Clinton Area.....or another suggestion

[waserwolf]

Good Day all.

Looking to stretch my Legs and explore some new Country. Thinking Clinton area, maybe take a Road off Loon Lk Rd up into the Hills. Camping in an 8x10 Wall Tent.
Any locals willing to suggest good Campspots and current snow levels?

Thanks.

[browningboy]

Either try Chasm road which is north of Loon Lake road or Big Bar road, lots of areas to camp!

[waserwolf]

Thanks Mr, appreciate it

[Cyrus]

Either try Chasm road which is north of Loon Lake road or Big Bar road, lots of areas to camp!
...and lots of people currently camped there too...

[IslandWanderer]

Was there for a week in Sept- lot's of people on those roads then.

[PrecariousPhoto]

North of Clinton to the west of the highway ain’t bad either.

[Rob Chipman]

No deer in Clinton. Don't go. Go to Rock Creek instead... :-)

I was there last weekend. Camped at Riley Dam for a bit, couldn't find a 4 pt. but did find deer.

Also went over Gang Ranch area and found some good stuff but that's another story.

Finished up working the Chasm - Loon Lake road. Again, didn't find a buck but did find many areas with lots of deer sign and found does. Obviously it's worth getting out of the truck and off the road a bit. With the current snow if you're seeing lots of tracks I can't imagine you won't find deer.

You could do worse than work either side of the highway in that area.

[russm]

No deer in Clinton. Don't go. Go to Rock Creek instead... :-)

I was there last weekend. Camped at Riley Dam for a bit, couldn't find a 4 pt. but did find deer.

Also went over Gang Ranch area and found some good stuff but that's another story.

Finished up working the Chasm - Loon Lake road. Again, didn't find a buck but did find many areas with lots of deer sign and found does. Obviously it's worth getting out of the truck and off the road a bit. With the current snow if you're seeing lots of tracks I can't imagine you won't find deer.

You could do worse than work either side of the highway in that area.

There was a really big black bear hanging out on a hillside just down the road from Riley dam when we were up in mid October, he'd just lay in the sun eating berries, we tried to get lined up on him a few times and he'd just get up and casually walk away over the top of the hill lol

[Drillbit]

I went from Clinton, bit of a back track to the Empire valley, then over gasparte to Riske creek along the ward on saturday.

Lots of deer on the gang ranch. Lots of camps around the perimeter. Lots of trucks n wall tents at churn. Lost of snow on the west side of the fraser with lots of tracks in it. need chains if it snows much more.

Hope that helps

[Gun Dog]

If you drive up Loon Lake Road at dusk you'll see deer everywhere. Too bad it's a residential area. It's about 35km from the highway to the gravel at the end of Loon Lake. From there it's another 5km through the ranch with the NO HUNTING signs.

Once the snow flies the deer move off the plateau to lower ground like Loon Lake and the Fraser River to the east. That's my advise -- stay below the snow line.

[cameron0518]

Without question. Gang Ranch area is where I would be putting my boots on the ground. I know of two 4 points taken in the last week not far from there. Both walking only a short distance from the roads.

[REMINGTON JIM]

Rob Chipman : I was there last weekend. Camped at Riley Dam for a bit, couldn't find a 4 pt. but did find deer.

For those don't know - Riley Dam is at the West End of Little Bar Lake - Nice Camping area ! RJ

[lovemywinchester]

My buddy is born and raised in Clinton. Just did a week there hiking like mad everyday. Shot a small 4 on his last day. He was pretty bummed out. Very few deer left there compared to the old days (10 years ago).

[browningboy]

I know Loon isn't the same since the fires, don't get me wrong, there's deer but just not the same it was pre-2017! It's not a matter if the roads are busy and other people are camped, who cares? What matters is where you hunt, not camp, if you road hunt that main road then yes, have fun with that however there's ton's of area to explore, you just need to go put some time in! Also beware not ATV use at Loon for hunting.

[waserwolf]

Not interested in Rd Hunting, I enjoy Hiking.

[cameron0518]

If you would prefer just hiking, Loon lake is still quite good.

[whitlers]

Put in 5 days on foot a couple weeks ago up top of Loon. Brother in law has a cabin on the lake. Been hunting there for a few years now. Saw quite a few does as we always do and a couple immature bucks but only one 4pt who gave us the slip. It's tough hunting after the fire but can still be productive. There are other areas close by that a much much better.

[Bugle M In]

Thing is, a lot more folks are climbing out of their trucks and hiking now.
Hills are busy....sometimes more busy then the roads now:shock:

Watched 1 hill, 1km away from where i was over the course of 7 days.
Everyday there was at least 1 person climbing up, and 1 day counted a group of 4 and another group of 2 on the same day, on the same hill.
I saw the deer, 20 or so, and i can guarantee you they moved further and further away from the heavy traffic by the day to the point they were far
from where most were hiking/hunting.

Guess what i am saying is, you have no clue at times "how hard" an area has been hit.
And it appears many areas get hit hard!

[whitlers]

Thing is, a lot more folks are climbing out of their trucks and hiking now.
Hills are busy....sometimes more busy then the roads now:shock:

Watched 1 hill, 1km away from where i was over the course of 7 days.
Everyday there was at least 1 person climbing up, and 1 day counted a group of 4 and another group of 2 on the same day, on the same hill.
I saw the deer, 20 or so, and i can guarantee you they moved further and further away from the heavy traffic by the day to the point they were far
from where most were hiking/hunting.

