David Heitsman
11-23-2008, 09:34 PM
Was in from the 12th to 19th of November with wall tent at the calving barns. Set up our camp while working on my tan in the 19 degree sunshine.
Had to wear ear plugs the first two nights since people have to run their flippin generators all night long. Must be watching pornos or something.
They did cease and desist once gently asked and I appreciate it. So did everyone else in the area. I'm not sure why we go to get away from the noises and insist on taking them all with us.
First day was riding well up the Churn. Glassed the back two thirds of a deer in a rough flat area about 250 yards down from the meadows towards the creek. I went down in with my uncle covering from the top once I had lost the deer in my glasses. He later told me that I must have stepped on him since a mature deer jumped up and broded within 10 yards of me slowly working my way towards where I had last seen the body. Of course he couldn't shoot due to my close proximity. We never saw the deer again.
Second day, rode south past the ranch and tied off while we did a large circle walk about. Had walked about 3 hours and were almost back to the horses when I said that I couldn't believe that with all these does we hadn't seen a buck. Barely got the words out when I saw one bedded in the snow, Oh yea, it had gone from 19 degrees to snowing hard the next morning. I ranged him at 360 yards and my partner had just got a new Remington 300 WSM with a Swarovski and was certain he could hit it at 360. Truth be told he didn't want to walk back down the snowy/muddy coulee to get a better shot. Anyway he missed and the deer didn't even move so we halved the distance, traversing the aforementioned coulee and his new rifle had just just notched a respectable 3 X 3. Too late to get him to the horses. Would have to return in the AM.
Third day, warden stopped by in the early AM and my uncle learned a lesson about tagging your deer immediately. Rode out with a lady friend this time and I promised I'd do my best to get her within range. Today it was raining and quite foggy. I've never seen fog in there in the last 10 years but it was so thick that the buck I stepped on for her walked into the cloud bank at 40 yards and we never saw him again. Later I had her within 300 yards of a small 4 X 3 and while trying to move into the 200 yd range I spooked up some does between us and our prey and they ran over to him and ratted us out. He left into the same fog so we called it a day and quartered out our now quite stiff deer and carried him back to camp.
Fourth day back to the Churn to see if my 2/3's deer would re-appear. That was 8 hours of riding and not a single buck seen.
Fifth day was drifting in a friends jet boat on the Fraser. This used to be quite effective but with all the rain their wasn't much need to to water themselves so we saw 3 does and called it a morning and jetted back to the Churn in the now lifting fog. Rode extensively around Clyde Mtn for the rest of the day seeing about 40 does and a couple small bucks.
Sixth day I rode way down towards the Lone Cabin coulees and glassed extensively hoping to find Mr. Big sleeping in the cliffs. Set up my spotting scope once to watch five little bucks sparring over a receptive doe. Ended up 348 yards above a young 3 X 3 and wanted to try out my Underwood shooting sticks so I took a crack at him and shooting quite downhill I missed, most likely going well over him. Good thing as he was too small anyway.
Riding back I spotted Mr. Big at 80 yards just as he was cresting to come over in the meadow for dinner. The sun was setting behind me as I lept off my horse and wrestled with my scabbard to loosen my rifle. We had a pack horse with us that was loose and had stepped ahead of me just as I was dropping to one knee to find his white throat patch as this was all that was visible. By the time I ascertained that my packhorse wouldn't deflect my shot so to speak, Mr. Big disappeared down the wooded bank. By the time I looked over after him all I could see was the tail ends of three does that must have been with him.
Day seven was spent packing up all the while trying to negotiate with my uncle why he should stay there with me a few (12) days more and let his wife go to Hawaii without him in the morning. Didn't work and drove home only to almost hit a two point on the band lands road right near their alfalfa fields.
The short of it is, the Empire is over-hunted if your a trophy hunter, a slam dunk if you can harvest does and a great place where you can walk or ride and not have to worry about getting permission.
Once again I let the warden know my thoughts on the doe harvest and the reduced 4pt season. He again states that they have to thin the herd somehow. Whatever... there is nowhere near the deer numbers we used to see in the years past for the same periods and if they are later coming to the river then they should extend the season to the end of December.
Drop off September if necessary. He also mentioned that up untill then he had only ground checked one 4pt and it was not likely an older deer.
I still feel that this area could and should be managed for trophy potential.
With the limited and easily monitored access the Empire Churn might readily be restored to it's former glory. I also talked with John the ranch manager who said that he had been into the authorities in the weeks previous and had asked that the doe season be canceled due to the lack of deer wintering there. He ought to know since he's feeding them all winter!
