sweater soaked in sweat.

[guest]

So the hunt is a go! Tons have changed in my life since I started this thread but the one constant is that the trip is going to happen.....strange question...I have never gone on an extended 15+ day hunt without heading back to a shower etc... how to guys freshen up and try and eliminate scent etc day-to-day as the hiking and heat start to take their toll. I am thinking unscented baby wipes....spraying down our clothes with scent spray and storing in a bin with spruce/pine needles etc. But what do guys do that take on a long, extended hunting trip do in warm weather? Any tricks of the trade are most welcomed. Only a couple weeks away and we are super excited! This is a dream hunt for myself, dad, best man and brother-in-laws. Again, thanks to everyone for helping me/us out.

Clu

so where you headed ....... The Koots or up north?

[campking]

I also have done the creek and lake thing but now I am older I have a portable hot water heater that runs off propane and a pop up
shower, let me tell you a hot shower is great when you are in the woods for a while.

[bridger]

A word of caution if you haven't applied for the permit to accompany better do it tomorrow. Takes awhile.

[HarryToolips]

So the hunt is a go! Tons have changed in my life since I started this thread but the one constant is that the trip is going to happen.....strange question...I have never gone on an extended 15+ day hunt without heading back to a shower etc... how to guys freshen up and try and eliminate scent etc day-to-day as the hiking and heat start to take their toll. I am thinking unscented baby wipes....spraying down our clothes with scent spray and storing in a bin with spruce/pine needles etc. But what do guys do that take on a long, extended hunting trip do in warm weather? Any tricks of the trade are most welcomed. Only a couple weeks away and we are super excited! This is a dream hunt for myself, dad, best man and brother-in-laws. Again, thanks to everyone for helping me/us out.

Clu
Smoke bath........

[HarryToolips]

jump in any creek or lake with clear water, if you lucky its just cool or cold but honestly it will be the most refreshing thing you do! Sure beats baby wipes. Ive done glacial lake 10 second bath worst case scenario. I do also use the scent spray and keep downwind as best I can. On a hot day in September I have scrubbed my hunting clothes in the lake/creek and hung to dry in sun/wind. Never hurts to take off hiking boots to air out socks and feet while glassing when u get a chance as well and dry out jacket or sweater soaked in sweat.
also very good ideas and advice,....

[clu__82]

Headed to the Koots. Got some very good tips from some really awesome people on this site/forum that were willing to help out. It'll be a bit of a shift. Dad, Best man/best friend and I for SEP 1-5, then Dad and I Sep 5-9, Then dad, brother-in-laws and I Sep 10-17/18ish. So it'll be really awesome just to hang out and be with them and make some cool memories of a life time. Harvesting something and having success will be a cherry on top. Accompany paperwork is done and has been for almost a month and a bit. So, timing wise it should all be processed and completed by the time we arrive on the 31st. Thanks again for all of the help in making the planning part of the little things happen. I am sure it'll make the trip much more of a success when we look back on things. And of course, if there are any more words of wisdom I am always open and willing to learn.

Take care and good luck everyone this hunting season. We are mere weeks away!!

Clu

[clu__82]

Me again... food... what do you guys do for food...specific foods, snacks when hiking? etc. I am thinking of getting some whey protein and mixing with water everyday for breakfast and then having good energy packed snacks throughout the day when hunting/hiking.... and then some ideas for lunch (probably pack lunches) and dinner... What have you learned over the years...what has worked ... Food wise my dad and I are wide open....we love all types of foods so am open to almost anything... thanks again.

Clu

[guest]

also very good ideas and advice,....

Good advice, we hit the first good creek or stream after a good pack in in sheep goat or deer. Just bite the big one and stand in that flowing ice water. Scrub a dub dub. If your hunting afterwards, be sure to rinse all that soap smell off.
Some of them streams bring on bang instant headache come hair wash time ...... Or at least a temporary exterior brain freeze. Feels great after though.

[j270wsm]

For snack food I pack Granola/cliff bars, Protine bars, trail mix and sometimes I'll take jerky as well. Anything that's high in calories will work. I usually have a 5hr energy or 2( don't usually drink them though) as well.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^^i agree, all very good hike in food, and I also like dried fruit....and those little cans of spicy Thai tuna yum..

[clu__82]

Me again.... so been reading and doing some more research about thermals and hiking in the dark either before or after the sunrises/sets. Thoughts on this? Although probably a very good tactic is it safe in the Koots? Do you guys do it? Do you try and learn the area a day before in the light and then try the next AM in the dark? What do guys do? Obviously there are predators in the area .....again any thoughts tips etc would be awesome.