Alpine Hunting

[waserwolf]

Good Day All.

Recently I've been inspired to do some Alpine Hunting, Mule Deer and Goat.
Typically I like to walk, hunting clear cuts with no road access but I need more. I'm working on getting set up, recently i purchased the Mystery Ranch Metcalf and love it!

I live in Armstrong, any pointers on where to go would be greatly appreciated. I'm not asking for your Honey Holes just a general direction in where to go. I'm pretty confident I'll find Goats around Revy. How about Muleys?

Thank You.

[dana]

I can say there are no muley alpine honey holes anymore. Many areas that once produced are now void of deer because of heavy wolf presure. Deer are too vulnerable in the open country and would rather spend their time in thick mid to high elevation timber where the dogs have a harder time hunting them. The reality of it, you need to know how thick the wolves are in the area you choose to hunt. There are pockets scattered around where the dogs aren't as thick and you will find deer behaving normal and heading above treeline. But these areas are getting less and less as the wolf epidemic spreads across the province.

[swampthing]

Head east to the monashees! Some pretty fine alpine out that way and not too far from you. Look for road access to get you close, hike on out and fill up that fine pack you bought!

[Pemby_mess]

Grab a backroads map book for the area you're interested in, and spend some time on google earth. Drill down the the nitty gritty with a 1:50000 or less topo map that details the area you're interested in. Confirm access via your local forest district road status page.

That takes care of a lot of pre-scouting. Only way to know if your area holds deer/goat is to go on in and look. But you can narrow the search down a lot by using online resources, combined with general knowledge about your quarry's behaviour/preferences.

person to person beta is invaluable, but keep in mind a lot of it becomes out of date pretty quick. Especially with large nomadic wolf packs clearing out areas and moving on to the next, as Dana mentions. Also access changes in the mountains with regularity, both opening and closing according to overgrowth, geographic changes and the activities of resource exploitation.

[Arctic Lake]

Pemby Mess

Could you provide a link to the page Forest District Road Status ?
Thank You !
Arctic Lake

[Bugle M In]

I would have said the Monashees as well.

[Pemby_mess]

Pemby Mess

Could you provide a link to the page Forest District Road Status ?
Thank You !
Arctic Lake

YES SIR:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/natural-resource-use/resource-roads/local-road-safety-information/sea-to-sky-natural-resource-district-road-safety-information/road-conditions-in-sea-to-sky-district

Just click on the district you're interested in

[Kopper]

If you’d posted this about a month ago, before I went north for the season, I would’ve enjoyed chit chatting over a beer. A membership at the fish and game club is cheap. Go to the meetings or events; there’s a couple guys that could be of help.

4-38 does have easy draws to pull and holds goats. Some relatively easy access spots too once you find them ;)

Sugar and Sicamous are close and have access to alpine. Even as local as Hunters. Some looking on google earth is always a good place to start.

[Arctic Lake]

YES SIR:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/natural-resource-use/resource-roads/local-road-safety-information/sea-to-sky-natural-resource-district-road-safety-information/road-conditions-in-sea-to-sky-district

Just click on the district you're interested in

Thank You ! Appreciate it !
Arctic Lake

[twoSevenO]

as someone who got into Alpine hunting recently to get more and more away from the typical hunting down below, keep a few things in mind:

1. It's almost always going to take longer to get above that tree line than it looks.
2. It's almost always WAAAAY steeper than it looks.
3. You're not going to cover as much terrain as you marked out on Google Earth off your couch.

It's easy to start GPS-ing things while watching Netflix in the back ground and thinking "ok, i'll get up this ridge, if nothing i'll check out this bowl over here, then the other one behind this peak". In reality, that shit is no joke. Hunting mulies in the alpine is hard. You're gonna be pretty beat up and won't cover as much terrain as you might think. So better to glass lots and be thorough with your eyes than feet.

Also, remember that some areas don't have a whole lot of deer that are visible during the day in the open. They might still be there but they might spend 99% of their time just in the tree line in the subalpine forest.

[IslandWanderer]

as someone who got into Alpine hunting recently to get more and more away from the typical hunting down below, keep a few things in mind:

1. It's almost always going to take longer to get above that tree line than it looks.
2. It's almost always WAAAAY steeper than it looks.
3. You're not going to cover as much terrain as you marked out on Google Earth off your couch.

It's easy to start GPS-ing things while watching Netflix in the back ground and thinking "ok, i'll get up this ridge, if nothing i'll check out this bowl over here, then the other one behind this peak". In reality, that shit is no joke. Hunting mulies in the alpine is hard. You're gonna be pretty beat up and won't cover as much terrain as you might think. So better to glass lots and be thorough with your eyes than feet.

Also, remember that some areas don't have a whole lot of deer that are visible during the day in the open. They might still be there but they might spend 99% of their time just in the tree line in the subalpine forest.

This all sounds like good information. Unfortunately I haven’t seen much alpine on the island, so I guess it’s a mainland hunting opportunity. It seems like the mountains I see here go from thick trees to vertical rock.

[Pemby_mess]

This all sounds like good information. Unfortunately I haven’t seen much alpine on the island, so I guess it’s a mainland hunting opportunity. It seems like the mountains I see here go from thick trees to vertical rock.

Strathcona has some alpine. But definitely the island isn't where one would would go looking for classic alpine terrain. Deep dark primordial forests are what i think of for deer hunting on the island. That and millions of hectares of clear cuts, thick with regrowth.

[dana]

This all sounds like good information. Unfortunately I haven’t seen much alpine on the island, so I guess it’s a mainland hunting opportunity. It seems like the mountains I see here go from thick trees to vertical rock.

Not too many muleys on the Island either. ;)

[Pemby_mess]

as someone who got into Alpine hunting recently to get more and more away from the typical hunting down below, keep a few things in mind:

1. It's almost always going to take longer to get above that tree line than it looks.
2. It's almost always WAAAAY steeper than it looks.
3. You're not going to cover as much terrain as you marked out on Google Earth off your couch.

It's easy to start GPS-ing things while watching Netflix in the back ground and thinking "ok, i'll get up this ridge, if nothing i'll check out this bowl over here, then the other one behind this peak". In reality, that shit is no joke. Hunting mulies in the alpine is hard. You're gonna be pretty beat up and won't cover as much terrain as you might think. So better to glass lots and be thorough with your eyes than feet.

Also, remember that some areas don't have a whole lot of deer that are visible during the day in the open. They might still be there but they might spend 99% of their time just in the tree line in the subalpine forest.

Those are all good points to remember for someone getting into it. I suggest studying topo maps when planning details. Google earth just for the overview. I agree that it can be very deceiving, and hard to get a sense of scale/slope angles.

I have a little rule of thumb formula that serves me well for planning on a map:

Each grid will be 1km by 1km. 1.5km across.
Travel speeds:
5km per hour on easy low grade trails
3km per hour across flat, easy off trail terrain
1km or less per hour for dense coastal bush, or rough, complex alpine terrain

Add to that:
1 hour per 300M gained [or lost)

Now, if you're in good shape, and you travel pretty light you can move way faster than that; but its a pretty good set of assumptions to get one started. If you've not moved around much in the mountains before, be patient with yourself. It takes a bit even for fit folks to get all the little stabilizing muscles working properly while balancing on logs and bolders and other such obstacles that come with off-trail travel.

Depending where you are, I wouldn't discount seeing mulies high above the treeline. IME, in early fall, good sized bucks are often hanging with the goats. i used to always look down around the treeline, but quite often i get my first buck sighting way up in the rocks. still pretty darn hard to see though if they're not moving. Theylll use big boulders for cover just the same as trees and brush in the forest.

[dana]

No amount of google fly overs can beat boots on the ground. The best way to find deer in the high country is to go and look for them. Summer is your friend. Find your access and hike and glass. First 2 hours of light and last 2 hours of light are prime time. Muleys are in their red coats and stick out like sore thumbs in the spotter or binos.

[twoSevenO]

1km or less per HR is a very accurate estimate for climbing above the tree line. Steep, thick crap with blowdown will slow you down big time. But it depends on how high you can get up in your truck/quad. The easier it is for you the easier it is for everyone else. Remember that everyone else has Google Earth, too.

I've yet to see another person in the alpine spot I go to but it's 5 and a half hours from the truck.

Then, it comes down to what you can find .... Is the 130" 4 point worth the three? four? six? hour packout? Probably not.

[IslandWanderer]

Not too many muleys on the Island either. ;)

Lol, I was referring to the experience of being in the alpine but I suspect you’re kidding.

[dana]

One cautionary thing about Google earth combined with the backroads map book, you do not know what shape the road is in until you get there. Alder grows very fast once active hauling is complete. And if it has been 10-20 years since logging, it can be very tuff to even quad those higher elevation roads to get you to your hiking spot. So again, boots on ground in the summer really goes far to setting yourself up for success in early Sept.

[dana]

Lol, I was referring to the experience of being in the alpine but I suspect you’re kidding.

yes I was kidding. :)

[twoSevenO]

One cautionary thing about Google earth combined with the backroads map book, you do not know what shape the road is in until you get there. Alder grows very fast once active hauling is complete. And if it has been 10-20 years since logging, it can be very tuff to even quad those higher elevation roads to get you to your hiking spot. So again, boots on ground in the summer really goes far to setting yourself up for success in early Sept.

Dana, what time of year did you usually start your alpine scouting? Early July? Earlier?

[dana]

Dana, what time of year did you usually start your alpine scouting? Early July? Earlier?

Totally depends on the weather. I've had some years where the alpine was snowfree in mid June and other years where I was still fighting snow in early Aug. But on average, July 1st longweekend is the norm. That is a solid 2 months of good scouting time. Typically by mid July the bucks are grown out enough to tell if they are going to be target bucks or not. Still a lot of growing after that but one gets to know the look that you need to see. Access issues are sorted out as soon as the snow is gone and I consider that all part of scouting. Even if you don't find anything, it allows you to x off an area off the map not to waste time in during the season. Remember, you aren't just looking for deer. You are looking for evidence of deer. You can hit some beauty alpine and not find a single track. That tells you, don't waste your time and look somewhere else.

[MichelD]

"You can hit some beauty alpine and not find a single track. That tells you, don't waste your time and look somewhere else."

Yup. A buddy had a goat draw one year so we went on an August scouting trip into some awesome looking alpine and not a track or a dropping of deer to be found.

I had seen one doe in a clear cut up the same drainage once, but that doesn't mean much.

[IronNoggin]

Strathcona has some alpine. But definitely the island isn't where one would would go looking for classic alpine terrain.

:lol:

You two just keep believing that!
Keeps you the hell out of my areas. :twisted:

Cheers,
Nog

[Jelvis]

--> The age and shape of the hunter and marital status plus employment, will play a big roll hahaha -- Sounds like too much work for a mule deer buck, wait til they come down in Yock Tober and rut in November down low hahaha
- I cood not do that
Jel -- you hunters are in some kinda shape to crawl up tharr -- good luck 2 yah -- see yah in Louis Creek --

[twoSevenO]

Totally depends on the weather. I've had some years where the alpine was snowfree in mid June and other years where I was still fighting snow in early Aug. But on average, July 1st longweekend is the norm. That is a solid 2 months of good scouting time. Typically by mid July the bucks are grown out enough to tell if they are going to be target bucks or not. Still a lot of growing after that but one gets to know the look that you need to see. Access issues are sorted out as soon as the snow is gone and I consider that all part of scouting. Even if you don't find anything, it allows you to x off an area off the map not to waste time in during the season. Remember, you aren't just looking for deer. You are looking for evidence of deer. You can hit some beauty alpine and not find a single track. That tells you, don't waste your time and look somewhere else.

yeah, that's sort of what I figured your approach was as well ... makes sense.

