Another Great Hunting Adventure in Region 8

[dawn2dusk]

Wowsers! LAst two weeks just flew by. Kinda glad to be back at work so I can recover........NOT :lol:

So here is the story folks.....grab a cold one and enjoy

Left on the 20th of Oct with a mulie doe LEH for 8-1 and WT tag to fill. Camper on the truck, one stop in Chilliwack super store, load of groceries then onto Osoyoos for a final gas fill and a teen burger. Pulled into the first area I wanted to check out on Sat evening in the dark, but managed to find an optimum camp site, game pole already setup....that is a good omen. GOt up Sunday to some fresh snow.....can the gods smile on me anymore? I took advantage of the snow to do some scouting. COvered as much ground as I could on SUnday taking notes on my air photo were I saw track/sign. Hiked some hills and found some good concentrations of trails. Was still snowing and I was wet and hungry so made my way back to camp in the afternoon. But not before i setup my cheap Moultrie trailcam ($130 from wholesale in 'loops) in a likely spot. Took the rest of the day to take camper of truck and get some firewood etc. Cooked up an awesome taco dinner, hit the hay by 8pm. Was tuckered right out. Too much mountian air in one day for this cubicle cruncher.

Day#2 (Monday): Sun was shining and roads were clear enough to unleash my CT90. Went and checked the trail cam and swapped SD cards, will check tonight on laptop to see what i wondered by. Did some more scouting that morning and found a likely spot to build a ground blind just 50yrds of a major game trail. Tried a little still hunting that afternoon and spooked a couple whities out of their beds. GOtta work on my patience and slow stalk. Just enjoyed being out in the bush. Saw a mother moose and calf. Lots of rubs like this in one area. It was 7ft high on a 4 inch pole. Notice my grouse slayin papoose for scale.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0515.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6692&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)


Took note of this spots on air photo and decided to setup camera here for next couple days. Decided to go home and have something to eat and to check the SD card. Here is what it had on it. Was I excited?
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Picture4.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6690&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)
Walking away ...what a stud
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Picture2.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6691&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

That evening after dinner at last light decided to just walk down the road and sit on a stump. WIthin a few minutes i had a doe come within 5 yrds. SHe was curious not scared of me. Kinda strange. She lucky to make it through the doe leh OCt 10-20 with those genes. That night I dreamt of the next morning which we would be my first ambush hunt of the trip from one of the ground blinds I setup.

[dawn2dusk]

Day #3 and #4 (Tues/Wed)

Got up 5am each mornin. Sat in camper drinkin coffee and eating nature harvest peanut butter granola bars and apples. Left camp around 6am on CT90. Bounced along for about 25min to my honey hole. Approached my blind from downwind and far away from where i suspected deer would be hangin out. Was nicley setup in stand by 6:45am. SHooting light was around 7:15am. The first day, i was setup too close to the main trail and does kept busting me. One old wise mother, she was always the first deer to show up, usuually at twilight. She would suspect something and come and sneak up behind me. I would just hear the occasionally twig snap. She would slowly work downwind of me until she caught my scent. Then she would bark and run 75yrds back into bush and stay there barking for a good 30minutes. Wed I moved my blind back as far as I could while maintaining a shooting lane. It was over 300yrds. I could just see the crest of the hill where the crossed a opening between two trails. At 7:30am couple came out into the opening, hung around for 10min. Around 8am a small herd of around 9 does came out, one little hot doe had her eye on something, was wagging her tail and doing circles, sure enough using my brand new VxII leo 3x9 scope dialed on max power #9 I was able to just see a rack through the trees. Little did i know at that time that this would be #1 buck down the next week by aaron. He never gave me a broad side shot, and even stayed in a depression so i could only see his head and rack from my position. Was also over 300yrds and am not practised at that range. So i just enjoyed watching him. About 30 minutes later 3 younger 2 and 3pt bucks bachelor group came out. They did not waste much time hanging out in the open and crossed the opening quick and jumped into the bush. About 9:30am I was getting stiff and decided to still hunt up to the trail. I get up to the trail around 10am. I turn around and look back down to where i came from and in the middle is buck #2 (that I would take a week later). He was about 200yrds away and i had not rest or anything so i dropped to my knees and took a shot. I saw it hit the ground behind it and just see a streak of white and brown as the buck took off. O well. What an exciting morning. THe most bucks I have ever seen in one sitting.

Wed. afternoon I considered the location of the ground blind and moved it to a closer location around 180yrds and did some more scouting.

Here are some more pics from trail cam after I moved it. I noticed with the standard flash the bucks would only be fooled once in any location. My advice is spend the extra 100 bucks and get the one with night vision.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Picture7.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6689&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Picture6.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6688&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Picture5.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6687&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

Day #5 Thurs

I decided to let the whitey honey hole cool down for a couple days and spend Thurs exploring some new country and see if I could fill my mulie doe LEH. Mckinney Creek Adventures suggested Long Joe Road so I started with that. Pretty rough road going up there. PLus my tires are pretty old and worn. And the old mazda 4x4 mechanism was not working very well. Kept slipping out of 4 wheel. Managed to get up to the top and explore around. Saw some sign, found a ratchet and a previous kill site. Dont think they were related. Didnt see any game though. SO continued on my way. Took the long way North and came out into Oliver after going through large indian reserve. Got stopped on road by a rather large bull and his herd of cows. He was impressive.

