Arrowstone - Advice appreciated.

[brotherjames]

Hello all,

I am a reborn, relocated hunter from the Kootenays who needs to put some meat in the freezer. The wife has been patient with me for the last 4 years but she's starting to question the expense - rightfully so. I've temporarily given up on blacktails at the coast and I am going to throw a hail-mary try for a mulie buck or whitetail - anywhere in region 3 - but I am thinking the Arrowstone area might be worth a visit. I have a specific drainage in mind and would like to hear anyone's thoughts. Any help would be appreciated.

[LuckyHorseshoe]

You’re in the right area

[Pauly]

You’re in the right area
Used to be good but hunted hard by the deadman’s valley band and wolves have moved in since the fire. Slim pickings. But good luck. Avoid the Battle Creek road it’s washed out.
good luck

[Pauly]

Take chains if your going up top a few switch backs that turn to ice if u go off that road your going down a long ways

[Pauly]

Take chains if your going up top a few switch backs that turn to ice if u go off that road your going down a long ways
If your looking for a general whitetail area try the timber lake road of the laclejune highway but stay between the highways. It used to be great until they selectively logged it. Whitetail are still there though. Also the x-country ski trails behind McConnell lake is good for whitetail as well. I’ve shot deer in both places. Haven’t been back in years I’ve found better spots . Can’t have those though lol .

[Brian011]

I would say that the whole arrowstone area has been pounded this year, good luck finding a 4 point still alive

[Bugle M In]

I would say that the whole arrowstone area has been pounded this year, good luck finding a 4 point still alive


Take chains if your going up top a few switch backs that turn to ice if u go off that road your going down a long ways


Used to be good but hunted hard by the deadman’s valley band and wolves have moved in since the fire. Slim pickings. But good luck. Avoid the Battle Creek road it’s washed out.
good luck

The area is hunted really, really hard!
Ever since R5 closed for 10 days, the area gets absolutely pounded!!!
Yes, there are a few band members that hunt the area hard and take their share of deer for sure.
And yes, the wolves have been in there for 6+ years now, and it is really starting to show.
Thought they were gone or had moved on, but nope, still there.
I hear Wallachin is being impacted hard now as well by wolves.
Met someone from the area that rides a horse all over when ever she can, and told me about a lot of areas in there that are being hit
hard by wolves. (they are all over the areas in there now)
I came across a lot of winter kill, pelvis's with spines, all over the place which is "not" normal, and found more this year then all the other
years combined! (doubt it was starvation and suspect Pred kills)
The lack of snow sure doesn't help migrating deer and yes, if on top, carry chains.
But, up top, don't be surprised when you go up and it looks like it's been "nuked" due to all the logging.
And that played a huge role in issues, imo, and why the area is not like it was many years ago.
On top of that, many people know of the area or have been told of it in the past 8 years or so, and you cant really get away from folks,
even in the timber!
Large Area also is Grazing Lease, thus "legally", you need permission but some folks don't seem to care to ask.
The Dirt Bike club put trails into some great areas to hunt, and then the quad hunters found it and that also really hurt the area.

Are there deer there...yes....but the ones that are get dropped fast....because it gets hit hard by hunters.
But it shows too.....no where near the same amount as there were years ago.
Sort of why we moved on.
Could try the Venebles area and try to work yourself into the burned areas, but packing out can be a bit tough.
WT in the north end of Hat Cr, but you have to know what is open land and what is private.

I would say try more by Big Bar country.
Buddy drives a rig to PG a lot and says the most deer he sees starts around Clinton or so, and then some pockets in between.

Depends where you relocated from as you didn't state where you are now actually.

[264mag]

Can anyone confirm that vehicle traffic is prohibited in arrowstone? If that’s the case I would think the traffic and pressure would be less.

[twoSevenO]

I went in there the season prior to the fires. Also in later november. Spent a chilly night in my sleeping bag in my Jeep .... did not see enough to want to go back.

[harbinger]

Not just arrowstone, the whole elephant hill fire area, check the regs! there are substantial ATV closures!



Can anyone confirm that vehicle traffic is prohibited in arrowstone? If that’s the case I would think the traffic and pressure would be less.

[Bugle M In]

NO ATV/ORV or even ELECTRIC BIKES.
Trucks/cars okay, as long as you stay on roads.
ALSO, some of the FIRE PERIMETER ROADS ARE OFF LIMITS, so check, and dont rely just on signs.

AS for ARROWSTONE, i believe road is washed out a short way up from back valley Rd.