Had to wear ear plugs the first two nights since people have to run their flippin generators all night long. Must be watching pornos or something.
They did cease and desist once gently asked and I appreciate it. So did everyone else in the area. I'm not sure why we go to get away from the noises and insist on taking them all with us.
First day was riding well up the Churn. Glassed the back two thirds of a deer in a rough flat area about 250 yards down from the meadows towards the creek. I went down in with my uncle covering from the top once I had lost the deer in my glasses. He later told me that I must have stepped on him since a mature deer jumped up and broded within 10 yards of me slowly working my way towards where I had last seen the body. Of course he couldn't shoot due to my close proximity. We never saw the deer again.
Second day, rode south past the ranch and tied off while we did a large circle walk about. Had walked about 3 hours and were almost back to the horses when I said that I couldn't believe that with all these does we hadn't seen a buck. Barely got the words out when I saw one bedded in the snow, Oh yea, it had gone from 19 degrees to snowing hard the next morning. I ranged him at 360 yards and my partner had just got a new Remington 300 WSM with a Swarovski and was certain he could hit it at 360. Truth be told he didn't want to walk back down the snowy/muddy coulee to get a better shot. Anyway he missed and the deer didn't even move so we halved the distance, traversing the aforementioned coulee and his new rifle had just just notched a respectable 3 X 3. Too late to get him to the horses. Would have to return in the AM.
Third day, warden stopped by in the early AM and my uncle learned a lesson about tagging your deer immediately. Rode out with a lady friend this time and I promised I'd do my best to get her within range. Today it was raining and quite foggy. I've never seen fog in there in the last 10 years but it was so thick that the buck I stepped on for her walked into the cloud bank at 40 yards and we never saw him again. Later I had her within 300 yards of a small 4 X 3 and while trying to move into the 200 yd range I spooked up some does between us and our prey and they ran over to him and ratted us out. He left into the same fog so we called it a day and quartered out our now quite stiff deer and carried him back to camp.
Fourth day back to the Churn to see if my 2/3's deer would re-appear. That was 8 hours of riding and not a single buck seen.
Fifth day was drifting in a friends jet boat on the Fraser. This used to be quite effective but with all the rain their wasn't much need to to water themselves so we saw 3 does and called it a morning and jetted back to the Churn in the now lifting fog. Rode extensively around Clyde Mtn for the rest of the day seeing about 40 does and a couple small bucks.
Sixth day I rode way down towards the Lone Cabin coulees and glassed extensively hoping to find Mr. Big sleeping in the cliffs. Set up my spotting scope once to watch five little bucks sparring over a receptive doe. Ended up 348 yards above a young 3 X 3 and wanted to try out my Underwood shooting sticks so I took a crack at him and shooting quite downhill I missed, most likely going well over him. Good thing as he was too small anyway.
Riding back I spotted Mr. Big at 80 yards just as he was cresting to come over in the meadow for dinner. The sun was setting behind me as I lept off my horse and wrestled with my scabbard to loosen my rifle. We had a pack horse with us that was loose and had stepped ahead of me just as I was dropping to one knee to find his white throat patch as this was all that was visible. By the time I ascertained that my packhorse wouldn't deflect my shot so to speak, Mr. Big disappeared down the wooded bank. By the time I looked over after him all I could see was the tail ends of three does that must have been with him.
Day seven was spent packing up all the while trying to negotiate with my uncle why he should stay there with me a few (12) days more and let his wife go to Hawaii without him in the morning. Didn't work and drove home only to almost hit a two point on the band lands road right near their alfalfa fields.
The short of it is, the Empire is over-hunted if your a trophy hunter, a slam dunk if you can harvest does and a great place where you can walk or ride and not have to worry about getting permission.
Once again I let the warden know my thoughts on the doe harvest and the reduced 4pt season. He again states that they have to thin the herd somehow. Whatever... there is nowhere near the deer numbers we used to see in the years past for the same periods and if they are later coming to the river then they should extend the season to the end of December.
Drop off September if necessary. He also mentioned that up untill then he had only ground checked one 4pt and it was not likely an older deer.
I still feel that this area could and should be managed for trophy potential.
With the limited and easily monitored access the Empire Churn might readily be restored to it's former glory. I also talked with John the ranch manager who said that he had been into the authorities in the weeks previous and had asked that the doe season be canceled due to the lack of deer wintering there. He ought to know since he's feeding them all winter!