Ruger#1 gave me tip on an area near Oliver. It was around 4pm so it was perfect timing to go check out maybe get lucky at last light. So I get to the turn off. And a herd of mulies going running away into some farmers field. OK this looks promising.....stroking my lucky round. Continue on. Get up to the lake and there is a big group of kids partying and tearin around in 4x4's and ATv's. SO turn around it is about 5:45pm. Thinking that I may not get my doe today and would have to return. Start driving down when one of the kids in a huge 4x4 with off road light blaring comes up behind me a full speed. I was like yikes this guy is on crack better let him get by quick. SO pull over at next pullout and he goes floor'in by and hucks a beer empty at me :D I know i am getting older and drive slower these days but man I didnt know i was that bad. Picked up his empty and threw in the back. (My CT90 nickname is bad lady cause i have an obsession about picking up beer empties in the woods). So i am sitting there questioning my driving when i look up the hill in the fading light and see the tell tale ears of doe mulie staring at me about 200yrds up hill. There was no question this was my winter meat.

Jumped out of the truck, "car door open dinger" dinging away doah I hate that thing. Grap my 308 and a couple rounds. Start hikin up the hill towards her for a closer shot. Confidence was down after my shot at buck #1 previous day. So i got up to about 150yrds she still just standin there. SO i decide to get closer to where there are a couple pines that i could use as a rifle rest. Get up to those and she still standing there. I am out of breath (too much A&W) and cant steady the rifle. So stand there a few minutes catchin my breath. Raise my rifle steady the hairs, squeeze of a round. Couple steps this way couple the other and down she went. I dragged her down to a steppe where i figured i could 4x4 too and dress her out. No pics sorry guys. GOt the mazda up an ATV trail and offroad down to the steppe. Field dressed and in the back of the pu by 7pm. Back to camp by 10pm after a feed at a&W in osoyoos.

[dawn2dusk]

Day #6 Fri

Decided to take the doe into Kodiak Butcher (Ken Gorfe) partner and sponsor of HBC with McKinney Creek Adventures. Ken is good guy. I skinned doe out and took away to wrap and makes sausages up for me. By the way i have eaten some now and they are excellent. I highlt recommend Ken in Rock Creek. I also highly recommend the Gold Pan Cafe. I went there after and had the best chicken burger and yam fries ever. Followed by an organic coffee from that little coffee place in rock creek. The young ladies were very helpful at the petro-can too. I enjoyed my day back in the big city but it was time to get back to the whitey hunt.

Day #7 and #8 Sat/Sun

Spent a couple more days trying to hone my still hunting skills. I was really keen to take a buck with this method with my new 30-30 that i got of Animal.5 here on HBC. Here is one pic my trail cam got of me coming back from a hunt in the evening.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Picture8.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6686&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

The trail cam also got this other unknown hunter. Is this one of you? Thankyou for not stealing my camera.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Picture11.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6685&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)


I managed to flush some whites and find some neat tree stands that other hunters has setup. But i never managed to catch any WT in their bed sleeoping either doe or buck. O well guess i have to continue to work on that and re-read the mule deer quest (plethero). Not there yet. Still was very valuable for me as i was able to oberve alot on how where when these deer move around and what they eat where they sleep etc. Trail camera was valuable for determining times.

When I was in Rock Creek day before I had called my buddy aaron who was in Kamloops with work at a seminar. Told him to come on down and bring a tag as we could likely fill it based on what i had seen. I also needed help getting the meat out of the bush as the honey hole was about a 3km hike uphill from the closest CT90 trail. He showed up perfect timing on Sunday afternoon. We had a good social + fire that evening. A little whiskey in the wilderness with a good bud is a might fine thing. Morning plans were foiled as we stayed up late. So much for hitting the honey hole. WE decided to make best of the circumstances and use the day to explore part of 8-12. Ruger#1 gave me a tip on a spot to check so we did that. After checkin that out we made our way to Conkle Lake Provincial Park. WOW! Talk about a sweet spot. Absolutly gorgeous country/lake. Might try a base camp around there next year and hit the kettle and christian valleys. Lots of promise for tag punching in 8-12.

Of course we had to stop at Rock Creek Gold Pan cafe again. And a quick stop at the petro-can to check in with the "staff". Organic coffee place was closed damn I was sleepy after clubhouse fries and a beer at gold pan cafe. PLus was still a little hung over. Bed early tonight.

