dease river scout /hunt plan!

[bcriverhunter]

hey all!..me and the mrs are going up to fish and scout the dease for 2 weeks in early august..we plan on hunting bull moose(sept 1 -15) between moose meadows(closed now i guess) and up past boya/horse ranch range area!..we will have caribou/moose/goat and griz(have LEH) tags!....two options at this poiint to launch the boat are mcdame and dease crossing futher up!...we plan on looking for more spots in august to put the boat in!..SO, any one want to give some pointers on the area?...i will def take pics etc and share what we find out!...also, how the fishing there?.. thanks larry in PG

[bcriverhunter]

thanks for the pm's guys!....should be a good trip(s)8-)! larry

[Peacepipe]

Put in at the Dease crossing and or Moose Meadows. You can get out at Macdame/ Boya Lakes/ or better yet French Creek. Remember at Boya Lakes just across from the cabins is the trail up the Horse Ranch. Fishing is great.

[bcriverhunter]

Put in at the Dease crossing and or Moose Meadows. You can get out at Macdame/ Boya Lakes/ or better yet French Creek. Remember at Boya Lakes just across from the cabins is the trail up the Horse Ranch. Fishing is great.


thanks peace pipe..i do know about those sites---sure hope moose meadows is open--will find out next week i guess!:wink:!....there is a set of rapids BELOW moose. are they a class 2-3?...plan on trying the macdame launch and go up to see them, but i hear they are not "bad"!:confused:....here is a pick of my "baby" jet boat...i think it goes anywhere, as long as i dont hit rocks!!:mrgreen:..hope it is enough for this river!...thanks larry

ps, i contacted dease crossing to book a site but no return of email,,,,they dont appear to have a P# either??

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/bcriverhunter/dasboat.jpg

[Peacepipe]

The rapids downstream of where the Cottonwood dumps into the Dease. Dont worry they are pretty tame. Just take an outside line and watch for rocks. Putting in at Macdame is cranky but doable. Go down from Dease crossing or Moose Meadows. Lots of goats in that stretch. If you went to Fench for sure you should be able to find a moose.

[hunter1947]

thanks peace pipe..i do know about those sites---sure hope moose meadows is open--will find out next week i guess!:wink:!....there is a set of rapids BELOW moose. are they a class 2-3?...plan on trying the macdame launch and go up to see them, but i hear they are not "bad"!:confused:....here is a pick of my "baby" jet boat...i think it goes anywhere, as long as i dont hit rocks!!:mrgreen:..hope it is enough for this river!...thanks larry

ps, i contacted dease crossing to book a site but no return of email,,,,they dont appear to have a P# either??

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/bcriverhunter/dasboat.jpg

Have a safe trip on your scouting trip ,some pic of your trip will be nice to see when you get back and post them up on the forum http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif.

PS I like the boat you have in the pic.

[bcriverhunter]

The rapids downstream of where the Cottonwood dumps into the Dease. Dont worry they are pretty tame. Just take an outside line and watch for rocks. Putting in at Macdame is cranky but doable. Go down from Dease crossing or Moose Meadows. Lots of goats in that stretch. If you went to Fench for sure you should be able to find a moose.


hey peace pipe!..thanks for the heads up!...idealy, we want to camp and launch at mcdame, then float up and down to french!..the truck does have a 15000 lb winch, will that make the lauch easier?...i guess it all depends on how high/low the water is?...also heade theft is a problem there, but that was years ago,,,i guess there is a reserve right across the river!......have you been up the eagle/4 mile and rapid rivers?...thanks again,,,,,larry

[Arctic Lake]

Hello bcriverhunter
In another thread I talked about hunting the dease many years ago,I'm talking about 20 years ago so maybe this information is useless maybe not.We canoed the Dease from the Lake that Mighty Moe had his place on,sorry I guess I could look it up.There is a set of rapids where the lake ends and carries on as the river.For the first time hunting by canoe it was a scarry deal for me,but all went well.We floated down all the way to McDame and pulled out there.Left one guy in camp where we put in to hang around and be near camp to prevent looting.There were guy's at Mcdame with campers trailers etc.but we were told that a few guy's got broken into while away hunting.I think it may have been some undesriables from Cassiar,but I think that mine has long since closed.Anyway we floated that river a few times on that trip got three moose that in total.The water up river for a stretch is dead slow so it was a hard go before McDame.When we were going down river there were jet boats going up river.I don't think I see a jet on your motor,might help.Anyway that's all i have to share for you.Good Luck
Arctic Lake

[bcriverhunter]

don't think I see a jet on your motor,might help.
Arctic Lake


yep, the boat has a 40"jet" 4 stroke(60 hp) and a 6 hp kicker....plenty of punch since the boat is light!...i know it was along time, but can you remember the lauch area?....mud/ gravel?....thanks for the info......larry

[Arctic Lake]

Hello Again bcriverhunter
Sorry I really can't remember the launch area.I do however remember the road in and it was narrow.But you know that was like i said some 20+years ago.I am sure there have been a few guys on here that have been there recently.Hope you get a more recent account of the area.
Arctic Lake

[derek p]

Mighty Moe's place is now known as Moose Meadows, if I recall correctly. The previous owner was Larry, ran a great outfit. Cooler service for animals, maps of the river, a radio phone for those who needed to check in, a small store, the bunkhouse, and hot showers.

