moving from oz to bc

[shaft]

g'day fellas. merry xmas and happy new year from me in oz.
we are looking to move to bc in the near future. im looking for some help in selecting an area that suits hunting, fishing and has facillities to keep the missus and kids happy.

ok. research isnt my long suit. we'd like to get away from the swarming masses but still have all the mod cons of a small town (5000). preferably near a mountain range, with plenty of forest, rivers, game and fish. is there such a nirvana?

so fellas, any ideas on what particular towns in BC fit my description? (remote but self supporting) it will narrow down my research some.

we are self supporting so we have no real limitations on area as there would be if i were to be employed there. we arent rich, just income from a small real estate portfolio.

hope you all can help.

merry xmas, pete..

[Steeleco]

Welcome Shaft, there are so many places that fit your description, there just isn't enough time. As far as living near hunting, the whole of BC fits that description. I live in Langley about 45 min form the airport and the same from downtown Vancouver. :mad::mad: I can be hunting the mountains in less than an hour. If I were to relocate I'd be thinking the Cariboo, Williams lake, 100 mile house. But having soon to be teens Prince George would be my first pick, lots ot city type things to do, a Univercity, collage and all the shops a teen could want. And for Dad I would think it's an hour from hunting and fishing heaven. Let us know how you make out.

[hunter1947]

Cranbrook BC,,,lots of elk there and mules and whitail,,all the fishing you could ask for,,thats were i would like to retire hear in the next few years. hunter 1947.

[Fred]

Any of the major towns in the central interior(Okanagan) would suit you or Prince George, but right now Dawson Creek is pretty hot for work and play, plus the property prices haven't gone through the roof yet. Fred

[Boo]

The cities of Quesnel and Williams Lake or the District of 100 Mile House, all located in the Cariboo region of BC. All three centres have area populations of ~ 18,000 - 20,000 people.

[islandhunter]

if you dont like deer hunting but love fishing, come to vancouver island!!!

[shaft]

please excuse my ignorance, but is british columbia a canadian provence or an usa one? also gun laws. what are the requirements to get a licence?

im liking the 100 mile area. the real estate prices are pretty good!

i imagine warmth is a major consideration when buying/building a house there. what should i look for in a 'reno' (renovation potential) in BC.

sorry these questions are 'off topic'.

[Trapper]

Cranbrook.(EastKootenays)Heart of the Rockies,you can't go wrong. lots of Game,Elk,Moose,mule deer,whitetails,grizzly and blackbear,cougar.Bighorn Sheep,and lots of good fishing.

[islandhunter]

its a canadian province and you need a f.a.c., p.a.L., or p.o.L. to own firearms anywhere in the country. you need to take a c.o.r.e. test to aquire a hunting license and also need to take firearms course to get your p.a.L.. also have you looked at mls.ca, it is a canadian real estate web page.

[shaft]

thanks islandhunter. im sure that is really informative, if i already knew what you were talking about!:-? however im pretty sure its a dig at the crap laws you share with us here in oz.:mad:
thanks anyway mate.:grin:

[lip_ripper00]

its a canadian province and you need a f.a.c., p.a.L., or p.o.L. to own firearms anywhere in the country. you need to take a c.o.r.e. test to aquire a hunting license and also need to take firearms course to get your p.a.L.. also have you looked at mls.ca, it is a canadian real estate web page.
f.a.c firearms aquisition cert.
p.a.l. possession aquision licence
p.o.l possession owner licence
c.o.r.e. conservation outdoor recreation education
hoops you have to jump throught but easy to do good luck. Steve

[islandhunter]

the tests are not hard, and courses are offered for them. if you have previous experience with firearms and hunting they are easily challenged.

[Gateholio]

PAL is the on,y one that yo ucan get, now.

It's not a hard course, nor is the CORE course that is a requirment of anyone who wants to hunt in BC.

If I was going to pick a place to move to in BC, it would be somewhere in the Cariboo, kootenays, or Peace. SOrry, hard to narrow it down, BC is the best place on earth for an outdoorsman!!:razz:

[Red Foreman]

Merritt,B.C. We got it all.3 hrs to (Vancouver if you want to go to that crime infested rat hole).I can be hunting 5 or 10 minutes after leaving work.The slogan here is a lake a day as long as you stay.Some prime trout fishing here.We get better weather than 100 mile and williams lake as well.lol.

