Bison hunt in BC

[longshotz]

Anybody have any solid info on Buffalo/Bison hunting in BC. Not a canned hunt, strictly fair chase.
Yes I am aware of the LEH hunts, but odds are pretty slim, so looking for a private type of arrangement. DIY type of unguided hunt. Either here or....where else?

[BCrams]

Anything other than the LEH bison hunt will essentially be a 'canned' hunt for penned bison at a ranch. It will not be fair chase any way you look at it.

[tomahawk]

Your options for non canned are LEH. One thing for sure, you won't get one if you don't put in for it, I have got 2 and my partner 1 in 10yrs of applying.

[Shulaps]

I might be wrong but I would suspect that some of the outfitters up north would have a quota. Not necessarily DIY but it isn’t a penned animal. If your tired of waiting for the LEH this is your only option in BC.

[Bighorn hunter]

Anybody have any solid info on Buffalo/Bison hunting in BC. Not a canned hunt, strictly fair chase.
Yes I am aware of the LEH hunts, but odds are pretty slim, so looking for a private type of arrangement. DIY type of unguided hunt. Either here or....where else?


I had a chat with Mike Hammet of sikanni river outfitters last aug. He said he has been alotted a few more tags now and said he would be willing to sell them to residents quite reasonably. I didn't ask how much, but Mike is a great guy to be around and runs a first class operation.Give him a call and see.

bhh

[BCrams]

Mike Hammet has a quota of 6 bison tags.

[Bighorn hunter]

Mike Hammet has a quota of 6 bison tags.

When did you hear that? I can't remember but I thought he said he was now getting 16 or 26.

[Macgregor]

Does anyone have a ball park figure on what these tags would go for. $1,000 / 20,000?

[Bighorn hunter]

I just talked to to two of the other guys that were in on the chat, one figers mike said hegat 14 extra tags for last season, the other confirmed my number of around 26 total tags now. That may be for just last season though?

[BCrams]

When did you hear that? I can't remember but I thought he said he was now getting 16 or 26.

Mike Hammet himself. Its also on his newly updated website. He has never had a high quota of bison tags like you guys are talking and he would never get that many.

[Bighorn hunter]

Does anyone have a ball park figure on what these tags would go for. $1,000 / 20,000?

Ithink Mike only charges non residents around 4500. so I would think a resident would be considerably less if you guided your self.Only one way to be sure, give him a call.

[Bighorn hunter]

Mike Hammet himself. Its also on his newly updated website. He has never had a high quota of bison tags like you guys are talking and he would never get that many.

When did Mike tell you this? I sat with him last aug. and he told me he had more last year. If its on his site maybe they cut him back again?

[BCrams]

This past November. My uncle had the draw and stayed at his lodge. I also had the draw a few years ago and stayed with Hammett and my brother in law also got the draw a couple years after I did but for the Halfway.

[Bighorn hunter]

How did you guys make out BCrams?

[BCrams]

we all took our bison on the first day of hunting

[Bighorn hunter]

Nice, Trophy bulls or meat animals

[BCrams]

meat animals

I ended up with a meat bull in the end ... but needless to say - I 'blew' a chance at one of the biggest bulls the guide Chris McKinnon and Clint Beattie ever saw at the time.

[sfire436]

Even with the LEH hunts I have heard it is Bison "shooting" not Bison "hunting" Just go take your pick.

[Schmaus]

Even with the LEH hunts I have heard it is Bison "shooting" not Bison "hunting" Just go take your pick


I take it you've never been up there. One guy can go up and see hundreds everyday while another won't see a thing for weeks. Its hunting

[tomahawk]

Been there 3 times for Bison, first time took 5 days for a bull, second time took 1\2 hour for a meat bull, third time didn't see a single animal in 5 days hunting all day long every day. (several other hunters there as well and no bison seen in 5 days amongst about 10 of us).

