Little Help on What to Expect..

[TheTwelve]

hello.

i am heading out this saturday for a hunting day, its my 4th time out and i still havent seen anything. i usually drive the truck up and down the service roads.. i dont have a gps and dont think if its smart to park the truck and hike around in the bush for some deer or bear. i am taking a friend with me and it will be his first time hunting. i normally go up to spuzzum or hope area mainly because its the only area i know of, when i was taken for my first time...

we both have our black bear, mule deer, and white tail deer tags. is it worth going back up to spuzzum and hiking in the bush this time or should i try another spot? i was up last weekend and didnt see anything, not even crap or tracks.. he wants to head up to kelowna for the weekend and look, but i just cant afford that at this time.

if anyone can help or give some direction we would greatly apprecaite it.

thanks

[Bonz]

id at least head up the coq some. tough terrain up spuzzum way to, good for bears up that way though
dont need to go off venturing through thick bush. get to some cut blocks and walk the timber line around it at the back, just go in 50 to 75 yrds.
if i could afford it to id offer some help

[Wild one]

Black bear thin out this time of year

as for Spuzzum blacktail mostly and odd mule deer. Deer are there but not an easy hunt especially if you have never hunted it. My self I would keep driving

[adriaticum]

Go down to Ross lake area if you are around Hope.

[Bonz]

shit. theirs not much left up that valley...lol. especial if he doesnt want to go off in thick bush

[adriaticum]

shit. theirs not much left up that valley...lol. especial if he doesnt want to go off in thick bush


If he doesn't want to go into thick bush there is always Pokemon and xbox360

[Workinirn]

As Bonz said, plenty of good spots up the coq. Lots and lots of information on this site, the search bar is your friend.
Now that you got someone to hike around with, leave the truck on the fsr and go. Find an established game trail and see where it takes you. Slow and steady .
Good luck

[Bonz]

dont be like alot of new guys ive taken out and focus on track so much and the ground. look up and pay attention to suroundings for directions to get out and know where you are
had one new guy even with a cell gps take us in circles for 2 hour. was only sumas mnt to, had no clue where he was from staring at the ground to much.
flag the trail as you go in, youll be alright

[russm]

I'd head elsewhere, if you didn't see any sign last time you'll more than likely just be burning fuel and costing yourself money, I wouldn't be affraid to do some hiking, you dont have to go miles into the bush or anything but you will see more if you get off the road.

[finngun]

Focus more duck hunting...weather really ok ..for that;-)

[TheTwelve]

ok ill do some reseach on the coq and see if i can find any places, are there areas you can turn off and park or service roads? yes with a partner i will feel alot more comfortable hiking in the bush..

thanks for the help. it sucks getting up at 5 am to be on the mountain for sun rise and you leave at sun set not seeing a single track hahaha

[Ryo]

I'd recommend you learn some basic basic orienteering.. nothing crazy, just things like having a "handrail" like a FSR or river, and knowing that wherever you are, if you always walk 'west' it will be there (carry a compass, and a google earth printout, as bare minimum). You'll soon become comfortable in the relative unknown, but not necessarily lost.

Also, you can download iHuntBC which has a tracking feature using GPS satellites through your iPhone, not requiring cel reception. It's not a perfect system by any means, but it's a nice backup after you learn the ins and outs.

If you're overly concerned, you can even just hike the same roads you'd be driving, popping up and down spur roads on foot. If it's a quiet area and/or you're the first one in, it's probably preferable to crashing through the bush.

[Bonz]

..........sent a pm

[caddisguy]

ok ill do some reseach on the coq and see if i can find any places, are there areas you can turn off and park or service roads? yes with a partner i will feel alot more comfortable hiking in the bush..

thanks for the help. it sucks getting up at 5 am to be on the mountain for sun rise and you leave at sun set not seeing a single track hahaha

I am not a morning person, so I always drive into my spot the night before and then sleep in the jeep. I operate much better in the morning if I wake up in my hunting area and dont have to worry about packing the jeep and a long drive first... just gotta wipe the cobwebs off my face, stumble out of the jeep, grab my rifle and pack and I am good to go!! :D

[adriaticum]

Get a GPS, simple one.

[Workinirn]

There's a lot of both. You can drive till you find a good cut or timber thin enough to hunt. Being that you're going on a weekend I would park the truck close to where you are hunting on foot. Just to let others know people are hiking in that area.

Also, don't rely on your partner for your well being. Make mental notes how you hiked in and how you're getting out. Or like Ryo mentioned, be aware of roads and rivers near by as a "handrail"

[Iron Glove]

If you head up the COQ make sure you check the regs as 8 is closed for mule deer.

[TheTwelve]

Also, you can download iHuntBC which has a tracking feature using GPS satellites through your iPhone, not requiring cel reception. It's not a perfect system by any means, but it's a nice backup after you learn the ins and outs.

the app works even if you dont have service? if thats true i will get it, but i havent gotten it because i thought it wouldnt work while i had no service..