[ex bc guide]

I am working on Dawson creek,maybe 7 more months,
Mike

[ape]

Shaft I live in Prince George. I can be fishing or hunting in 30minutes in any direction from town. Of course the farther you go the fewer the people. Any town in this area is going to suit your needs. Of course with Prince George being the biggest city (80,000) in the area it may offer more amenities for your family but I would not hesitate to set up camp in any town with in 2-300 kms from here. Good luck and if you decide to settle here let me know if you need any help and I will provide what I can.

[Jagermeister]

Pete,

Welcome to HuntingBC.

An acquaintance of mine is living in Hobart, Tasmania. Mike was telling me that southern BC is quite like that area. The further north that you go, the more severe the winters (although the last few years have been quite moderate, global warming?)

I think one of the things that have been overlooked is affordability. Real estate in the Fraser Valley/Vancouver area starts in the mid six figure bracket and is not considered modestly price. Lower VAncouver Island is the same and the Okanagan Valley is experiencing a real estate boom as well. Actually, most all of BC is experiencing the same boom, but not to the level of those areas previously mentioned. I keep track of property values throughout the province, always on the lookout for a place that interests me. I reside in Quesnel and I believe that this is probably the most affordable for what you are looking for. However, if you're upwardly mobile like most of us, then I would recommend Kamloops. It has many plusses. Moderate winter climate, summers are quite warm, but not unbearable, housing/land prices are still affordable and is quite central to most everything, 3 hours to Vancouver, 1.5 to Kelowna, 4 to Quesnel and 5 to PG. About 8 to Calgary and the same to Edmonton. It also has large lakes in close proximity for a bask on the beach.

If it's jobs, then the Peace River area is the place you want to be, oil patch, lowest un-employment rate in the province, spectacular scenery, great hunting, even for tatonka (buffalo).

Dennis

[Gateholio]

Teh more I think of this, the more I think...

You need to COME to BC, and buy/rent a car and start takign a look. Like I said, there is much to offer EVERWHERE here...

Drive around in the early summer or sometign, when the roads are good, but it's not too hot.

Keep in mond that most of BC gets snow and cold in the winter, witht he exception of the south coast.:razz:

[N-W-Redneck]

Pete,

Here's a couple of links to my home town. Born and raised here, now raising my kids here. Great place if you love the outdoors. Right on the coast, mountains and lakes out the wazoo! LOL Only access is by ferry, but that to me is a bigger plus than a drawback.

http://www.sunshinecoastpearl.com/

http://www.powellriver.ca/

http://www.bchomesforsale.com/homes_in_powell_river.htm

http://www.zoombuy.net/


Colin

[BlacktailStalker]

Vancouver island B.C . Eluysive Blacktail deer, world record black bear, world record roosevelt elk, respectable cougar population, excellent grouse, pheasant, duck and goosr hunting. Near by goat/grizzly/moose hunting. Surplus of lakes and rivers and salt chuck fishing, really, you can not ask for much more... It is the outdoorsmans playground. Plus anywhere on the mainland, is within a couple hours drive. Honestly, if you do not like it here, you can hold it against me ;)

[jonz]

You might consider Nelson in the Kootenays. Good sized town with all services. Big lake, mountains, fishing and hunting. The Cariboo is a good area too but not much for mountains there.

[Mooseman]

Smithers !?

[bsa30-06]

hey shaft, i dont think you can go wrong with any of the places the guys have suggested they would all provide exactly what your looking for, its just a matter of personal preference you and your family might prefer one location more than another but they all would be good choices.As far as the courses you would have to take they are all easy and with a little bit of common sense you wont have a problem with them just leave yourself enough time before the start of hunting season so that you can get the paper work taken care of and you'll be set to go into the bushand find what ever animal youre looking for we've got them all.If you have any problems or questions just ask at this site there are alot of real good guys here that are always willing to share and pass along any info that they can.Welcome to B.C. looking forward to hearing some of your hunting stories.

[shaft]

BC sounds like my paradise! here in oz you can hunt everything on four legs year round no licence. i think there is a season for one type of deer (hog, not sure about sambar) in one state, but other than that its open slather. mostly wild pigs, goats, foxes are hunted. there are other ferals like water buffalo, camels, donkeys, horses, rabbits, and deer. deer are in pockets and hunting access is pretty well restricted, unless you want to pay. most hunting here is done on foot. not much tree sitting. most popular cals are the centrefire 22's up to big 30 cals. not much call for bigger cals, but blokes have them, just for fun! most of my shooting has been done with the 22 centrefires and a sporterised 6.5x55 swedish mauser. i loved that swede. nice, mild little cal, but plenty of grunt. used to load it with 110gn hollowpoints. shot brumbies with it once using factory 140 gners. id like to buy another more modern rifle of that cal for BC , but im thinking it may be too small. i dont like recoil much. i dont flinch, but i like a rifle with 'manners'. ive owned a synthetic ruger 30/06 and shot it no trouble. but after 30 or 40 shots in an afternoon, it was wearing out its welcome.
my next question would perhaps be another thread. but what cal is the best for BC game? or what would be the minimum cal?