The launch was in pretty good shape, however I think the property was purchased for the purpose of outfitting/guiding, not sure how receptive they would be would someone launching.

Just below moose meadows, you come to cottonwood creek, and the rapids, dicey in low september water, you should be okay in august. The river levels off and is fairly easy running with lots of side channels and sloughs. The next river to the east is the Eagle, runs a little faster and skinnier than the dease. This is a productive river for moose, look to the north and you will see goats way up top..

Below the eagle you will come to various sloughs, ie,, circle slough, beer can slough and so on..good hunting to be had..

I have not been much further down river but the lots of people would camp on the banks and operate from there on their moose hunts.

Fishing, lots of grayling in september, but we were more interested in the moose to spend much time fishing.

Good Luck
Derek

[boonerbuck]

Just below moose meadows, you come to cottonwood creek, and the rapids, dicey in low september water, you should be okay in august.

How would it look in Sept to a guy with a worthy river raft? What class would you guess them at? ei: Class 3,4, or 5?:smile:

I have a thread going on rafting so I thought I'd leech here a bit too.:tongue:

[derek p]

For sure, when I was there in 2005, it was cold in september, like -15 so the river was dropping fast. So cold that our wader boots were freezing to the floor of the boat on the ride down river.

There was lots of guys using zodiacs to move gear up and down from moose meadows to where they camped.

In a jet boat you have to travel at speed to get the motor off the rocks, but then you run the risk of hitting due to excessive speed combined with current. Once I learned the channel it was a fairly easy run up and down.

I suspect it would almost be easier in a good raft with knowledgable people on board.

I'm sure Ive got a picture of the water somewhere, still looking though.

[bcriverhunter]

great info derek, thanks!!!...i have all the 1:50,000 maps of the whole area and the new garmin oregan gps with topo maps so we are all set!:smile:...i will report back in when we return!!...thanks again larry




For sure, when I was there in 2005, it was cold in september, like -15 so the river was dropping fast. So cold that our wader boots were freezing to the floor of the boat on the ride down river.

There was lots of guys using zodiacs to move gear up and down from moose meadows to where they camped.

In a jet boat you have to travel at speed to get the motor off the rocks, but then you run the risk of hitting due to excessive speed combined with current. Once I learned the channel it was a fairly easy run up and down.

I suspect it would almost be easier in a good raft with knowledgable people on board.

I'm sure Ive got a picture of the water somewhere, still looking though.

[Arctic Lake]

Hi again Fells
I forgot to tell you one of the funniest things we saw on that trip,I rememeber it like yesterday,Just past the rapids some hunters had bagged the biggest moose I had ever seen in the flesh,you could see it's rack up on the bank with some of the carcass.But on the river a fella had what looked to be a front quarter in a cartoper with outboard trying to make it back up through the rapids.IT WAS A NO GO! One thing about hunting up river it's easier to go back down with the current
Actic Lake

[boonerbuck]

I wonder what the hell he did to get his boat back upstream?

[bcriverhunter]

years ago we did the same thing...we had a big moose in my 14 footer and 15 hp outboard,,,trying to get up past a certian section of river..getting dark etc!....well having more guts than brains(was about 15 years ago) i tried a few times to get trough, maybe 3 inches of free board left..then said enough is enough!!:roll:....we ended up taking out the head with the big rack(54 inch) and one shoulder then made it up!..then, up tp camp, then back we went again!....was dark by that time and foggy!....was fun though!!:mrgreen:...i would say these guys prob did the same thing--more trips,,,what ever it takes,,,,LOL!...larry



Hi again Fells
I forgot to tell you one of the funniest things we saw on that trip,I rememeber it like yesterday,Just past the rapids some hunters had bagged the biggest moose I had ever seen in the flesh,you could see it's rack up on the bank with some of the carcass.But on the river a fella had what looked to be a front quarter in a cartoper with outboard trying to make it back up through the rapids.IT WAS A NO GO! One thing about hunting up river it's easier to go back down with the current
Actic Lake

[yukon john]

Moose Meadows is closed to public launch a guy has it as a private residence now sorry if this info is a little late

[bcriverhunter]

hi again..back from the far north, but not home yet!..we are in Hyder, alaska, then home in about 5 days!....have some great pics to share when i get home and give the "scoop" on the dease river!....in a nut shell, we should have a good hunt in the fall:biggrin:!!....thanks all for the great info!!..larry

[Peacepipe]

Well I know what could happen in Hyder but lets hear how it was.

[bcriverhunter]

hey guys, sorry for being late with the recap, recieved a few pms!!...we are off tomoorrow to hunt the dease for moose--just me and the mrs!!!..should be interesting!:tongue:...scout trip was great...i will post fish pics later when i get back, but--- in a nut shell....2 places for luanch,,,dease crossing and french creek, BUT, you better have a winch to get your boat out if you plan french creek!!:tongue:....that will be our 2 choice, i am rigged to do the french but will have to take off the camper!....moose meadows--forget it(outfitter)....macdame---you may have slashed tires, so keep a "camp bitch there:?.....so our plan, dease crossing(new owners as of august 15th 2009)., then french creek camp site!...see ya again after our advernture! larry and linda