[Ryo]

the app works even if you dont have service? if thats true i will get it, but i havent gotten it because i thought it wouldnt work while i had no service..

It's a little known fact that iPhones are actually GPS capable. Put your phone on airplane mode and open the built-in compass app - after a few minutes your long/lat coordinates will appear along the bottom.

The app works well, but you need pre-download the areas you're interested in, simply by viewing them ahead of time over wifi. Once they're in the phone, they stay there though (unless your phone self-updates, doh!). It also can take a bit of time to pick up a signal depending on tree and cloud cover. Eventually it comes. You have to upgrade to the pro version to use all the features however, including tracking.

[TheTwelve]

It's a little known fact that iPhones are actually GPS capable. Put your phone on airplane mode and open the built-in compass app - after a few minutes your long/lat coordinates will appear along the bottom.

The app works well, but you need pre-download the areas you're interested in, simply by viewing them ahead of time over wifi. Once they're in the phone, they stay there though (unless your phone self-updates, doh!). It also can take a bit of time to pick up a signal depending on tree and cloud cover. Eventually it comes. You have to upgrade to the pro version to use all the features however, including tracking.

well that makes complete sense... before i go onto the service roads i always load up google maps on my ipad on my location so i can see the area... or see if a trail will lead anywhere... hahah looks like i do some stuff already without even knowing i do

*edit* there are 2 apps both 6.99 anyone have some info between the 2?

[Fella]

You shouldn't rely on your iPhone, don't get me wrong I use an app called huntbuddy for topo maps but you're hooped if your phone dies or you get it wet etc.

[TreeStandMan]

I'd recommend you learn some basic basic orienteering.. nothing crazy, just things like having a "handrail" like a FSR or river, and knowing that wherever you are, if you always walk 'west' it will be there (carry a compass, and a google earth printout, as bare minimum). You'll soon become comfortable in the relative unknown, but not necessarily lost.


Agreed. A compass is an absolute necessity. I don't own a GPS, but I carry 2 compasses with me and I check out Google Earth before I go so I have a general lay of the land. I also carry flagging tape so I can leave a trail if I'm unsure. I try not to rely on electronics overmuch, they can be a crutch and fail easily, but this year I started using the HuntStand map to cache maps for offline use, and it's been useful.

Here's the thing, though: to become comfortable in the bush, you have to get into the bush. Take reasonable precautions, but go into the unknown, and then do it again and again. This is uncomfortable, but the feeling of conquering your fear and ultimately succeeding (even if it takes years) is why it's worth while.

[TheTwelve]

You shouldn't rely on your iPhone, don't get me wrong I use an app called huntbuddy for topo maps but you're hooped if your phone dies or you get it wet etc.

main reason for it is i have no idea where a region ends and begins when you look at a map or the synopsis... the very first time i went out 2 years ago we were in 3-14 and when we stopped for lunch break we talked with a gentleman who said were were in 2-17.. which would of been bad for us if we shot a whitetail... not that we saw anything but grouse...

[Fella]

Yah and that's fine but if you're going out in the woods you need to know where you are. Give yourself and your loved ones some peace of mind and learn how to navigate using a compass. You'll be much more successful if you get off the beaten path too.

[TheTwelve]

Yah and that's fine but if you're going out in the woods you need to know where you are. Give yourself and your loved ones some peace of mind and learn how to navigate using a compass. You'll be much more successful if you get off the beaten path too.

i got some and know how to chart for boating... pretty much the same thing for land, take 2 land marks map it out get the bearings...

[Whiterock]

Just a tip for new hunters, PREPARE,,act like you plan to get lost,,tell someone where you are going,,and always carry firestarter and 2 bic lighters. Dont be afraid of the bush,,but respect it. Have fun,

[Wild one]

Don't fear the bush just use your head and stick within your comfort zone. You don't always need to hike for miles to find game. If your not comfortable at first don't push too far. Before you go in the bush look at your map and look at the creeks and other water ways a long with the roads. Often you can follow creeks back to the road your parked on. Pay attention to km markers on the road you parked on this way if you come out of the bush on the road but away from the truck you know which way to go. Look at the mountain ranges in the distance as they can be used as markers. Simple way to get comfortable is running ridges near the road. You can also take them along ways back and follow the ridge back to where you started. There is a ton of ways to easily navagate your way to the road using the the land it self. Ridges, water ways, draws and ravines can be used and often the animals use them as well.

Think before you enter the bush and stay within your comfort zone and over time you will get used to it. In time you will understand how to navigate with ease.

if you want to add a tool learn to use a compass. I only use a gps to mark out trap lines do to the amount of locations I lay out it takes time to remember them. The problem with a gps is they can loose signal in thick bush and in deep ravines. For this reason I will not rely on them.