The problem with scouting the alpine is that it's usually a decent hike up AAAND a long drive as well. So unless you're taking time off work scouting for more than a day is limited to long weekends (july & august). It's a serious commitment. As with anything, the best way, by far, is to make friends with someone who's willing to share an area.

I've wasted 2 trips in just finding a way to get above the treeline in the spot I hunt. If you're going in blind, it can be a tough go. Again, Google Earth can make things look easy from the couch at home.

[dana]

yeah, that's sort of what I figured your approach was as well ... makes sense.

The problem with scouting the alpine is that it's usually a decent hike up AAAND a long drive as well. So unless you're taking time off work scouting for more than a day is limited to long weekends (july & august). It's a serious commitment. As with anything, the best way, by far, is to make friends with someone who's willing to share an area.

I've wasted 2 trips in just finding a way to get above the treeline in the spot I hunt. If you're going in blind, it can be a tough go. Again, Google Earth can make things look easy from the couch at home.

Yup, if you care about seeing critters and having some possibility of success, scouting is a big commitment. I used to wake up at 1:00 am, drive to where I would start hiking, climb a mountain in the dark and be glassing shortly after 4:00. Or i would coyote out with a light tarp and sleeping bag so I could maximize the glassing time and get both evening and next morning scouting done in a short trip. Bigger trips I would leave on Friday after work, sleep in the truck and be hiking in the dark to be glassing at daylight. Glass and hike all day Sat and sleep up top and glass the morning on Sunday and hike out and head home. I did these adventures weekend after weekend all summer long. Some weekends you would see a bunch of deer, other weekends you'd strike out.

[twoSevenO]

Oh, and another thing .... don't let people discourage you by talking about how hot the summer has been or how dry its been. I was up Sept 1st in my area with a member off here and we saw deer above the tree line doing their thing and even bedding down in the middle of the day in the open.

Yes, it was hot, but at 7000 feet there's more moisture around than you think. Besides, alpine areas usually have snow-melt creeks running ALL summer.
Yes, the area wasn't as "green" as some other years, but there's still plenty of food for them.

Aaaaand one more .... wolves can't get them all. Don't let that discourage you either. Yes, the numbers are down, but the numbers aren't zero. You wont know what you're dealing with until you go scout.

Aaaand last but not least ..... Hit the alpine Sept 1-10. If you fail you still have the entire rest of the season to do better. Do you want to be sitting around for Xmas thinking "damn, i should've gone early in the season a bit more?"

[thepitchedlink]

Hey, shoot me a PM if you like and we can set up a chat...I like to walk about out in the Mo. Alway looking for another partner to 2 that can actually get the time off to go...

[Squamch]

:lol:

You two just keep believing that!
Keeps you the hell out of my areas. :twisted:

Cheers,
Nog

Preach it!

[dana]

My comments regarding heat is it totally depends on where you are. Last summer I saw creeks that are always full of water completely dry. Deer need water. If there is none, they probably won't be there.

As for wolves, yup, they haven't ate every last deer but in many areas they have indeed ate the migratory herd, that is the population that scatters in the summer following the green up. The remnants that we have are hanging lower all year. Safety in the valley bottom around people. I can go to alpine basin after alpine basin that once held a good number of bucks in the 90s and 2000s and can't even find a track now. Feed is still lush but the areas are void of life. I guess if you like hiking and taking photos of landscapes and not wildlife, then these places still are fun to waste your time on. If you want to see some wildlife and possibly some hunting success then these areas should be avoided. Problem is, most are going on old information when they are heading to the highcountry.

[Squire]

I pay attention to the bugs; even in hot weather, if they are bad the deer like the windswept ridges and you can find them where you would expect the goats to be. If the bugs are mild you may be wasting your time glassing the open areas in hot weather. I have hunted about twenty opening days in the high country and two thirds of them were during hot weather. Half of those were a bust and it wasn't a coincidence that the bugs were tolerable those trips. Deer I know are there because I saw them in July are down in the treeline so I wait for the weather to break and go back.

I have also had the same experience as Dana. Once wolves show up in an alpine area holding deer it doesn't recover even close to it's former numbers if there are deer there at all. I have plenty of pictures of beautiful alpine :D

[ditch donkey]

Alpine mulie hunts are definately a different commitment than most deer hunts. Like others have commented. you have to be willing to commit a chunk of time to get to alpine country and physical work to reach your glassing points and then to spend the time to locate a good buck. It can take days to locate a good one let alone kill him. if you choose to chase mulies in the apline your priorty usually has to be to find a great buck and not just any buck because the commitment of time and effort. mike eastman has a few good books that are worth the read to get ya started. There are way easier ways to kill a nice mulie buck but a great mulie taken from the alpine is by far one of the most rewarding accomplishments. you most likely wont cut your tag every year but when you do it will be worth it. And usually the adventure of the trip is what makes it anyway.

[Brez]

If I had anything to tell you, Dana has already said it. No trip is wasted. It's all good info - maybe not the info you wanted. Any overnight scouting trip is good if you haven't done alpine before as it will show you what you need to prepare for the hunt.

[mike31154]

I would have said the Monashees as well.


as someone who got into Alpine hunting recently to get more and more away from the typical hunting down below, keep a few things in mind:

1. It's almost always going to take longer to get above that tree line than it looks.
2. It's almost always WAAAAY steeper than it looks.
3. You're not going to cover as much terrain as you marked out on Google Earth off your couch.

It's easy to start GPS-ing things while watching Netflix in the back ground and thinking "ok, i'll get up this ridge, if nothing i'll check out this bowl over here, then the other one behind this peak". In reality, that shit is no joke. Hunting mulies in the alpine is hard. You're gonna be pretty beat up and won't cover as much terrain as you might think. So better to glass lots and be thorough with your eyes than feet.

Also, remember that some areas don't have a whole lot of deer that are visible during the day in the open. They might still be there but they might spend 99% of their time just in the tree line in the subalpine forest.

Ah yessss, the wonderful Monashees! In our back yard no? I know them well, winter, summer, spring, fall. Some good advice in this thread. Hopefully I can get a bit more scouting in this year myself. I've had a few almost chances to bag an animal, incl. whitetail, but the stars have not yet quite aligned for me despite all the hiking I've done. I think I move too much to be honest, can't seem to sit & glass for very long before I feel the need to get walking again.

Here's a screen shot featuring info on one of my many hikes in this area. Keep in mind this is a 1 way track & I had to get back down after the climb so you can double the distance/time for the full hike. Drove to the end of the road, loaded the pack onto my back, headed into thick forest, spooked 2 WT does no more than 50 meters from where I parked. A good hike until the trees started thinning out. Was up there again last fall & they were pushing the road farther up into the forest logging out another complete cutblock. I also heard wolves howling in the area last season.
https://btl9mg.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mi5ZH0HeEonH79QnP8gpjMNS-F-eAEP5W3e1PVSlmEayZL1K6fQCugH157xGMhATM-VbQdeiK7szcdtkIcanSdVbjFoKvba7X3yXv1pgrprYZ_vJQlsB XqQ6zKFYw1Yer6WfODCFgyq56I791ba1JbPMsP01sGxc5oPFOI ckEe2YvSIw8GecKnHA5_Oab5CVY4k7mtqOHXiUo_Bhmjlhn6g? width=1024&height=558&cropmode=none

This is last season on the other side of the valley from the track above. The new cutblock is very obvious.
https://0r3cyg.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mV7ottMbpyVo9KYO1f6FQ0y7s6yQNIkkucX_TgSbCSG17Vpn E8dYTDDcEDplS_KIfk5cRLRqtivowBWhNL6bvyyGgep4Gz9ISp 0Ac3PuPLL8H6LidoU5d-cQQzWhKlTiI3GXOupod56A0e1ejpPuoLkRbrPTDTR68hf5lXmu KH1h-vCawvANZ7tv2q99eNaGw_YMR2rOp687qLrPmKNhKTA?width=1 024&height=1024&cropmode=none

Again, same general location, a little later in the season....3 or so years ago.
https://atiamw.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m2OSZFEA0Z1ayVwlx5xI0YczSiQCPActeCW5BZFHd2ZKeYlJ-MQ73byqizEYBckqIG16iy8qIMGqckfqZ-Rgz3JOwqTh4DT4vhR0Po3gv9fEb9nSF2EDgwm6aucBbi908IH5 xER2oKebMGPn1pE_rMoWotwO6uozYwXhoNvefw1fvoGFo0C3pr Lu0vplkg-SbXz2Pw5fhe1JkcKFHwYbchg?width=1024&height=768&cropmode=none

https://aticmw.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mej4sxfUX2Pu_okH6tD5aZKZv3ypQFKCVAe-3ZZtSj7iXIKI9ktuUv41GXMLXl8r-yLtYw_xrEcgpgQLMFQ59pE8oeFgLyLPG7oHWiZGmWWfSAw6tcE w9O1yfChoZ_5MeQtmP98LAqyIbv82vVA_LV76itmpJH4ZObhmR 2nzMnE7azJLhThRcj4MHlmz2yUN8B52Nmg2CW6gNJ7MBX5Odug ?width=768&height=1024&cropmode=none

I still love getting up there, as long as the legs hold out...

[twoSevenO]

My comments regarding heat is it totally depends on where you are. Last summer I saw creeks that are always full of water completely dry. Deer need water. If there is none, they probably won't be there.

As for wolves, yup, they haven't ate every last deer but in many areas they have indeed ate the migratory herd, that is the population that scatters in the summer following the green up. The remnants that we have are hanging lower all year. Safety in the valley bottom around people. I can go to alpine basin after alpine basin that once held a good number of bucks in the 90s and 2000s and can't even find a track now. Feed is still lush but the areas are void of life. I guess if you like hiking and taking photos of landscapes and not wildlife, then these places still are fun to waste your time on. If you want to see some wildlife and possibly some hunting success then these areas should be avoided. Problem is, most are going on old information when they are heading to the highcountry.

Well, is it really wasting time if you won't be hunting anywhere else?
I hunt reg 3 alpine that opens on Sept 1st. I wouldn't be hunting anywhere else on that date anyways, so its not like i'm wasting hunting time in some other area.

But yes, it's unfortunate for some of us to be getting into alpine mulie hunting when the deer populations are at some of the lowest in BC. Nothing that can be done about that. I'll still be out there come Sept 1st in the same spot i've spotted bucks last Sept 1st. For various reasons it didn't work out, and even though i got 3 bucks last year, i still get angry thinking about letting it get away from me so easily in September. I had it ....


But you know what we could all use, Dana? ..... some pics of the alpine mulies you've taken over the years! ;)

[RackStar]

But you know what we could all use, Dana? ..... some pics of the alpine mulies you've taken over the years! ;)


I wouldn’t say no!

been day dreaming of the ol alpine hunt. Already got time booked a month ago.

But i now live 8.5 hours from let’s say “carpenter lake” area. Thinking about the other side of the range accessed by Williams lake. Maybe out near tatla lake.. summer scouting is in the books.

Anyone ever hunt 7-17 7-18... typically this is famous g bear and goats... but jack brodeur has written about taking some monsters up in those hills...

interested if anyone’s ever hunted deer in those alpine areas? Pretty amazing and extremely rugged country.

Any 7-17 7-18 alpine mule deer hunters out there?

[Ohwildwon]

as someone who got into Alpine hunting recently to get more and more away from the typical hunting down below, keep a few things in mind:

1. It's almost always going to take longer to get above that tree line than it looks.
2. It's almost always WAAAAY steeper than it looks.
3. You're not going to cover as much terrain as you marked out on Google Earth off your couch.

It's easy to start GPS-ing things while watching Netflix in the back ground and thinking "ok, i'll get up this ridge, if nothing i'll check out this bowl over here, then the other one behind this peak". In reality, that shit is no joke. Hunting mulies in the alpine is hard. You're gonna be pretty beat up and won't cover as much terrain as you might think. So better to glass lots and be thorough with your eyes than feet.