[dawn2dusk]

Day #9 Tues

After sleeping in the day before we were very keen to get into the honey hole. It had had a few days to settle down. Woke up at 5am. Usual rountine. Although I was used to huntin by myself and did get a little pissed with aaron procrastination and confusion in the morning get ready. We were 20min late leavin camp. O well. Got aaron setup in my blind and told him what to expect. Sure enough...same rountine...some does showed up. We were careful not spook them. Around 8:45am the herd of does showed up. One little girl maybe same was a week before, started doing her little lap dance in the opening. Funny to watch and it was so obvious there was a big stud in the bush watching. He was cautious as always. I was watching him in my binos relaying info to aaron. He came out along the side of the opening and there was no shot to be had. We could just see his rack and head about 200yrds. Finally what seemed like forever, he was inticed out by the hot doe. Took one step out broadside and told arron to take the shot. Saw it all go down. Hit a little high but still a double lung shot with his 30-06 180 grain. Buck bolted about 75 yards and piled up. Didnt have my camera in the field again damn...so here are pics from back at camp
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0517.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6693&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0531.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6694&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

LIver, heart and onions for dinner needless to say. Bed by 8pm ready for next morning.

[dawn2dusk]

Day #10 Wed

Aaron didnt think it would be worth going back to honey hole after taking buck#1. I disagreed and said next one is mine and i think the bigger buck I had seen previous week may show up (buck#2) despite the gut pile on the hill from previous day. Aaron decided to go his own way and leave me the hole to myself. I hiked in 6am. The woods were alive. Much more than normal. All sorts of critter and birds moving around. Closer I got to kill zone the more there was. Mag pies, coyotos, ravens, eagle, whiskey jacks. All just loving the gut pile. I started secound guessing my decision and what aaron had said. O well had hiked in now might was well stick it out ttil at least 9am. From 7 to 9 only say coyotos - three of them. Then around 9am I saw some movement in the treeline. Zoomed in with the scope and sure enought big boy was back. Adrenline started pumpin and the preamble to full fledged buck fever was nipping at my fingers. I closed my eyes and breathed trying not to think about the buck just the shot i have to make. Luckily ever day I improved my blind including the gun rest. At this point, I was dialed in. Had been practising a couple afternoons in a clearcut shooting at a propane bottle. I knew what i could do under calm conditions in that clearcut. All i had to do was keep calm and take the shot. LIfted my 308, pushed the butt into my shoulder, put the crosshairs on fur and let her slip. The 180 grain flew and hit hard. A little low which i knew it would being a 200yrd shot. I was shooting 3 inchs low at 200. Took out his heart. He did a big bronko donkey kick thing. And barreled downhill and full speed, I could see the blood spurting out as he went through the scope. Found him not 40yrds of the trails. Again no camera in the field. SO here are pics after we got him back to camp
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0533.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6696&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF05321.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6695&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0534.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6697&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0535.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6698&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

[dawn2dusk]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0559.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6699&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0560.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6700&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF0561.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6701&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1261)

It was a heck of workout each day packing these two brutes out. WE slung them on a pole and took and end each. Hiked out 3km. Lucky it was downhill. Then strapped them on a CT90 for the 8km ride back to camp.

Worked great. And this is my biggest deer to date. Ken the butcher said he as well over 300lbs before dressed. One more year and he would be a trophy for some of best hunters....even dana! He is a trophy for me today.

Overall, was a perfect hunt with no break downs or let downs etc. Really enjoyed myself, connected with the rythum of the bush, slowed down, saw and heard lots. Was rewarded with winter meat and many memories. And planted seeds for next year on future camp sites and areas to hunt.

God we live in a great place.

[rocksteady]

Excellent day to day journal, great pictures......Congrats on filling the freezer as well as enjoying the outdoors.

[todbartell]

nice whitetail!

[cbearw]

Great story, Great looking whitetails! Thanks for posting!:D

[BCJunior]

Great read well worth it. Love the bucks they niceeee! Congratz

[beeker]

That was a sweet story... Glad you had an exciting time, and capped it off with a sweet buck, congrats!

[hunter1947]

Nice whitetail deer ,congrats.

[NEEHAMA]

hammer white tail man, nice!

[Will]

Congrats ! Thanks for sharing the tale :cool:
Love the Bike ! :grin:

[daycort]

good story...... a cold one eh!!! it took me a six pack to get through that....mmmmmmmmmmmmm beer.

[Phil]

Beauty of a white tail!

[longwalk]

Great deer, and fantastic story. a 300+lb whitey out there? I hope Kenny isn't using those scales for cutting beef.:smile:

[WoodOx]

nice bucks! Whats the bigger one score?

[5 spike]

those are nice whitetails,good going.

[gameslayer]

Good reading I think that's the longest storey I have read since I finished school :wink: Thanks for sharing Congrats on a great deer. I am heading out that way in a couple of weeks for mine. Deer stand has already been made in the summer.

[dawn2dusk]

I posted lots of pics for this that find it too much reading - trying to cater to a diverse level of intellect here folks ;-)


Go gett'um game slayer....appears to be lots of bucks out there this year :p