I know I will catch flack for this but I don't use any navigation device at all. You can get around without them if you use your head. Before someone says that's because you don't go far that is not the case. I have no issue (knock on wood) doing long back pack hunts like this. Yes I know I am pushing my luck. This is only to show it can be done and even I recommend a compass even though I don't practice what I preach.

use your head it is your best tool but get a compass and learn how to use it

[Bugle M In]

Try around Merrit country, better chances up there.
Do get a gps at some point, they are a great piece of equipment to have these days with all the logging roads going
this way and that way, let alone being on foot in the woods:shock:

[skibum]

FLAGGING TAPE and get out of the truck. I hunted without a GPS for a couple years and now that I have one, don't think it is essential, nice to have but not essential.

Tie it on more frequently than you would expect and watch it gets dark quick

[avadad]

the app works even if you dont have service? if thats true i will get it, but i havent gotten it because i thought it wouldnt work while i had no service..

Learn how to use a compass. know what the boundaries are to the area you're going into (rivers, roads, mountain tops, etc). If you go up from where you park the rig you know you have to come down. Go slow, bring food and water. Make it an adventure and it won't matter if you don't see any thing. Might want to search the "gutless technique" on youtube in case you get lucky.

[Blockcaver]

Get the GAIA GPS app for the iphone and Hunt Buddy app as well. Save your money. i don't use a gps anymore. Worked for me from BC, NWT, AZ, etc. Plastic bag the phone if your worried about it. I find my phone tougher than the 5 Garmin GPS units I have owned that broke.

[tinhorse]

Don't go out at all, save your coin this weekend and pick up some cans and get a little more gas money. Head to Princeton , Kelowna, Kamloops, Merritt. Not a ton past spuzzum and so much better walking. You'll likely run into deer also! Also by then there should be snow so you'll know when you've come across their trails without looking to hard. Plus you can follow your tracks back to the truck. Haha

[Kami]

Plenty of totally usable reliable GPS's out there for cheap. I paid $10 for a 10 years old model in a garage sale 2 years ago. Still works great.
Get one, learn how to use it.
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-electronics/vancouver/garmin-etrex-legend-gps/1177321684?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

No need to come to Kamloops. I know people here to head south for Deer. Coq. Merrit etc.

[HarryToolips]

Don't start navigating in the woods with a GPS without first trying to use a compass, and even the sun - and even marking the trails your using and/or using landmarks as well, if ya want more navigation tips, you can PM me..sure you will learn some stuff driving around, but you will learn more by being on foot, and above all, having fun while your doing it, that will help you to learn the most, all the best..

[boxhitch]

i normally go up to spuzzum or hope area mainly because its the only area i know of, when i was taken for my first time...Best thing to do is to build on a knowledge base. Going somewhere else won't be better. It takes several trips to a spot to really know the potential as it can change daily, especially as the seasons change.
I doubt there is a section or square mile of southern BC that doesn't have a deer in it.
Dats Hunting!

[Sinperama]

ME wanna go too.
ME have everything.
Can ME come with you?

[TheTwelve]

thanks for all he great info! there are 3 of us now, and yes there looks like some snow up on the coq so getting lost wont be easy, i can just back track.. what will be easy is finding the tracks :P. both my friends want to go up to merritt for the weekend, but im on a little budget so just a day somewhere on the coq hahaha

thanks again for all the advice!

[wideopenthrottle]

until you are quite comfortable getting way off the beaten track, you may just want to park your truck, walk parallel to a road for x distance then cross the road and parallel back to the truck....once you are comfortable doing that set a bearing on your compass perpendicular to a road and go x distance in before turning the compass around and heading back out...another thing to do is to only trek in areas with defined boundaries like a river,power line, road, string of ridges etc so that if you get off track you can just head in one direction until you hit one of your boundaries and walk back to your start position...

[twoSevenO]

As a lower mainland hunter who's always looking for places to hunt that are close to home let me give you some advice:

- Unless you are going to an area you are familiar with, day trips are almost always a waste of time as far as hunting success goes.
Days are short and if you even make one wrong turn and waste an hour figuring it out that's one hour gone off an already short November day.

- Animals cover a lot of ground. Just cause you saw a fresh track when you got out of the truck to take a piss doesn't mean that animal is waiting for you 100 yards into the bushes, or that it is even a buck! Again, unless you know a honey-hole you're going into, you're in this blind on a day trip.

- Everything close has traffic. That spot that looked really sweet on Google Earth that's only 1 hr drive from Langley has most likely also been scoped out by another lower mainland hunter.

- You're gonna hike in and avoid the traffic? Always a good plan. But if you've never been there you run the risk of not being able to get to where you want, being cliffed out, or just spending several hours in miserable lower mainland rain and never seeing a thing.

If you're heading out to have fun, do it. If you're thinking of bringing meat back home from a day hunt from the lower mainland i'd say it's a long shot. It's doable, but almost always by people who are going into an area they are already WELL familiar with and by that I don't mean they just know the roads in there....