Also, remember that some areas don't have a whole lot of deer that are visible during the day in the open. They might still be there but they might spend 99% of their time just in the tree line in the subalpine forest.

Great advise here for sure!..

I tried a new approach, (last fall), to an area I've been planning (and trying), to reach for a couple years in region 8..

Two things i found...

1- Google earth can be very dated.. ie, new logging roads pushed way closer to my destination then I could ever have imagined..

2- After a steep climb through dead fall, thick bush etc for 2 hrs, I was getting close to the alpine..

Unfortunately, the growth became impenetrable..

I had to come to the realization, that trying to continue on, would be a grave mistake..

One day I will get up there, if it takes a few days with a chain saw etc, so be it!

Had a cool experience working my way back down, pushing a Lynx off her den, stepping on the dead fall above!

Mid September, must of had a late match up, or lost her first litter to a new male, who knows...

Hopefully they made it through the winter...

[338win mag]

Good Day All.

Recently I've been inspired to do some Alpine Hunting, Mule Deer and Goat.
Typically I like to walk, hunting clear cuts with no road access but I need more. I'm working on getting set up, recently i purchased the Mystery Ranch Metcalf and love it!

I live in Armstrong, any pointers on where to go would be greatly appreciated. I'm not asking for your Honey Holes just a general direction in where to go. I'm pretty confident I'll find Goats around Revy. How about Muleys?

Thank You.
Theres some real good alpine hunting for mulies up around the Malakwa area, you can spend the rest of your life in the alpine up there Waserwolf.

[wos]

Be prepared to deal with grizzly at that time of year. They are everywhere in the alpine. If you are so lucky to get one, be sure to take it to the tree line and hang it high! Really high! And camp as far away as possible. The alpine is swarming with those things at that time of year. It's not uncommon for me to see 2 or 3 a day in September.

[338win mag]

Be prepared to deal with grizzly at that time of year. They are everywhere in the alpine. If you are so lucky to get one, be sure to take it to the tree line and hang it high! Really high! And camp as far away as possible. The alpine is swarming with those things at that time of year. It's not uncommon for me to see 2 or 3 a day in September.
LOL, I was going to say that but didn't want to make it sound too scary, but your right wos, gotta be careful up there.

[Brez]

Be prepared to deal with grizzly at that time of year. They are everywhere in the alpine. If you are so lucky to get one, be sure to take it to the tree line and hang it high! Really high! And camp as far away as possible. The alpine is swarming with those things at that time of year. It's not uncommon for me to see 2 or 3 a day in September.

Especially when the alpine huckleberries are ripe!

[Ltbullken]

Head east to the monashees! Some pretty fine alpine out that way and not too far from you. Look for road access to get you close, hike on out and fill up that fine pack you bought!

You are in the middle of alpine muley country. Best bet is to use the summer to go hike the high country to scout what is actually there.

[twoSevenO]

Be prepared to deal with grizzly at that time of year. They are everywhere in the alpine. If you are so lucky to get one, be sure to take it to the tree line and hang it high! Really high! And camp as far away as possible. The alpine is swarming with those things at that time of year. It's not uncommon for me to see 2 or 3 a day in September.

Which region do you hunt? I'm no expert, but 2-3 per day sounds like a lot. I hunt reg 3 alpine and have never seen more than 1 in a day. They have pretty large ranges, how could you cover enough ground to see a different bear same day?

[jtred]

Even though the days of seeing multiple mature bucks per day seem to be gone there is nothing I enjoy more than getting up on a ridgeline and slowly working my way along it. I glass, I still hunt timber patches, I sit and watch alpine meadows, early afternoon often finds me fishing a subalpine lake for the cutthroat I'll prepare for supper. I may have moved to the Kootenays too late to experience the abundant herds of mule deer I still relish the hunt, the adventure of it. The past six years or so my passion has turned to these high mountain hunts, some are multi-day hunts spent camped on an alpine lake, most are just gruelling day hunts but each and every one of them is highly anticipated and appreciated for what it is. An adventure, the chance at seeing that buck, maybe even taking the shot. They are still out there and the fact that we have this opportunity is something that will get me up there on that ridgeline for as long as my body will let me. Yes there are easier ways and easier places to kill a deer but for me none will match taking my first mature mule deer off a mountain.

To everyone who is considering getting out there and hiking the high country I say don't wait. Equip yourself as well as your budget allows, educate yourself so you can be safe(yes be aware of bears but keep in mind you're more likely to be run down crossing the street than having a bad bear encounter), find an access point and head up there. You'll never regret it and you can not kill an alpine mule deer sitting on the sofa at home.

[Bugle M In]

Man, brings back memories of being up there one year on opening day, and almost getting myself (unknowingly) between a sow and her 2 cubs (gbear).
Boy, was my heart rate racing for quite sometime afterwards!
My experience was, once, even if a little snow falls up high, the deer seem to leave (head down into the treeline).
Suddenly, it's as if nothing ever lived up there.
But, back then, I hunted in an area that had had a natural fire/burn years before, so it was a magnet to bring deer into, and come evening, you could spot 10,s upon 10's of deer in that bowl.
But, logging finally showed up, all over the place, just a little lower in elevation, and that was it for that area.
On top of that, guys on Quads wouldn't stay out of the hiking trails, even though they were banned in that area.
Seemed to be a "grey area" for them, as to "where the boundary" was. (back before gps).
Anyways, it's a great way to hunt early in the season.
But yes, do take some time to get in there a scout around, and try different areas, different trails.
But, do keep one eye open for gbear.

[twoSevenO]

Anyone got pictures of these alpine bowls with dozens of deer in them? As someone who got into hunting when the deer were already well on the decline i would love to see what it looks like when there were that many around. Last year I went up into one of my spots with a member off here and we saw like 6 or 7 in total in an alpine bowl that's probably 3-4 km across. I thought that was pretty good. But to see like 20-30 would be nuts.

Steelhead are at some of the lowest numbers they've ever been at too .... but can't let that discourage you. We are still catching them. Just a little more work to find them, that's all. Same with the deer. I'm not going to give up the Sept 1 alpine hunt until i start seeing zero deer for a couple years .... then it might be time to move on. Maybe i'll take up sheep hunting instead for the early season hunt.

[kootenaihunter]

Anyone got pictures of these alpine bowls with dozens of deer in them? As someone who got into hunting when the deer were already well on the decline i would love to see what it looks like when there were that many around.

Would that be does and yearlings and such? From what I've read and seen, muley bucks tend to occupy the fringes of livable terrain, being high alpine and low lands bordering fields, leaving the prime habitat for the does and fawns. Would they have lived in larger herds in general when numbers were bigger?

I too, am just genuinely curious regarding past encounters.

[Bugle M In]

Honestly, this would have been "before" that winter kill off back in like '96 ....
Shit, that was so long ago, could have been '86....lol.
Like I said, that was a long time ago.
Lots has changed...you know...like when all you had were horses or your own 2 feet....ONLY.
Also, there was little logging in the area, for from long long ago.
Cutblocks can be great, but, when you have them all over the place, then so are the deer.
Little pockets here and there, scattered all over.
Not just one small area that is prime for miles and miles, which, in that case, deer will congregate at in larger groups.
That's what it used to be like there....not any more.

[kootenaihunter]

Another sad thing is that it's tough to reap the benefits of wildfires in the coming years because the good timber is often harvested up and just ends up being a cut block burned down to the mineral soil.

[Brez]

Honestly, this would have been "before" that winter kill off back in like '96 ....
Shit, that was so long ago, could have been '86....lol.
Like I said, that was a long time ago.
Lots has changed...you know...like when all you had were horses or your own 2 feet....ONLY.
Also, there was little logging in the area, for from long long ago.
Cutblocks can be great, but, when you have them all over the place, then so are the deer.
Little pockets here and there, scattered all over.
Not just one small area that is prime for miles and miles, which, in that case, deer will congregate at in larger groups.
That's what it used to be like there....not any more.
About 15 (may have been 20) years ago, I took a buddy bownunting into my favorite muley spot. It used to be a 6 hour hike to the alpine and another hour to camp. We saw 18 different bucks in a day and a half hunting. They were all within minutes of walking. Of course we got SFA but we had a blast. We'd be stalking a buck and jump 3 or 4 bedded or hiding in the thickets. The weather changed from clear skies and warm to dumps of snow and we weren't prepared and had to vacate. Both mornings we had to pussy-foot past feeding grizzly to get to the deer. Now the clearcuts go to within minutes of the apline, and there are atv trails everywhere and guess what.....no deer. I had a saying that if you find a spot with goats and griz, you'd probably have a pretty good muley spot.

[Bugle M In]

About 15 (may have been 20) years ago, I took a buddy bownunting into my favorite muley spot. It used to be a 6 hour hike to the alpine and another hour to camp. We saw 18 different bucks in a day and a half hunting. They were all within minutes of walking. Of course we got SFA but we had a blast. We'd be stalking a buck and jump 3 or 4 bedded or hiding in the thickets. The weather changed from clear skies and warm to dumps of snow and we weren't prepared and had to vacate. Both mornings we had to pussy-foot past feeding grizzly to get to the deer. Now the clearcuts go to within minutes of the apline, and there are atv trails everywhere and guess what.....no deer. I had a saying that if you find a spot with goats and griz, you'd probably have a pretty good muley spot.

That's exactly as you describe....logging almost up to the alpine, and after that, SFA!

[dana]

Funny, I hunted alpine 25 years ago with logging only a short hike down hill and still had lots of muleys. Hmmm are we somehow believing that the big blocks from the 60s, 70s or 80s were somehow better than those of today? And guess what, yup, saw plenty of batchelor groups of a dozen or more bucks. That is until a little over 10 years ago when the wolf numbers went through the roof. I think one of my best days in the Chilcotin was over 40 bucks from one glassin perch. Roll out of bed at first light, put the coffee on and start glassin. I think one of my best days for quality was in the summer of 2003. 1 buck pushing 240. Another right around 200. 1 solid 190 typical, 3 solid 180 typicals and 4 or 5 in the 170 class. Plus a bunch of young bucks not even worthy of looking at. Nope, logging didn't seem to affect them in those days. But when the wolves moved in, the buck sightings crashed. Year after year of hitting old haunts and seeing nothing, not even a track.

[Brez]

Funny, I hunted alpine 25 years ago with logging only a short hike down hill and still had lots of muleys. Hmmm are we somehow believing that the big blocks from the 60s, 70s or 80s were somehow better than those of today? And guess what, yup, saw plenty of batchelor groups of a dozen or more bucks. That is until a little over 10 years ago when the wolf numbers went through the roof. I think one of my best days in the Chilcotin was over 40 bucks from one glassin perch. Roll out of bed at first light, put the coffee on and start glassin. I think one of my best days for quality was in the summer of 2003. 1 buck pushing 240. Another right around 200. 1 solid 190 typical, 3 solid 180 typicals and 4 or 5 in the 170 class. Plus a bunch of young bucks not even worthy of looking at. Nope, logging didn't seem to affect them in those days. But when the wolves moved in, the buck sightings crashed. Year after year of hitting old haunts and seeing nothing, not even a track.

Chilcotin and West Kootenay/Boundary areas are apples to oranges. Deer started dissapearing here long before the wolves showed up. It wasn't just the logging as logging has always been here while I hunted, though not to the same extent. It was the easy access that the logging brought with it.