Guess what i am saying is, you have no clue at times "how hard" an area has been hit.
And it appears many areas get hit hard!

So true. I had an area I thought was super quiet and didn't think many people knew about. Came back and hunted it late season in the snow. Felt pretty stupid seeing all the human foot traffic all over the forest haha. Still lots of game sign but damn was I wrong.

[Bugle M In]

So true. I had an area I thought was super quiet and didn't think many people knew about. Came back and hunted it late season in the snow. Felt pretty stupid seeing all the human foot traffic all over the forest haha. Still lots of game sign but damn was I wrong.
Yup.
Only difference was my area was super quiet for years.
When R5 closed for 10 days, that was the beginning of the end for my area now.
Still deer there, but i was shaking my head the other week to see how hard the area was being hit!
Not quiet anymore and i think many hunters dont realize how hard some of the honey holes aren't really secret honey holes.
You have to hike a long way now to get away from traffic.
But then again, deer like to migrate into particular areas regardless of human traffic.
So yes, they are there, but they are being pushed into some "not so accessible" areas at times.
And even if you go in there, making a shot or being relatively quiet is next to impossible.
Mind you, there are a few ways around that, but i won't mention them as i dont think it is a "Sporting way to hunt".
Meaning, i think fair chase no longer exists at that point and i will leave it at that.

[Rob Chipman]

"I had an area I thought was super quiet and didn't think many people knew about."

Early October we were hunting moose waaaay back in the mountain (as in, an hour in to camp and then a few hours walk back into the higher moose meadows).

We stop and sit down to have some lunch, and after about 30 minutes of sitting quietly we hear a crashing through the bush.

"Holy shit! There's a moose walking right up onto us. Get quiet and get ready!"

I can't believe our luck and I'm ready to go when....I see 2 guys coming through the trees! I called out to them and asked how they gained admittance to my private hunting reserve and we all had a good chuckle.

How had they found it? Google earth. They ID'd good habitat, found a road to the edge of a logging slash and bushwhacked it trying to find their own honey hole.

I'm sure there will be more and more of that. Can't blame 'em. If I was in my 20s I'd be doing the same (Frankly, I do the same now).


"Without question. Gang Ranch area is where I would be putting my boots on the ground."

Drove through the Gang last weekend and went up the hill a bit. Saw a big 3 point, and later found, from the road, some good looking habitat (south facing ridge, big firs, just looked muley) - Walked about 100 feet off the road and started finding sign on top of sign and it just got better. Didn't connect that afternoon and had to bolt, but I'll endorse your advice.

[mpotzold]

Without question. Gang Ranch area is where I would be putting my boots on the ground. I know of two 4 points taken in the last week not far from there. Both walking only a short distance from the roads.

Fully agree!
Started hunting the area over 53 years ago. We always called the Gang, Empire, Big Creek to Farwell Canyon area GOD'S COUNTRY. Just ask 308 Lover.

Here's some photos
see

See post #19
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?150263-Churn-Creek-video/page2&highlight=gang+ranch
See post #8
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?29694-Chilcotin-(God%92s-country)-summer-trip-photos!&highlight=gang+ranch

[waserwolf]

So thinking about Chasm Rd.
Any snow reports?
Driving a 1/2 Tonne Truck, towing a small Utility Trailer, have Chains.

[whitlers]

So thinking about Chasm Rd.
Any snow reports?
Driving a 1/2 Tonne Truck, towing a small Utility Trailer, have Chains.

Its a very good road. You will be fine.

[sakohunter]

"I had an area I thought was super quiet and didn't think many people knew about."

Early October we were hunting moose waaaay back in the mountain (as in, an hour in to camp and then a few hours walk back into the higher moose meadows).

We stop and sit down to have some lunch, and after about 30 minutes of sitting quietly we hear a crashing through the bush.

"Holy shit! There's a moose walking right up onto us. Get quiet and get ready!"

I can't believe our luck and I'm ready to go when....I see 2 guys coming through the trees! I called out to them and asked how they gained admittance to my private hunting reserve and we all had a good chuckle.

How had they found it? Google earth. They ID'd good habitat, found a road to the edge of a logging slash and bushwhacked it trying to find their own honey hole.

I'm sure there will be more and more of that. Can't blame 'em. If I was in my 20s I'd be doing the same (Frankly, I do the same now).


"Without question. Gang Ranch area is where I would be putting my boots on the ground."

Drove through the Gang last weekend and went up the hill a bit. Saw a big 3 point, and later found, from the road, some good looking habitat (south facing ridge, big firs, just looked muley) - Walked about 100 feet off the road and started finding sign on top of sign and it just got better. Didn't connect that afternoon and had to bolt, but I'll endorse your advice.

I think it is the new way for hunters who are connected to the internet. Call it the Meat Eater effect and people are just starting to hunt differently because most of us would like that pristine hunting experience without a truck driving by every 10 minutes. With hunting pod casts about every topic, there isn't the requirement for a slow learning curve for everything else. Accept learning an area that you have never been before. So like Jelvis used to talk in tongues about different areas around Kamloops and freak everyone out, the info is out there you just have to find it.

Cheers