[sealevel]

I think it go`es like this you need a least one of every cal. cause he who has the most guns by the time they die wins.

[sealevel]

don`t no how that thumbs down got on there but i didn`t mean it

[bsa30-06]

I use the same gun every time i go out, my BSA30-06.I think that this gun is enough power for what ever animal you're looking for.

[rrfred]

Your 6.5 on the lower end over to 3006 and anything in between is fine for bc for non dangerous stuff if you use good bullets and pick your shots; unless your after the big bears then a bigger diameter/ caliber would be a good idea like a short range 450- 4570 ish class- or 338 win mag class rifle or the like. cheers

[shaft]

six pack under my belly and xmas lunch to come. ... oh dear....

the browning b.a.r looks good at this point. im a bolt man but the bears worry me! and im left handed!

the missus is sold on the idea!....i think. still workin on her. any thing you fellas can think of might help me shut the deal? she dont like cold! but likes the thought of canada. who said women are practical?

hey, i love chopping wood and lighting fires!

merry xmas all you blokes. im sitting here sweating, the aircon doesnt come to this room, but the kids cant either!

im dreaming of a white xmas...........

[Barracuda]

if she doesnt like the cold or the wet she will not like it here.
We are looking at moving to Australia as we dont like the cold or the wet. also you should understand the cost of living is fairly high here in proportion to wages(houseing, fuel, energy ) etc and theGovt red tape, rules and regulations regarding almost everything are very heavy handed (the europeons are worse off then we are though)
I seem to qualify points wise and it seems as though Australia wants trained trades there.
I am very curious as to why you would want to leave Australia without at least checking this country out on a temporary basis first. (People ask us the same thing as to why we want to move away from here)
Kyle

[ex bc guide]

What will you chase with your hounds over there Kyle?
Mike

[Steeleco]

im dreaming of a white xmas...........
Well if you want a white Xmas, you don't want ot live too close to the coast, It was 14C today and the last time we had a white Xmas was 1998. Even up country this year is milder than normal.

Have a look in the BC hunting regs below, I think you'll need to be a BC resident for 6 months before you can hunt Big game??

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wild/synopsis.htm

[Barracuda]

the ferel cats they have there are the size of bobcats:) and there is a ton of other animals to chase . pigs etc . I guess we will have to cross the bridge when we get to it . we wont be able to take all our dogs so i guess we will have to pick and choose:???:

[Mooseman]

im dreaming of a white xmas...........

So are most of us! IT'S RAINING :cry:


How about work? Do you have something lined up and wouldn't that effect your choice of where to live?

[shaft]

g'day barracuda.
the thing is, if you start to worry about all the small things or even the big ones you'd never even drive down the street. of couse there are hurdles, but we'll jump them. we lived in nz for a while, same sort of logistical problems, only not so far away. as for red tape. just fill out the forms!!

here in se qld (the highest population growth rate in oz, 50,000 per year) they are SCREAMING for tradesmen. we are building a house at present and haven't been able to get a brickie for 2 months. still waiting on tilers, painters etc.

we may go to BC and rent for a while. then make a decision on the length of time we may stay. but we'll get there.

you will love it here. people are friendly (DON'T go to sydney or melbourne) brisbane is still good and the gold coast, sunshine coast and surfers paradise are close. perth is great and so is the fishing, as is darwin and the fishing, hunting. a tradesman will find a job in one day. they'll fight over you.

and don't worry about red tape, just fill out the forms. dont worry that its a different country. it'll be like home in no time. who cares what people think about where you move or why. life is not a dressed rehersal. you got one go at it. if you want to come to oz, DO IT. dont worry about what others think. aussies are very similar to the english. except we are more laid back and not so stiff backed. americans ,canadians, germans , dutch , nz'ers, all fit in perfectly.

if you plan to come, you may as well stay a while (as we would over there) as the initial cost of moving is the greatest cost.

merry xmas. if i can help you with some advice on your move feel free to pm me.

[shaft]

mooseman.
we are self supporting and have no restrictions on locality. like i said in an earlier post, we aren't rich, we live on rental income.

cant hunt for 6 months eh? i'll be doin some fishin then!!