[Brez]

Funny, I hunted alpine 25 years ago with logging only a short hike down hill and still had lots of muleys. Hmmm are we somehow believing that the big blocks from the 60s, 70s or 80s were somehow better than those of today? And guess what, yup, saw plenty of batchelor groups of a dozen or more bucks. That is until a little over 10 years ago when the wolf numbers went through the roof. I think one of my best days in the Chilcotin was over 40 bucks from one glassin perch. Roll out of bed at first light, put the coffee on and start glassin. I think one of my best days for quality was in the summer of 2003. 1 buck pushing 240. Another right around 200. 1 solid 190 typical, 3 solid 180 typicals and 4 or 5 in the 170 class. Plus a bunch of young bucks not even worthy of looking at. Nope, logging didn't seem to affect them in those days. But when the wolves moved in, the buck sightings crashed. Year after year of hitting old haunts and seeing nothing, not even a track.

Dana, how far did your muleys have to migrate to winter each year? Was the season open during migration? Were the migration corridors along major roads and highways in your areas? B.C. is blessed with many diverse ecosystems, but that fact creates lots of management problems

[dana]

Some bucks migrated as far as 100+ kms Yes, highway along migration routes. Lots of mainline logging roads that have been around for 50 years along migration routes. Lots of alpine I hunted had very easy access. Much harder access now that the alder has overtaken many of the roads that used to get me close to the high country.

[wos]

Which region do you hunt? I'm no expert, but 2-3 per day sounds like a lot. I hunt reg 3 alpine and have never seen more than 1 in a day. They have pretty large ranges, how could you cover enough ground to see a different bear same day?

It is a lot! I'm no expert either but we have no shortage and they can infest certain areas if the food is easy. I typically get up high and watch a couple basins. It's not hard to see 2 in the morning and bump into a boar on the way back to my camp. And repeat something similar the next valley over the very next day. Regon 3 needs a general open season on those things before someone gets killed. They have needed it for a long time.

[twoSevenO]

But just because access has been around doesn't mean the use of that access hasn't increased. Look at how many quads there are now! I know when i started 4x4ing in the mid 2000s all the local trails and even Whipsaw were dominated by Jeeps and trucks. Now the quadders have taken over. Quads have become pretty affordable for almost anyone to pick up a used one and go exploring to many places where their trucks wouldn't or couldn't go, or where they didn't even think of taking their truck before.

I know that's definitely been the case in one of my areas. Even taking the quads up way past the 1900m line that should be off limits!

Then there's the fact that there are simply more people out and about, whether hunters of recreational users. Does anyone have the BC hunter population? I wonder how many more hunters there are now than 15 years ago.

[pg83]

Funny, I hunted alpine 25 years ago with logging only a short hike down hill and still had lots of muleys. Hmmm are we somehow believing that the big blocks from the 60s, 70s or 80s were somehow better than those of today? And guess what, yup, saw plenty of batchelor groups of a dozen or more bucks. That is until a little over 10 years ago when the wolf numbers went through the roof. I think one of my best days in the Chilcotin was over 40 bucks from one glassin perch. Roll out of bed at first light, put the coffee on and start glassin. I think one of my best days for quality was in the summer of 2003. 1 buck pushing 240. Another right around 200. 1 solid 190 typical, 3 solid 180 typicals and 4 or 5 in the 170 class. Plus a bunch of young bucks not even worthy of looking at. Nope, logging didn't seem to affect them in those days. But when the wolves moved in, the buck sightings crashed. Year after year of hitting old haunts and seeing nothing, not even a track.


Pretty hard to compare current ungulate numbers to those from past decades when wolves were practically extinct in the province. Of course they have a serious impact! BUT... we can(or should be able to) objectively look back and realize that the way things were done in the past is no longer a viable option. It caused a vacuum in the natural cycle, to the benefit of ungulates and hunters for a number of decades. Going forward, we need to accept that there will be wolves on the landscape for us to compete with. It will be a tough fight to try and keep them at levels that most benefit the sustainability of all big game species.



But just because access has been around doesn't mean the use of that access hasn't increased. Look at how many quads there are now! I know when i started 4x4ing in the mid 2000s all the local trails and even Whipsaw were dominated by Jeeps and trucks. Now the quadders have taken over. Quads have become pretty affordable for almost anyone to pick up a used one and go exploring to many places where their trucks wouldn't or couldn't go, or where they didn't even think of taking their truck before.

I know that's definitely been the case in one of my areas. Even taking the quads up way past the 1900m line that should be off limits!

Then there's the fact that there are simply more people out and about, whether hunters of recreational users. Does anyone have the BC hunter population? I wonder how many more hunters there are now than 15 years ago.


If you go by the widely publicized numbers out there, the amount of hunters isn't the issue. Certainly the amount of ATV use has increased.

[dana]

Wolves were practically extinct? Seriously? You believe that? Wow! I can tell you I have always been hunting areas that have had wolves. I have filmed them in the highcountry hunting deer above timberline even 20 years ago. The difference now is we let their numbers go unchecked and they exploded.

As for access. I have only seen one Atv in an offlimits area in all the years I've been hunting the highcountry. As a matter of fact, rarely ever saw another hunter on foot either. Now or in the past. One area I used to film bucks in the summer did get a lot of hiker traffic. Upwards of 250 hikers a day and yet it always held plenty of bucks. Most hikers wouldn't see one because they weren't up at 4 am glassing like I was.

[Brez]

Waserwolf, I hope some of the info here helps you. Sorry about the unwanted debates. Just tie on your boots and hit the mountains. Whether you see big muleys or not, it will be worth it to be up there.

[kootenaihunter]

I can't find the exact source, but I've read several times that the number of sold hunting licences is between 95,000-100,000 per year. 2014 BC pop. was 4.6 million, so that's around 2% of the population being active hunters. Keep that figure in mind, we are a tiny minority.

ORV use has exploded over the past decade. Folks used to have a ORV as a tool for a specific purposes (hunting, fishing, ranching, remote work etc.) now people buy one for the sake of driving around in a quads/sxs. I often hear conversations about how far they got or how high they went. I wonder how many alpine peaks and ridges have been 'conquered' by the mighty ORV when a decade ago they only saw boots and hooves. Can't have 'go anywhere with anything access' and healthy wildlife populations, those goals are mutually exclusive.

[waserwolf]

Waserwolf, I hope some of the info here helps you. Sorry about the unwanted debates. Just tie on your boots and hit the mountains. Whether you see big muleys or not, it will be worth it to be up there.

Brez.

No worries about my thread getting off track. There are some interesting comments being made.

My Father In Law inspired me to hunt the Alpine. On our last hunting trip we were viewing an Alpine Basin, he looked up and said "I always wanted to hunt a Mule Deer in the Alpine." My Father In Law has been striken with ALS so he never will have the opportunity to hunt the Alpine. I've decided not to say "one day" anymore.

I don't even care about shooting something big. I just want to hunt in some of Gods beautiful creation.

I've reached out to some guys in this thread (check your PM's) I'm hoping to at least spend some time with someone to discuss Alpine Hunting.

Thanks again.

[kootenaihunter]

Back to topic. How's this for Alpine Hunting Grounds?
https://i.imgur.com/OSV5LpV.jpg

[waserwolf]

Wow that's nice.
According to my Image searches on the Monashees the Apline is somewhat flatter once you get up there.

I'm hoping to start by doing some easier well known hikes like Twin Lakes. I'll also be talkin to my Aunt and Uncle who have hiked MANY areas within the Monashees.

Anybody have more Alpine Pics with or without game for added inspiration?

[Arctic Lake]

Kootenaihunter . Spectacular Picture !
Arctic Lake

[kootenaihunter]

A couple more
https://i.imgur.com/BtMqtBs.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WSoDTj0.jpg

[codeitin]

Back to topic. How's this for Alpine Hunting Grounds?
https://i.imgur.com/OSV5LpV.jpg

Beautiful pic! Any advice on approach to hunting mulies / blacktail in this terrain? I've been looking at region 2 alpine on Google Maps / hiking forums and this is what it all looks like to me... thick growth in basin cutting right into into steep, rocky slopes. Hiking in isn't really a problem... more like what do I do once I'm there.

I did some alpine / subalpine hunting last year in region 3 with my brother and saw a bunch of does and some buck sign before we ran out of time - but that looked a lot more like your second pic than this!

[kootenaihunter]

Without a massive amount of experience, I would offer this:

Scout ahead of time, don't put all your eggs in once basket. Anything that is holding animals could be a better bet than something that doesn't. Late summer water sources are a good starting point, tarns, alpine lakes, glacier run off, etc. Fun summer hikes double as scouting trip. GPS waypoint sign, trails, etc.
All deer need is a small patch of trees to bed down and hang out in the mid-day sun/heat, so don't rule out the 3-10 tree patches right at tree line.
Go high first thing while wind is coming downhill. Once at the top you can scout, and then come down on animals once the wind switches uphill, usually 11AM+
Get good glass, bino mount for a tripod and/or a decent spotting scope.
Bug spray! Alpine can be rotten with black flies, if you play the wind, scent shouldn't be a huge issue.

That'd be my approach.

[codeitin]

That's what I was figuring... thanks, guess I'll just have to suck it up :lol:

Here's a pic from where we were last year:

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6905&stc=1

[Bugle M In]

That's what I was figuring... thanks, guess I'll just have to suck it up :lol:

Here's a pic from where we were last year:

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6905&stc=1

Firstly, this photo above is more the type of area I hunted, which is "flatter" then the other photos which does start getting into goat country.
Also, sorry if this got of track in the thread from your OP.
I was only trying to give a past experiences of "where I hunted", not the whole province.
Unfortunately, you will find (as I did back then), that some folks just cant leave their ATV's behind to hunt in these area, if they can find a trail.
When things where good, as I stated, you had to walk or use horses, ATV's were only starting to be sold, and the logging raods
all over and close to the alpine didn't exist.

For the OP, if you want, you can pm me for those areas I went, but, from my understanding, the other fellow I went with, the person who shared to me these area and allowed me to experience this "hunting in the alpine", has given up on that area,
due to all those factors I stated, and the fact that the deer were just no longer there like they were in the past .
(and no, there were no wolves there, when the deer started to drop off)

What I can tell you is, there are other areas you can explore in the Monashees, by going thru backroads mapbook, you will be
able to find trails that you can explore in the summer.
You may even find some whitetails, from my understanding, getting up there in elevation as well now.
If your lucky, you may even spot some elk, and yes, grizz like that elevation as well.
One thing....just don't "scimp" on your "sleeping bag"! or take the one just because it is "so light" to pack.
Nothing worse then trying to sleep, but you cant, cause your shaking so badly from freezing all night.
Other then lightning storms while up high, being so cold one night was my worst hunting experience ever.

[twoSevenO]

It is a lot! I'm no expert either but we have no shortage and they can infest certain areas if the food is easy. I typically get up high and watch a couple basins. It's not hard to see 2 in the morning and bump into a boar on the way back to my camp. And repeat something similar the next valley over the very next day. Regon 3 needs a general open season on those things before someone gets killed. They have needed it for a long time.

Which part of reg 3 were you hunting? North of the line through Carpenter-Anderson-Seton lakes? Or south?
If you were north, then i can see that making sense. There is a genetic barrier between the two sides of these lakes, with the northern portions having healthier populations.

[dana]

I used to pack an old school video camera with me during my highcountry excursions. Have no idea how to post video up on this site anymore. But here are a couple images clipped off some video I filmed of a buck right at treeline.

http://i.imgur.com/qm8pER5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PtQz7EX.jpg

[RackStar]

Just being able to lay eyes on such a animal is amazing.
Very cool!
Nice red coat

[Jelvis]

Red coat muley, Dana rocks, he knows how to specialize, in area, time and he knows how to hunt, he gives pro information. Heard about Dana in Kammy --
Jello --

[dana]

A photo from some video I captured through a spotter.

http://i.imgur.com/Zil0tqv.jpg

[Bugle M In]

Makes one wonder how many of these big bucks make it all the way to the end of their lives without ever seeing a human or a
human ever seeing them.
I heard from someone who flew a chopper up behind Duffy Lake etc, who said he saw some real big bucks up there that probably no one had ever been up in there to hunt.
Nice Pics!