Due to the Fire AND ALL THE LOGGING over the years (which is like a barren waste ground on top of plateau!!),
THERE IS A LOT OF WASHOUTS and MUDSLIDES OCCURING.

So, you never know when another road will be missing, but sooner or later, more of them will be washed away, i assure you.

[JAGRMEISTER]

all atv access is banned in Elephant fire area

[rageous]

Lots of deer being shot in the burned areas.

[264mag]

The signs at the entrance off hwy 97 indicate no motor vehicles that’s what I was wondering about. I was stopped reading the sign and a truck drove right by me heading up.

[Bugle M In]

Well, i think the main rd is open, if you are talking north of CC on 97.
Dont know why that would be closed to trucks/cars?
ORV/ATV, then yes, off limits.

As i said, the rd going up Arrowstone from Backvalley is washed out a couple of clicks up it, so the only way is north of CC.
I havent been up that way in sometime, but i think others this past year were going up using the north route from what they were saying.

[264mag]

The no vehicle sign (car with a line thru it ) might apply to all the trails off the main road. I wasn't sure and didn't want the grief.

[Bugle M In]

The no vehicle sign (car with a line thru it ) might apply to all the trails off the main road. I wasn't sure and didn't want the grief.
Well, depending where, when the fire went thru, they put in a lot of fire perimeter break roads (dont know the real term).
And those ones are definetly off limits, and that is usually where you see the signs.
However, they took some "liberties" (you could say) and put signs "close to those fire breaks", but on an old road which was there way before any fire,
and make it off limits due to sign placement, but some folks feel that is wrong and still use the old roads, as long as they stay off the fire break roads.
Those that have hunted the area for years know which roads were there before, and so they disregard the signs.
Is it right??? dont know?
I think if it was there before hand, it should be allowed, imo.
The other fact is, some of these roads may have a sign at "one end", but if they have access from the other end, a lot of folks go in that way,
because there is no sign on that end.
So, kind of stupid if you think about it.
And might be why you see folks drive "out" of a road where there is a sign, because the other end didn't, but you don't see folks "go in" where the sign is?

I do get the ORV/ATV restriction, as some just cant stay on the roads, thus ruining it for the others that do.
My hunting partners have ATV's and stick to roads, so it did impact them.
Stupid because if it is a truck, you can drive.
Just rare to see one go off road, but, there are a few clowns who still do.
Hope they stop, or get stopped, because it could end up where there is no vehicle access period, and the majority get screwed by the few idiots
amongst us.

[wingmaster]

Also noticed in that area a lot of the no vehicle signs on the side roads, such as the side road that turns off right before the wash out get torn down leading to lots of vehicle traffic going through that area. This one in particular was up all year last year and was there when I was scouting the area last week of October but when I went to hike up there after remeberance day the sign was gone and there was evidence of lots vehicle traffic going up in the snow

[Gun Dog]

The Elephant Hill ORV restriction (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/natural-resource-use/resource-roads/local-road-safety-information/thompson-rivers-natural-resource-district-road-safety-information) expired December 31, 2020.

[BeerMan]

uATV for Hunting Closed Areas: Theoperation of all ATVs, including electricbicycles, to hunt wildlife, transportwildlife, transport equipment and supplieswhich are intended for or in supportof hunting, or transport hunters to andfrom the location of wildlife is prohibitedin from September 1 to December 10 inMUs 3-28, 3-29, 3-30, and that portionof MU 3-17 shown on Map C3.

Copied and pasted from page 43 of 2020-2022 hunting regs.

[Bugle M In]

The map on the link "sucks".
It shows those fire perimeter roads in red...yes.
But, you can barely tell which ones they are as some are very tightly together in reality and makes a mess on the map to be honest.
(need one where an individual can "zoom in on" (thought at one time there was a better map?)

Also, i know for a fact there are 1 or 2 sign posted that are placed inappropriately!
In other words, they are posted at a road that is "actually drivable and permitted", but the sign is placed in such a manner that it appears the
road is off limits, when in fact the fire perimeter road in question, and off limits is "close by".

Those that know the area disregard the sign to use the legal road, but will still avoid the restricted one.
Thats why sometimes some feel the odd hunter is acting illegally when they actually arent!

But, there are still a few clowns who show up with ORV's, know the area like the back of their hand, but when confronted, act like they didn't know.
Also a few clowns using their trucks (usually a souped up Tracker) and driving them off road or on some dirt bike trail.

All i can say is, they better hope i ain't around to "film them", because i will!
Some folks have to smarten up otherwise we will all be restricted further due to a few idiots who don't care about anything but themselves, imo.