[Bighorn hunter]

I have to agree with tomahawk, Ive had the draw three times. My first draw was the very first one, we hunted 7 days and didn't have a single chance at a mature bull. Second trip took two days and got a real nice bull. Both those times were on the sikanni side. my third draw was on the halfway and we took a dandy bull 2nd day out. Lqast year my dad had the draw and it took us 3 days before one lone bull showed himself then disappeared. late on the fourth day we spotted a group of five bulls and managed to get the best one.I thinck of it alot like mule deer hunting, sometimes you just have to be in the right spot at the right time. I will continue to put in for the draw as it is a really fun hunt and you get to see some great country.I would not call it Bison shooting myself, they can be quite cagy

bhh

[Lil Buck]

If you come to Kamloops there is a bison hunt with mike up for auction.
If I recall it went for 3750 last year .but what do I know or remember..

lb:frown:

[Will]

Even with the LEH hunts I have heard it is Bison "shooting" not Bison "hunting" Just go take your pick.
Not really there's lots of hazards involved on that hunt.....you could smash your quad into a tree or anything ! :lol::lol:

I know quite a few that have had that draw and returned empty handed...it's not always a "sure thing" :wink:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

If you come to Kamloops there is a bison hunt with mike up for auction.

If I recall it went for 3750 last year .but what do I know or remember..


lb:frown:


So if you bison goes 1000lbs then that's $3.75/lb. Cheap like borsch(sp?)!!:smile:


SSS

[David Heitsman]

The WIld Sheep Society does have a Bison hunt with Sikkanii river outifitters this spring. We sold it last year for $7500 and the buyer did get his trophy bull on the first day.

There are in excess of 20 tags there for SRO now as they were upped in March 07.

I have taken two now. A cow in 96'ish on a do it yourself LEH outfitted hunt by SRO (took the full 7 days to even see one) and a trophy 13 year old bull on an outfitted and guided hunt by SRO in 04 that I got at an auction with the Wild Sheep Society.

Chris McKinnon, now the Bonnett Plume Outfitters owner and Clint Beattie
helped me skin the cow and Clint Beattie guided me on the old bull. (Could hardly eat that old brute but he sure looks great on my office wall!)

[boxhitch]

There has been some more interest shown by the MOE to harvest more bison, to cutdown on some of the habitat damage done by them. The herd numbers are doing well, but other species are suffering because of them. They are an introduced species in that area, remember. GO permits have risen as well as LEH permits.

So why are they such a high odds LEH animal ??
Dollars and non-sense, would be my guess.

[boxhitch]

a do it yourself LEH outfitted hunt by SRO )Not sure I understand this one , Dave. You held the permit, and SRO packed you in, or guided you to one ??

[boxhitch]

Even with the LEH hunts I have heard it is Bison "shooting" not Bison "hunting" Just go take your pick.Yeah, kinda like driving to a cutblock and spotting a deer, and whacking it.

[Bighorn hunter]

Because of the extra tags last year I did notice the odd of being drawn did improve quite a bit on my draw. It will be interesting to see the leh regs this year and see how it affected all the buffalo draws.

[Creeker]

I got the draw in 2004. We only had 4 days to hunt. We had a heck of a time finding a bull. We put over 100 miles on the sleds. The big muture guys were on top of the mountains. I did end of harvesting a 4 year old bull on the last day. And we still had to 1/4 and pack-drag-pull him 500yds to the sleds. He was very good eating. It was an awesome hunt, and i have my toes crossed for this year.

[Lil Buck]

sorry my bad on the price of the buffalo hunt with Mike and Dixie..

But as I said what do I know or even remember.I was right partly?yes

again what do I know lb:?:

[daycort]

There has been some more interest shown by the MOE to harvest more bison, to cutdown on some of the habitat damage done by them.

True that. It looks like a summer fallow field when they are done in one area. grass roots and all. I have seen them right on top of mountains in primo sheep territory. Didn't see no sheep though.

[boxhitch]

Because of the extra tags last year I did notice the odd of being drawn did improve quite a bit on my draw. It will be interesting to see the leh regs this year and see how it affected all the buffalo draws.Has anyone here seen the Hunter Harvest Vs Effort report for these draws ?? I bet the participation is still low.

[Bighorn hunter]

Mike Hammet himself. Its also on his newly updated website. He has never had a high quota of bison tags like you guys are talking and he would never get that many.

Just talked to Mike Hammet today,starting last year he has a quota of 26 tags.His web site was not up to date on this unfortunatly.

bhh

[David Heitsman]

Boxhitch:

Went in on a LEH and stayed in a SRO cabin and went out every day unguided. Finally got a cow on the 7th day.

Went in again years later on a SRO tag and was guided by SRO to a 13 year old bull on the 4th day.

Great time, each time in there.