[twoSevenO]

There are tons of deer in this province that die of old age. There is lots of land that is very inaccessible.

Having said that I have spent a ton of time find the access points into a remote valley that has never been logged and rarely sees a human due to its remoteness .... and you know what .... it wasn't that special. It looked great. The animals just weren't there.

I'm sure wolves are a part of the problem but sometimes an area that looks like it should hold deer just doesn't.

Dana himself has posted numerous times in the past how an area can just die out. Lead buck gets killed. His replacement simply decides to take the bachelor group elsewhere next summer. There are no guarantees.

But I'm pretty sure bucks in BC are still dying of old age. If he willing to bet a lot more blacktails are than mulies, too. Some of this LM land has cars as a blacktail bucks biggest predator.

But this alpine mulies chasing is the most complicated type of hunting I've ever tried. It can be so incredibly frustrating to piece together where they winter where they summer and how to get to them that sometimes it's just plain annoying.

[twoSevenO]

Hey Dana, that looks like pretty good footage given the early 2000s technology.

I half expected it to look like the Bigfoot footage from the 60s lol.

[Pemby_mess]

Incredible animals Dana

[rageous]

Dana, Can u post the sheds from “wide bugger” please and thanks

[dino]

Hunting alpine is waste of time!

[dana]

Hunting alpine is waste of time!

hahaha! Blunt but 100% correct. To kill a muley buck you need to hunt where one lives, not where one doesn't live.

[dana]

Hey Dana, that looks like pretty good footage given the early 2000s technology.

I half expected it to look like the Bigfoot footage from the 60s lol.

Heck the one video camera I got in the mid 90's. Beat the crap out of that camera for a lot of years.

[dana]

Dana, Can u post the sheds from “wide bugger” please and thanks

Here is a photo of him the summer of 2004 and his sheds from that year. I didn't find them until 2007. One side was badly chewed. I also have his 2001 set.

http://i.imgur.com/6f0Yp3G.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VbC2OVA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GL6qz8S.jpg

[HarryToolips]

Beauty buck, what do you think he'd score?

[dana]

Beauty buck, what do you think he'd score?

In 2004 he was a 200 inch typical.

[rageous]

In 2004 he was a 200 inch typical.

Definitely a truly giant. What was the distance from where you took a pic of him to where you found his sheds.

[dana]

Definitely a truly giant. What was the distance from where you took a pic of him to where you found his sheds.

He was one that didn't migrate very far. It would be lucky to be 15 kms. Some bucks travel 100+ kms and others just go straight down hill.

[dino]

He was one that didn't migrate very far. It would be lucky to be 15 kms. Some bucks travel 100+ kms and others just go straight down hill.

Another clue.lol. the good thing about the deer that don't have to migrate very far seem to stay up top longer than the deer that have to migrate long distances I have found. Region 8 deer compared to east region 3.

[dana]

Another clue.lol. the good thing about the deer that don't have to migrate very far seem to stay up top longer than the deer that have to migrate long distances I have found. Region 8 deer compared to east region 3.

Depends. In the Cariboos and the Monashees I found we would get frost about the 3rd week of Aug and many bucks would drop down in elevation to the ESSF timber and high elevation cutblks to keep on eating lush veg that wasn't frost killed. And very rarely could you catch bucks above timberline after the first week of the season regardless if the snow didn't start pounding until Nov.

As for Widebugger, he summered in the conservatory of the Trophies. No need for any secrets now as it is completely void of life. You might catch a pika or marmot above treeline now if you are lucky. Wolves cleaned it out completely.

[twoSevenO]

Depends. In the Cariboos and the Monashees I found we would get frost about the 3rd week of Aug and many bucks would drop down in elevation to the ESSF timber and high elevation cutblks to keep on eating lush veg that wasn't frost killed. And very rarely could you catch bucks above timberline after the first week of the season regardless if the snow didn't start pounding until Nov.

As for Widebugger, he summered in the conservatory of the Trophies. No need for any secrets now as it is completely void of life. You might catch a pika or marmot above treeline now if you are lucky. Wolves cleaned it out completely.

What the heck is a conservatory of the trophies anyways?

[twoSevenO]

Can ya spot him right away, or did it take you a few seconds?? ;)

2017 alpine buck ..... there's still a few that make it up there. Wolves didn't eat them all .... yet.

https://i.imgur.com/4jtaW1B.jpg

[dino]

I hear ya, but the areas that I hunt in region 8 the frost comes in late August and the deer are there until the snow pushes them down. One of my other favorite spots are like you mentioned, void of deer after the first week of Sept but are still in the sub alpine which is my second favorite style of hunting. I always thought they started to move lower either because of the long migration or because of the first shots echoing through the valley. I always thought that the vegetation that got affected by early frost actually brought out the important minerals in them and the deer loved that.

[dana]

I hear ya, but the areas that I hunt in region 8 the frost comes in late August and the deer are there until the snow pushes them down. One of my other favorite spots are like you mentioned, void of deer after the first week of Sept but are still in the sub alpine which is my second favorite style of hunting. I always thought they started to move lower either because of the long migration or because of the first shots echoing through the valley. I always thought that the vegetation that got affected by early frost actually brought out the important minerals in them and the deer loved that.

It all depends on what their target feed is. Some feed needs frost to become good and other feed looses all its goodness when it is killed by frost. When they focus on a feed that does them no good after frost they will drop in elevation to stay on that good feed. The Spruce canopy protects that feed from frost for a few more weeks. Then by the first week of Sept, they go through the biological changes that cause them to shred velvet and focus more on woody browse. So if that browse isn't above treeline, they won't bother being there.

[dana]

What the heck is a conservatory of the trophies anyways?

3-45 Nature Conservatory which includes the Trophy Mountains. No hunting permitted.

[HarryToolips]

In 2004 he was a 200 inch typical.
Whata Beauty....

[Mark-R]

Can ya spot him right away, or did it take you a few seconds?? ;)

2017 alpine buck ..... there's still a few that make it up there. Wolves didn't eat them all .... yet.



Very cool pic! I'm a new hunter and seeing IS believing. After reading Mike Eastman's High Country Mule Deer book, I went for a stroll in the alpine to test out this new knowledge and came face to face with a velvet buck in a small thicket at 1900m. And this is off of a busy trail on Whistler mountain! If you look carefully and pay attention to detail, it's amazing what you start to see.
That's why I get a kick out of this pic. Thanks for sharing.

Side question, what are you using for glass? I'm looking at getting a spotting scope for upcoming summer scouting missions.
Any recommendations on size, power, weight is appreciated.

[hickman]

Alpine hunt is the best! The harder the access, the better, the more deer.
I will be scouting one specific area this year that I know holds deer. Weekend high alpine camp in July, put up a camera and go in again mid August. Then you know what to expect.
Google Earth is your friend for targeting general areas.
I had a great time goat hunting least year in early September, again, very high alpine in great weather with stunning views.
Alpine hunting is very hard but very rewarding in many aspects.

[twoSevenO]

Alpine hunting is a very small, dedicated group of hunters. Lots of people talk about it and lots of threads are started about it every year but very few actually get out and do it.

I know members on here have given spots away to people and never seen any hunters or sign of them ever being there.

Those who are in good enough shape and dedicated enough usually hunt sheep in the beginning of September instead.

Stupid hot summers, low deer numbers, more people being able to afford ATVs and fly in trips than ever before .... probably the least number of alpine mulie hunters around the ever before. Lol.

[twoSevenO]

Very cool pic! I'm a new hunter and seeing IS believing. After reading Mike Eastman's High Country Mule Deer book, I went for a stroll in the alpine to test out this new knowledge and came face to face with a velvet buck in a small thicket at 1900m. And this is off of a busy trail on Whistler mountain! If you look carefully and pay attention to detail, it's amazing what you start to see.
That's why I get a kick out of this pic. Thanks for sharing.

Side question, what are you using for glass? I'm looking at getting a spotting scope for upcoming summer scouting missions.
Any recommendations on size, power, weight is appreciated.

Thank. Cheers.

I use a Vortex Razor 65mm.
I also use a 2lb ultralight tripod which is great for carrying up the mountain but not great for taking pics and videos. It will shake in even slightest wind. It can be annoying.

If you consistently want clear pics ... you gotta get a heavier/sturdier tripod

[twoSevenO]

Alpine hunt is the best! The harder the access, the better, the more deer.
I will be scouting one specific area this year that I know holds deer. Weekend high alpine camp in July, put up a camera and go in again mid August. Then you know what to expect.
Google Earth is your friend for targeting general areas.
I had a great time goat hunting least year in early September, again, very high alpine in great weather with stunning views.
Alpine hunting is very hard but very rewarding in many aspects.

Hard access doesn't mean more deer or better deer. I've busted my ass Into some remote spots that have no quad truck bicycle access at all and been sorely disappointed with the number of deer around.

Edit: generally you are correct just not always the case. How was your goat hunt? Were you successful? which region? Leh or gos?

[dino]

Hard access doesn't mean more deer or better deer. I've busted my ass Into some remote spots that have no quad truck bicycle access at all and been sorely disappointed with the number of deer around.

Edit: generally you are correct just not always the case. How was your goat hunt? Were you successful? which region? Leh or gos?

I hear ya.some People always think that the deer are always where no one wants to go. There are many good spots that have quick easy access. I too have learnt the hard way of thinking just because a spot looks really great and is really remote that it must be good.

[dana]

Upwards of 250 people a day including small childern hike to where Widebugger used to call home. Funny how some of the easiest access can produce some of the biggest bucks.

[Jelvis]

Bucks stand still a lot, peer out of little groves of deciduous -- still is the word -- look for movement.
Jel -- bucks peer and peek from behind cover --

[twoSevenO]

The up and comers would do well to dissect everything Dino and Dana have to say on this topic and i don't mean this thread only .... just sayin ;)

[mmckimmi]

The up and comers would do well to dissect everything Dino and Dana have to say on this topic and i don't mean this thread only .... just sayin ;)

^^^^This :). I'm taking notes

[.308SLAYER]

Yup, if you care about seeing critters and having some possibility of success, scouting is a big commitment. I used to wake up at 1:00 am, drive to where I would start hiking, climb a mountain in the dark and be glassing shortly after 4:00. Or i would coyote out with a light tarp and sleeping bag so I could maximize the glassing time and get both evening and next morning scouting done in a short trip. Bigger trips I would leave on Friday after work, sleep in the truck and be hiking in the dark to be glassing at daylight. Glass and hike all day Sat and sleep up top and glass the morning on Sunday and hike out and head home. I did these adventures weekend after weekend all summer long. Some weekends you would see a bunch of deer, other weekends you'd strike out.

Must not have a old lady lol...wish I could do that lol wouldn't hear the end of it

[Greenthumbed]

Must not have a old lady lol...wish I could do that lol wouldn't hear the end of it
Haha! I hear you!

[dino]

He could be a real man and have a great woman that both have a mutual respect and understanding for each others passions.
It's rare but it does still exist.i know what your saying though,most men have just turned into imasculated wimps.

[.308SLAYER]

He could be a real man and have a great woman that both have a mutual respect and understanding for each others passions.
It's rare but it does still exist.i know what your saying though,most men have just turned into imasculated wimps.

It's spelled emasculated..lol

[dino]

It's spelled emasculated..lol

I had two choices with my spell check, my wife said it starts with an" i ". I do what she says or she won't let me go hunting.

[Brez]

I had two choices with my spell check, my wife said it starts with an" i ". I do what she says or she won't let me go hunting.
And that is the definition of "emasculate". lol

[twoSevenO]

I had two choices with my spell check, my wife said it starts with an" i ". I do what she says or she won't let me go hunting.