[oldtimer]

Shaft Love to have you move here. I have lived in various places in B.C. and all except the Vancouver area are great. I live 2 hours north of 100 mile in Quesnel. Great place for all outdoor recreation. But we do get cold in the winter. ( not all winters ) but some. Great place to raise kids or grand kids. After the cariboo I would probably pick the Okanagan but it is getting a little crowded for my liking.
As far as your caliber, your 06 will do very nicely for most game here.
Do you Bow hunt ?? great sport here in B.C.
B.C. has some of the world,s best fresh or salt water fishing. Lake or stream we have it all. Looking forward to another hunter.
Mike

[shaft]

barracuda.
i was thinking about your possible move over here. what is your motivating? is it the fishing? hunting? lifestyle (climate) money?

if hunting and fishing is your motive then the top end, is the go. darwin. water buffalo, pigs in numbers, all the usual ferals , magpie geese, ducks. and the fishing.... barramundi, mangrove jacks and a million other types of BIG fish. the lyfestyle there is laid back. and the climate is great, never cold and most rain falls in a three month period when the weather is at its hottest. oh, and there a crocks. it is illegall to get caught shooting them.:grin:

airfares from darwin to most asian countries is cheap. indonesia is close as is thailand, malaysia. you can have a fun time there cheap!!;-)

cairns would be no 2. great barrier reef fishing, not a great hunting area. but there are pigs there. lots.

darwin. that is the spot. and plenty of work for tradies. they are all mad keen fishermen up there, and many go hunting too, it wont take long for you to find some workmates whom hunt and fish.

[shaft]

g'day old timer, thanks for the welcome.
mate, yes i do bow hunt. bought a hoyt ultra mag some months ago. 60lb. just starting up again after years of rifle hunting. never used peep, sights, release before. mate, that felt awkward the first few times! but wow, makes a difference!

i agree old timer. 30/06. and im thinking a b.a.r.

just a question. in ww11 did the canadians use the ol 303 or 30/06?

[oldtimer]

While I wasn't in it ,the war I mean, the rifle of the Canadian infantry was the Lee Enfield 303. Still lots of them around.
How old are the kids ?? Might make a diffrence where you want to be. Mike

[Barracuda]

A big part of us moving to australia is climate and lifestyle (We both love the heat and the outdoors). I fell in love with Australia and its people when i was there several years back .
Skilled Trades being in demand around the world was one of the reasons i decided to get my C,B and A level qualifications for welding (I did this in the 90s).So now I am a govt certified Ticketed "A" level welder(highest qualification ) which is the equivalent to your welder first class .
I just have to send off my paperwork to the TRA and get everything in order , so we are just putting together the documentation and such and hopefully it wont take to long to get it all dealt with . After we are given approval it is good for two years so we would then sell our house and that sort of stuff, pack what we keep in a container and give away the rest. :grin:

[shaft]

oldtimer.
a 4yo, a 2yo and a 6month old! im 41 and a late starter! the missus is ready for a trade in at 36.:grin:

barracuda.
i know welders are in demand here in town. i couldnt see you having a problem anywhere.

sounds like you mean to move permenantly! i think you will miss BC mate, sooner or later anyway. there will be lots of motivating factors for you to return one day. family, friends, familliarity, fishin, funting etc. try not to make a return home too difficult, keep your house and rent it out. if you've got some equity in your home, use it for the move. don't sell your assets barracuda. a home becomes an asset when you begin to rent it. (if the rent is more than the cost of mortgage and rates etc). and house values appreciate over time. we will go to BC with the idea of returning home one day. how long we stay depends on how much we like it. but we'll have a track beaten for the way home.

i know you'll love it here. darwin is the place for the outdoorsman. kakadu, gove peninsula, ord river, swamps teeming with wildlife, palm trees, coconuts, mangoes, australians!

good luck barracuda

[oldtimer]

well with 3 little munchkins you definitely want to stay away from any big cities. Come up north and enjoy 4 complete seasons. Mike

[shaft]

oldtimer.
ive been looking at quesnel this morning. a really beautiful area, and not too small.

what sort of bow do you have oldtimer? what have you taken with it? im not sure i like the idea of facing a grizzly with a bow. they could do some damage before they died! do you foot hunt them or tree hunt?

i read a book some months ago. klondke mike. you familliar with him? (i dont mean personally)

[oldtimer]

I have a High Country carbon force. 64 pound pull and 31 1/2 draw. Just started hunting last year. took a small buck. no luck this year. Waiting for spring bear.
I wouldn't want to hunt Grizz at all, let alone a bow.
My son , WillyQ , on here is the expert on bows in this family. Pretty good hunter as well Mike