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[twoSevenO]

He could be a real man and have a great woman that both have a mutual respect and understanding for each others passions.
It's rare but it does still exist.i know what your saying though,most men have just turned into imasculated wimps.

My favorite is the guy who's wife is pregnant and now he isn't allowed to have a beer either .... lol. Grow a pair.

[dana]

He could be a real man and have a great woman that both have a mutual respect and understanding for each others passions.
It's rare but it does still exist.i know what your saying though,most men have just turned into imasculated wimps.

I've been happily married to my best friend for 24 years now. She has always been very supportive of my outdoor passions.

[hickman]

Hard access doesn't mean more deer or better deer. I've busted my ass Into some remote spots that have no quad truck bicycle access at all and been sorely disappointed with the number of deer around.

Edit: generally you are correct just not always the case. How was your goat hunt? Were you successful? which region? Leh or gos?

Agree! Some spots look like they should hold deer but do not. But that's part of hunting finding those spots.
Goat hunt was awesome and successful. Scouted 2 weeks before opening day. Confirmed there was a herd and several billies. Ended up getting an old fat billy on day 2. Took 2 days to hike and pack out. Epic. LEH goat somewhere in region 3 ;-)

[twoSevenO]

Agree! Some spots look like they should hold deer but do not. But that's part of hunting finding those spots.
Goat hunt was awesome and successful. Scouted 2 weeks before opening day. Confirmed there was a herd and several billies. Ended up getting an old fat billy on day 2. Took 2 days to hike and pack out. Epic. LEH goat somewhere in region 3 ;-)

Good for you. Always great to hear when those elusive reg 3 goat tags get filled!

Got pics? You can PM me if you don't wanna share on here! :)

Hope you got a nice mount. What was the age confirmed by bios?

[hickman]

Good for you. Always great to hear when those elusive reg 3 goat tags get filled!

Got pics? You can PM me if you don't wanna share on here! :)

Hope you got a nice mount. What was the age confirmed by bios?

Haha, wish I had pics. Cell phone blew up on trip. No pics. Guy at the inspection estimated 10 or 11 years. Horns were 10.5". I don't like head mount, just took scull cap and horns and mounted those on a nice cedar plaque. Waiting for my rug though. Carried out from nose to tail. I have had LEH goat tag two consecutive years in region 3. Seen lots of goats all over the place. Billies are a little harder to find but some hang out with the herd.

[Ourea]

I wish to offer a couple comments.

If you want to move up the curve of success take the time to learn an area, the game in it, before you hunt.
Learn to identify habitat that a species requires.
There are variables within that spectrum, pred presence (as dana endlessly points out), hot weather that can burn out alpine feed before the season. (this a thread about alpine hunting)

I have seen it endless times where guys confuse covering ground with hunting.
Learn what to look for.
Why to look there.
When to look there.

Once you understand those basic dynamics and invest far more time in scouting and learning an area vs the time you hunt it.....u r on the right path.

[twoSevenO]

I wish to offer a couple comments.

If you want to move up the curve of success take the time to learn an area, the game in it, before you hunt.
Learn to identify habitat that a species require.
There are variables within that spectrum, pred presence (as dana endlessly points out), hot weather that can burn out alpine feed before the season.

I have seen it endless times where guys confuse covering ground with hunting.
Learn what to look for.
Why to look there.
When to look there.





A rule of thumb for consistent success

Very valid points .... but:

1. Learning the alpine is incredibly difficult as its so remote. For most it is at least a few hrs drive and few hrs hike, so 2 days lost in travel alone. So now you're down to long weekends only for 1 day of scouting, or taking time off work. Add to that the fact that most of the areas aren't accessible until July and how many scouting trips can you realistically get in?
This year my scouting plan is to hike up in July and leave a couple of cameras and salt in the areas i've seen deer. My intent is to leave the cameras up there all year and analyse the times/dates later and look for patterns in their movement. (Of course, this only helps once you've already found an area that animals frequent. If you're starting from scratch, cameras might not help much until you narrow the zone down).

2. I was paranoid about what the hot dry summer we had did to the alpine, but I still went. The place was more brown than i've seen it in 2016, but the animals were still there. The feed was still there. Every north-facing slope and finger ridge was full of lush green feed. Every creek edge and gully was lined with green, same with the area under the canopy of the trees and shrubs up there. Evening dew was strong where we were. Very wet and very slippery at dusk. Plenty of H20 for the deer and I guess enough to sustain the vegetation even though it was a very dry summer. Lots of grass on the big, exposed alpine meadows was browning. The point is, i'll never let the dry summers discourage me, unless the area burns up.

[twoSevenO]

The thing with the alpine is this, and it was already brought up several pages ago ..... why do we even bother with it? Honestly .... there is a new thread every week it seems, yet i have not seen a pic of a big BC alpine mulie in years. I can't remember the last time a big velvet buck was taken in BC (that was posted publicly, at least). I think the alpine hunt is highly romanticised on the internet with almost all success stories coming from Wyoming and Colorado and with people in the off season thinking how awesome it is to hunt that open country.

There are better and easier places to get bucks in BC. Places closer to home; closer to the truck.

I got into it in 2014 with an "i gotta get away from people" attitude. I had lost a couple of spots in region 8-5 and 3-19 that I would consider fairly close to home that just started getting overrun with people. I spent that winter searching google earth for candidate spots and was quick out of the gate in 2015 to give it a go. I scouted several locations in Regions 2, 3 & 8 and wasted a lot of time just trying to break above the tree line. Never saw an animal. In 2016 I acquired a little more backpacking gear and spent some nights on the mountains and started to figure things out a little more. In 2017 things didn't quite work out with the guy i took up with me. Unfortunately he turned out to be the type to convince you to leave early rather than to push harder and persevere. And unfortunately, the vision of sitting on the edge of my tent, drinking hot tea in the early morning and glassing the alpine bowl below me with my new spotting scope didn't quite turn out the way I had imagined either. I was lucky to spot a couple of deer here or there but none that would warrant a 5hr packout. I have learned a ton. There's no doubt about that.

So why do I still go? ..... Well, where else am I going to be hunting on Sept 1? Nowhere. Nothing else is open on Sept 1 .... except sheep. And maybe I'll try that after I bag my first velvet mulie :lol::lol:

[WKCotts]

After years of scouting and hunting an incredible chunk of alpine, I finally connected on 7x6 203” non typical mulie in early September 2017. Keep working hard and smart. One day it will come together

[dino]

After years of scouting and hunting an incredible chunk of alpine, I finally connected on 7x6 203” non typical mulie in early September 2017. Keep working hard and smart. One day it will come together

Any pics? Would be nice.

[nazarow]

After years of scouting and hunting an incredible chunk of alpine, I finally connected on 7x6 203” non typical mulie in early September 2017. Keep working hard and smart. One day it will come together

I agree with dino. You can’t just say that and not post a pic! Lol.

[Bugle M In]

Ya a pic would be nice ( a nice change from most threads).
Either way, I believe him.
I have seen some monsters that weren't taken too long ago.
So, they exist.

[Brez]

There is nothing like alpine muley hunting. I like it better than sheep hunting. What's wrong with guys having to go out scouting and finding places and game by themselves? That's how I did it. That's how most of the guys I have hunted with did it. Why do people feel that they can ask for and are entitled to someone elses' hard won info so that they can get an "easy" animal. Years ago I drove around with my wife and babies during summers to check for possible access to areas that I found by climbing moutains and glassing and even hiring planes to fly over large areas.
As said on some post I read somewhere, "Put your phone down, pull up your pants, it's time to get to work Cupcake!"

[dana]

There is nothing like alpine muley hunting. I like it better than sheep hunting. What's wrong with guys having to go out scouting and finding places and game by themselves? That's how I did it. That's how most of the guys I have hunted with did it. Why do people feel that they can ask for and are entitled to someone elses' hard won info so that they can get an "easy" animal. Years ago I drove around with my wife and babies during summers to check for possible access to areas that I found by climbing moutains and glassing and even hiring planes to fly over large areas.
As said on some post I read somewhere, "Put your phone down, pull up your pants, it's time to get to work Cupcake!"

Preach it!!!

[twoSevenO]

Everyone has to start somewhere .... though I think an infinitely more productive approach is to build relationships and talk to people and eventually you'll get some good pointers.

Example, attending the sheep count would've been a good one to do that at!

[dino]

Ya a pic would be nice ( a nice change from most threads).
Either way, I believe him.
I have seen some monsters that weren't taken too long ago.
So, they exist.

Its not that i dont believe him. I just really enjoy pics of good muleys. Especially a carefully selected alpine buck.

[Ourea]

Its not that i dont believe him. I just really enjoy pics of good muleys. Especially a carefully selected alpine buck.

It's real and he earned every inch of that buck.
Took a few years of hardcore scouting and close the deal.

Casual hunts seldom produce big results.

[leadpillproductions]

Its to bad my muledeer season don't start tell nov up here

[twoSevenO]

It's real and he earned every inch of that buck.
Took a few years of hardcore scouting and close the deal.

Casual hunts seldom produce big results.

Were gonna need a pic of this bad boy!!!

As I mentioned on the previous page no ones posted a pic of a decent alpine buck on here in years!!!!

Come on. Break the streak!

[dana]

Were gonna need a pic of this bad boy!!!

As I mentioned on the previous page no ones posted a pic of a decent alpine buck on here in years!!!!

Come on. Break the streak!

I respect those that don't want to share photos. In this day and age in this province, finding a big buck takes a lot of time and effort because there are just so few of them out there. If you find a good area that holds some mature deer, why risk loosing that for the sake of a bunch of hunters that may start looking for that spot for themselves. Respect the hunter and let him share only what he wants to share.

[twoSevenO]

You dont need to share the spot to share the buck. Hell, you can share a pic of him off the wall.

Granted pics tend to draw attention via PMs sometime and some aren't comfortable ignoring those ... in which case that's understandable in my mind.

[dino]

It's real and he earned every inch of that buck.
Took a few years of hardcore scouting and close the deal.

Casual hunts seldom produce big results.

Ive seen that movie before too. You have posted a bunch of good deer yourself. You did not seem to worry to much about it. People post some good bucks on instagam every year. I guess i just miss all the pics guys used to post. I enjoy your tcam threads quite a bit also. I just know if I ever do take a real good one ,I will be posting it.

[Brez]

Ive seen that movie before too. You have posted a bunch of good deer yourself. You did not seem to worry to much about it. People post some good bucks on instagam every year. I guess i just miss all the pics guys used to post. I enjoy your tcam threads quite a bit also. I just know if I ever do take a real good one ,I will be posting it.
There's not much better than a picture of a beautiful trophy animal on a scenic ridge with mountains in the background, but there is always somwone who will recognize the place and your secret is gone. A friend of mine got a great bighorn on a solo hunt in Alberta and then a very respectable mule deer in central Alberta and when he sent me the photos, I told him exactly where they were taken. He was amazed. If you want your secret to remain a secret, you have to be very careful of your photograghy and that just diminishes the pictures, in my mind. Having said that, I hope you get that big one and post it. It's those pics that make these sites worth looking at.

[twoSevenO]

I agree with everything you've said .... however, a pic of the mount or rack inside the garage gives nothing away.... just sayin.

[Brez]

You bet. I'm just letting Dino and others know the game.

[dana]

I agree with everything you've said .... however, a pic of the mount or rack inside the garage gives nothing away.... just sayin.

You are assuming the mount is home from the taxidermist already. Most taxidermists have close to a year wait and some taxidermists even longer.

And even with a mount photo, people start the bombardment of PM's. You never know how bold people are. Tons are direct and to the point, 'Tell me where you shot that buck!'.

[twoSevenO]

Really? Do people do it to piss you off or do they genuinely think you'd give up the location of a trophy buck to a random internet stranger that messaged you?

I remember someone on here having a sign line that was a guy PMing him and offering $500 for the location of his buck. Good for a chuckle but at least he was offering something in exchange for the location. Lol.

[HighCountryBC]

Some guys just like to stay off the radar and don't need to show the world what they've shot. Once a picture is out there, it's out there forever.

Nothing but respect for hunters like that from this cowboy.

[Wild one]

Some guys just like to stay off the radar and don't need to show the world what they've shot. Once a picture is out there, it's out there forever.

Nothing but respect for hunters like that from this cowboy.


Some hunt for personal reasons and goals only with little concern about attention from others

[HighCountryBC]

Some hunt for personal reasons and goals only with little concern about attention from others

Bingo.

Everyone wants a picture. Most don't have the slightest clue the amount of time and resources invested in taking a world class animal.

[dana]

Really? Do people do it to piss you off or do they genuinely think you'd give up the location of a trophy buck to a random internet stranger that messaged you?

I remember someone on here having a sign line that was a guy PMing him and offering $500 for the location of his buck. Good for a chuckle but at least he was offering something in exchange for the location. Lol.

It is amazing what some people think. Because you frequent the same hunting forum as them, you are obligated to share all your many years of hard work. And they get mad at you if you don't.

As for high country success photos, here is one from the archives. Sept 13, 2001. I can tell you that after the events of Sept 11, thinking about hunting was the last thing on our minds. We slept in and climbed the mountain very late. No enthusiam. No plan. Nothing that should have made us have success that day other than blind luck.

http://i.imgur.com/PXXHOzn.jpg

[twoSevenO]

Some guys just like to stay off the radar and don't need to show the world what they've shot. Once a picture is out there, it's out there forever.

Nothing but respect for hunters like that from this cowboy.

Then why are you on a public internet forum at all?

You guys are forgetting one giant, huge point here ..... MANY bc hunters are posting all types of success stories and pics on Instagram. They're not giving anything away. A pic of a buck dead on the ground or stuffed in a pack gives nothing away. Goats, bucks, bears, sheep ...... you name it. They're just not posting it on HERE. Basically, if you're not willing to post pics, Instagram has no use for you. And that's what I like about it. No lurkers who never contribute.

I mean if you want to stay off the radar .... why are you on here at all? Just for the buy and sell?

[twoSevenO]

Nice pic Dana. Funny how some bucks are velvet free by sept 1 and others are hanging onto full velvet for weeks yet.

[Wild one]

Then why are you on a public internet forum at all?

You guys are forgetting one giant, huge point here ..... MANY bc hunters are posting all types of success stories and pics on Instagram. They're not giving anything away. A pic of a buck dead on the ground or stuffed in a pack gives nothing away. Goats, bucks, bears, sheep ...... you name it. They're just not posting it on HERE. Basically, if you're not willing to post pics, Instagram has no use for you. And that's what I like about it. No lurkers who never contribute.

I mean if you want to stay off the radar .... why are you on here at all? Just for the buy and sell?


Dont need to post pics to discuss hunting techniques, experience, and equipment advice

[dana]

Then why are you on a public internet forum at all?

You guys are forgetting one giant, huge point here ..... MANY bc hunters are posting all types of success stories and pics on Instagram. They're not giving anything away. A pic of a buck dead on the ground or stuffed in a pack gives nothing away. Goats, bucks, bears, sheep ...... you name it. They're just not posting it on HERE. Basically, if you're not willing to post pics, Instagram has no use for you. And that's what I like about it. No lurkers who never contribute.

I mean if you want to stay off the radar .... why are you on here at all? Just for the buy and sell?

The difference in IG and a hunting forum is there aren't very many personal attacks. If someone does post up an attack on IG, you have the power to easily delete it and then block that poster. Lots of keyboard warriors on hunting sites that just can't handle anyone having the slightest success. Too much blood in the photo, accussations of poaching or ego or wrong weapon blah blah blah. The list goes on and on. And then the worst are the gutpile chasers who spend more time hunting you than they do hunting the desired animal. And this is notjust HBC, this is all hunting forums. People just have stopped posting pictures because they are fed up with all the BS that posting a photo brings.

So why are they here? One reason is hunters still like helping other hunters. There are lots of tips that are shared in very subtle ways and if a hunter is wise enough, they can catch them and make their hunting more successful. This thread has a ton of those tips is you look for them.

[dana]

Nice pic Dana. Funny how some bucks are velvet free by sept 1 and others are hanging onto full velvet for weeks yet.

The buck in the photo is one of the latest velvet carrier that I've had anything to do with. It was so ready to come off that just touching it made it fall off. No thought in saving it at all. Stripped so easy. Made for a cool Euro. Bone white antlers.

[Ourea]

Any pics? Would be nice.


Quite a few guys go out of their way to keep their sh*t off the radar.
I never posted a recent kill and never will, always wait a few years or when I've abandoned an area

Dino, this one's for you.....

https://i.imgur.com/u73h4yC.jpg

[twoSevenO]

Quite a few guys go out of their way to keep their sh*t off the radar.
I never posted a recent kill and never will, always wait a few years or when I've abandoned an area



But you DO share!!
And for that we're thankful!

That's my point .... The guys who hunt 200"+ bucks are the ones that should be posting the most, as far as spreading the knowledge goes. Totally understandable for not wanting to post your alpine buck from 2017 in 2018, but i have a feeling we'll never see that buck or hear the story. (I could be wrong, just my feeling based on WKCotts participation).

Anyways, if you guys want quality hunting/fishing content without much of a write-up, Instagram can't be beat. I joined in December and wish i had joined sooner. So many great bucks and bulls from Canada and the US its nuts. Lots of local hunters as well. Lots of guys who no longer post on HBC, too.

Great buck Ourea ... always love seeing that pic!

[dino]

Ive looked at that pic for hours and i just cant pinpoint the mountain it was shot on. I do have a therory on dark antlers and if there tall or wide but the cooler in the bottom left of the living room is throwing me off.........

[eatram]

That picture was shot with an unethical weapon.

[j270wsm]

But you DO share!!
And for that we're thankful!

That's my point .... The guys who hunt 200"+ bucks are the ones that should be posting the most, as far as spreading the knowledge goes. Totally understandable for not wanting to post your alpine buck from 2017 in 2018, but i have a feeling we'll never see that buck or hear the story. (I could be wrong, just my feeling based on WKCotts participation).

Great buck Ourea ... always love seeing that pic!

Ourea has been very inspiratonal. His white tail thread is awesome. I've had the pleasure of talking/texting with him and he's sent me some pics of unbelievable animals. But I've also honoured his request not to show them to other people.

most guys with the knowledge and experience to find and kill 180"+ bucks, 365"+ bulls and 180"+ rams are the most tight lipped people I've ever known. There is reason for that........you start telling people where your seeing decent genetics and the area gets over run by idiots trying to find the big deer, elk or whatever. I've personally never shot anything with big enough antlers to consider it huge. I hunt for the enjoyment of being in the outdoors and filling my freezer, but .......I've given lots of pointers to people on this site for east kootenay elk, goats and sheep in the elk valley. Why do I offer advice......because it's who I am, always willing to help. But I also know areas where I live that are more prone to holding better antler genetics and those are the areas that I don't tell everyone about.

[dino]

Back to to op.
For the hunter that just doesnt have the time to learn how to read the area like dana mentioned earlier in this thread. Setting out a bunch of trail cams will tell you if your wasting your time or not. You might also be surprised what you might take a pic of. I set a cam up in region 8 by a lick that i found and kept getting picks of two 6 point bull elk. They were in and out like clockwork all season long.

[twoSevenO]

What about the hunter who doesn't know where to even put up cameras? :-P

[dino]

What about the hunter who doesn't know where to even put up cameras? :-P

Thats a whole other thread. But usually it is not to hard. Funnel points and ridgetops for me.
Think like a deer.

[Brez]

What about the hunter who doesn't know where to even put up cameras? :-P
Sites like these, magazines, books, and other hunters are available to everyone - not to mention Google Earth, which was not available to many of us. Initiative is the key word for me. I will help a guy who shows initiative and can tell me what they have found so far but not someone who just wants free info. Oh, don't forget wearing out some boots checking for tracks and such.

[dana]

Sites like these, magazines, books, and other hunters are available to everyone - not to mention Google Earth, which was not available to many of us. Initiative is the key word for me. I will help a guy who shows initiative and can tell me what they have found so far but not someone who just wants free info. Oh, don't forget wearing out some boots checking for tracks and such.

Exactly!!! I'll point a newbie in the right direction if they are keen to learn. I'll also help out someone that wants to step up the game to the next level if they have enough desire and initiative. But so many just want a free lunch. They want a guarenteed big buck without the work. Sorry, that ain't how it works.

[HighCountryBC]

Then why are you on a public internet forum at all?

You guys are forgetting one giant, huge point here ..... MANY bc hunters are posting all types of success stories and pics on Instagram. They're not giving anything away. A pic of a buck dead on the ground or stuffed in a pack gives nothing away. Goats, bucks, bears, sheep ...... you name it. They're just not posting it on HERE. Basically, if you're not willing to post pics, Instagram has no use for you. And that's what I like about it. No lurkers who never contribute.

I mean if you want to stay off the radar .... why are you on here at all? Just for the buy and sell?

Instagram has a pile of lurkers. Way more than here for sure and it is one of the easier places to put the pieces of the puzzle together for those who are into that. No arguing there's a ton of content that gets shared on there and seems to be the way many people are going.

As Wild One said, some guys hunt for personal reasons and are simply content to keep their kills to themselves. Can't blame 'em.

[Wild one]

Can someone give me GPS location to a 200 plus mule deer. I am not wanting to work that hard for it so please something under a 500yard hike. Would also like any information about this bucks patterns as well. And if you can help pack it out that would be awesome

To be fair I will offer up a location for a B&C spruce grouse

Just thought I would throw this out there getting so sick of scouting and putting in effort LOL

[Brez]

Can someone give me GPS location to a 200 plus mule deer. I am not wanting to work that hard for it so please something under a 500yard hike. Would also like any information about this bucks patterns as well. And if you can help pack it out that would be awesome

To be fair I will offer up a location for a B&C spruce grouse

Just thought I would throw this out there getting so sick of scouting and putting in effort LOL

That's easy, what's Dana's address? Check the man cave.

[Wild one]

That's easy, what's Dana's address? Check the man cave.

Do you think he would deliver lol

[Wild one]

Outside of being a smarta$$ when it comes to finding big critters of any species my best luck has been finding my own locations and the common trend is my best spots are never where others recommend even as a starting point

For myself looking where others don’t, utilizing less common forms of access and overlooked access points has treated me well

So many overlooked locations that people don’t go and often it’s not always about hiking farther it’s about a different train of thought

I am no mule deer guru as it is not my proffered deer to hunt but share a campfire with a few and owe part of my start into hunting to one of the best I have crossed paths with

[dana]

I wonder how many guys that I've gave info to over the years would be willing to pay it back with their own info. My muley areas are chewed out hard. Not much hope. I need to start over fresh. Maybe I need to jump on the 'where is a 200 incher' club and get some help. What do you think? Who would help this old guy out? ;)

[Ourea]

It would be encouraging to see someone take the reins and commit to a long term thread on hunting MD.
Not trying to take away from Proguide's 'How To Hunt' but there is a huge appetite for information and knowledge.
If it focused on the how and why components, type of habitat to focus on etc, a lot of newer to hunting folks would gobble that up.

It would be extremely satisfying to see HBC members realize how important mentoring the next and current generation of hunters is and to help in that critical component in perpetuating our sport and heritage.

I think Dana has lead the way on Mule Deer here.
Be over the top to see him shooting videos explaining what he is looking for when he scouts.
If more look at HBC as a platform of knowledge and sharing stories it would be a go to site for sure.

I apologize for somewhat derailing the OP's thread.

[finngun]

Can someone give me GPS location to a 200 plus mule deer. I am not wanting to work that hard for it so please something under a 500yard hike. Would also like any information about this bucks patterns as well. And if you can help pack it out that would be awesome

To be fair I will offer up a location for a B&C spruce grouse

Just thought I would throw this out there getting so sick of scouting and putting in effort LOL

jell--bell is a man who knows all mighty bucks areas..behind of every second three at least..just bam...wham.....contact him..[her]???im not sure:mrgreen:

[Jelvis]

Finny whoa bro don't get me in trub bell ding dong -- with the Alpine Club -- Dana is the man with Alpine no one better in the country folks -- we got dana on HBC
Kamloops has heard the word, and he's bona fide -- anyways ah
-- I got some nice bucks and I'm the kind that don't need to prove myself to someone I only know from a post or two.
-- I got all the proof I need and my close hunting buddy's who have the ca$h and the huge trucks.
Jel - Reg 3 -- iz dah best for the biggest mule deer around, bigger than Reg 8 - better feed, better habitat, better topography a natural area for making monster mules.
No need to go high, I hunt under 4000 feet. Butt the topic iz Alpine hunting so, I never tried that -- Finny is the best, is whad we bin hearin?

[twoSevenO]

So its July .... snow is gone. Velvety antlers are coming in, bucks are moving high .....

Who has been scouting? Who has been sitting on the couch drinking beer instead but plans to start a new alpine thread in a few months? :D

I've been drinking beer .... but I'll still be out there. Deer will too ..... I think? :D

[jac]

Ive been out lots getting lots of good pics on my trail cams.

[mmckimmi]

This weekend will be the second scouting / camping trip so far this year. Lots of country to explore and gear to test out.
Still lots of snow up top it seems:
https://i.imgur.com/a8s8rvk.jpg

[twoSevenO]

Where are you guys at? It seems that a lot of reg 3 areas have been snow free for a while already. Yet I couldn't even get to Flora lake in the wack as there was still like 3 feet of snow at only 1600m.

[hickman]

Pick an area that looks good on Google Earth. Hike, scramble, spend a few nights up high, glass. Scouted for a few days in 2 different spots. Saw approx. 20 bucks, some of them will be 4pt. Set up 3 cams, #4 is going in this weekend in a brand new spot. If you have hunted mule deer up high before you know what spots to look for.

[codeitin]

Was out scouting a new subalpine ridge two weeks ago in region 8, still had some pockets with several feet of snow on the north facing side around 1800m. Tons of sign, but the bushwhacking and gain was worse than it looked on Google Maps (surprise) so I didn't get in as high as I wanted to glass, and forgot my cam to boot. Planned to get back there last weekend for an overnighter, but looks like that will have to wait until August... pretty sure I'll be making a play there September.

[brn2ryd]

I could look at maps all day long. It's almost an obsession. Google earth is a great resource and is great for planning. But as TwoSeven0 said, It makes everything look easy. You can increase the 3D exaggeration to give yourself a better perspective to see what you are up against.
Hit TOOLS>OPTIONS>ELEVATION EXAGGERATION. I bump it up to around 1.5.

But, what's that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men?... The best thing you can do is just get boots on the ground. You could invest a lot of time planning a route on a map or google earth just to that find out that the grassy field was a swamp, or trail is now covered with impenetrable slide alders. If you make GPS tracks you can then go back and fine tune your routes. You'll have a better idea of your km/hr, terrain, etc.
I have never felt that going for a hike has been a waste of time. Even if you don't make it to where you were trying to go, you'll come out with a bit more knowledge that you had before. But take it from me, I have wasted a lot of time scouting from the couch.

With that being said, I'm new to the forum. thanks for having me. there sure is a wealth of knowledge on this site. But it would be great if someone could PM me the coordinates of where I can find a 200"+ alpine mule deer. Hunting is hard :-P

[HarryToolips]

^^^^^i haven't hunted mulies too much in alpine yet but I do plan to at some point....I've hiked lots in the sub alpine and can agree, it can be a lot different on the ground compared to google maps.....

[twoSevenO]

I thought about running cams in the alpine when drinking beer and doing some Google earth hunting off my couch in my underwear .... but then I remember how far of a drive it is and how hard of a hike it is and go "nahh ... blacktail spots are way closer" lol.

[180grainer]

Good Day All.

Recently I've been inspired to do some Alpine Hunting, Mule Deer and Goat.
Typically I like to walk, hunting clear cuts with no road access but I need more. I'm working on getting set up, recently i purchased the Mystery Ranch Metcalf and love it!

I live in Armstrong, any pointers on where to go would be greatly appreciated. I'm not asking for your Honey Holes just a general direction in where to go. I'm pretty confident I'll find Goats around Revy. How about Muleys?

Thank You.

Well where ever you hunt, if you're hunting goats always remember. The view going up after a goat is always better than the view back down after he's phuked off. Maybe it's me, but I got my self into places that were easy getting into, but once I had to turn around and go back down, I realized how steep it was.

[aamenta]

Hard access doesn't mean more deer or better deer. I've busted my ass Into some remote spots that have no quad truck bicycle access at all and been sorely disappointed with the number of deer around.


haha oh man, this was the story for my hunting partner and I last year in all of the "Prime" alpine locations

[Steelpulse]

Pretty good read here. I’m headed as high as I can in reg 8 Tuesday Wednesday Thursday for a scout. Drop some cams off and glass my days away. Will hopefully bring some pics back of this years target. See how it goes

[twoSevenO]

BUMP!

Soooo ..... who went out? Who got what? :) ;)

[hickman]

Party of three went out. One shot a nice 4pt in velvet. I passed on a potential 4pt that I could not 100% ID as legal. Saw lots of 3pts and 2pts. Trying different spot for 4pt again as long as they are in the alpine. With this weather they might move sooner.

[waserwolf]

We may hit Mt Ingersoll near Whatshan depending on the Weather Forecast. Anybody have a 2nd option to a guy who is new to Alpine Hunting? Also considering 3-28 based on recommendation by Jelvis. BTW I live in Armstrong. PM me if you wish.

[rageous]

BUMP!

Soooo ..... who went out? Who got what? :) ;)


Rumor has it you have something to add in that department... Lead by example! ;)

[waserwolf]

Thepitchedlink.....I sent you a PM.

[twoSevenO]

Party of three went out. One shot a nice 4pt in velvet. I passed on a potential 4pt that I could not 100% ID as legal. Saw lots of 3pts and 2pts. Trying different spot for 4pt again as long as they are in the alpine. With this weather they might move sooner.

Right on. Good work.

[thedizzyyak]

Hi everyone. New season coming up and I'm new to hunting. I've been doing some chair scouting on Google Earth to identify some alpine spots that might be worth heading to the next few weekends. If anyone would be willing to give me some advice regarding some of the potential spots I've picked, I'd be grateful. PM would be much appreciated. Not looking for handouts, just hoping to learn to read the land. Thanks!

[Darksith]

Hi everyone. New season coming up and I'm new to hunting. I've been doing some chair scouting on Google Earth to identify some alpine spots that might be worth heading to the next few weekends. If anyone would be willing to give me some advice regarding some of the potential spots I've picked, I'd be grateful. PM would be much appreciated. Not looking for handouts, just hoping to learn to read the land. Thanks!

get out there and put your boots on the ground. Do some scouting before the season. If someone knows your spot they certainly won't tell you, the more time you spend in an area the more you will understand how to hunt it. It simply takes time to learn where the deer travel routes are and when they are there, and even then weather and other factors can change those patterns. But if you are seeing deer you know your in the right spot. Good luck, the beauty thing about alpine is you can utilize bino's to cover a lot of ground.

[thedizzyyak]

get out there and put your boots on the ground. Do some scouting before the season. If someone knows your spot they certainly won't tell you, the more time you spend in an area the more you will understand how to hunt it. It simply takes time to learn where the deer travel routes are and when they are there, and even then weather and other factors can change those patterns. But if you are seeing deer you know your in the right spot. Good luck, the beauty thing about alpine is you can utilize bino's to cover a lot of ground.

Thanks for the reply! I'll just get out there and take a look. :cool: Happy hunting.

[ActionJackson017]

^^ if you're anything like me in my first few years of "digital scouting" you'll quickly learn that things that look flat and hospitable on satellite are anything but. It took me about 5 years to realize that one of the first places I ever scouted actually was loaded with deer so long as I stopped and smelled the roses per se. So my advice to you is trust your gut - and be patient! You might not see anything the first night, or the second, but if you find a place with game trails and lots of sign, and conditions seem "muley"... trust your gut and wait.

My "first place" now produced me a buck that I was thrilled to drop and share with the family and last year I had the pleasure of glassing a group of 6-8 does in the same area knowing all the while that it's just a matter of time before I see another buck there. I just ran out of time.

[Osprey87]

Setting Google earth terrain exaggeration from it's default setting at 1 to 1.5 will tell you a way better idea of what the steepness/accessibility of the area really is

[twoSevenO]

I posted this on the very first page, and i think it's worth repeating for the new, eager guys and gals looking to climb up high



as someone who got into Alpine hunting recently to get more and more away from the typical hunting down below, keep a few things in mind:

1. It's almost always going to take longer to get above that tree line than it looks.
2. It's almost always WAAAAY steeper than it looks.
3. You're not going to cover as much terrain as you marked out on Google Earth off your couch.

It's easy to start GPS-ing things while watching Netflix in the back ground and thinking "ok, i'll get up this ridge, if nothing i'll check out this bowl over here, then the other one behind this peak". In reality, that shit is no joke. Hunting mulies in the alpine is hard. You're gonna be pretty beat up and won't cover as much terrain as you might think. So better to glass lots and be thorough with your eyes than feet.

Also, remember that some areas don't have a whole lot of deer that are visible during the day in the open. They might still be there but they might spend 99% of their time just in the tree line in the subalpine forest.


I read Dana's comment from the first page, and I think it's almost a blessing for some of us to be getting into the alpine hunts at this time. If you don't know about the days of 50+ deer in the alpine in one weekend of scouting, then you have nothing to be disappointed about.

I just returned from a scouting trip that was cut short by a day due to crappy weather and we managed to spot 7 bucks in one afternoon. Persistent rain and thick fog reduced our visibility to 100 yards, so we had to pack up a day early.

The deer are still out there but, like Dana said, you've got to hunt areas that are not yet hit hard by wolves .... AND REMEMBER: The wolves could be eating your deer at their winter range! Just because you don't see wolves in the alpine, don't assume you've found a spot not impacted by wolves!.

And also remember this: This isn't perfectly managed alpine of the Colorado or Utah hills ..... this is BC. We don't have nearly the same numbers of deer and the ones we do don't get nearly as big on average (as I assume they generally get killed before they can reach a decent size). So be prepared to see quite a few small deer, not bachelor groups of ten 180"+ bucks like you saw on Instagram from that one guy in Colorado!

Having said that, here's some beautiful BC alpine and its critters:

July - when you should be scouting
https://i.imgur.com/pJOA5Eo.jpg

September - When you should be hunting
https://i.imgur.com/FYpuwpo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IL1IzkE.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oH8vGFj.jpg

[twoSevenO]

Work hard and you will be rewarded .... Deer numbers might be down, but they're still not zero ;)

https://i.imgur.com/ssfLHzj.jpg

[RackStar]

270,

must be getting stoked for sept 1.

Good luck

[twoSevenO]

270,

must be getting stoked for sept 1.

Good luck

Or Sept 8?!? Lol

[HarryToolips]

Great pics there 270.......

[Ride Red]

Gorgeous pics; nothing like being at or above tree line. An experience that can only be appreciated by being there. Just need a Pika pic in there. I know of a couple high tight ravines full of them. Quite the song when they’re all going off.