Deer hunting the North side of Francois Lake?

[moosinaround]

So I haven't been up hunting in this area for about 7 years. I was just wondering what folks were seeing for mulie activity? I know during the summer I see does with fawns so there must be some breeding bucks. I heard the mine was expanding pretty rapidly too? Hows the beetle wood extraction affecting what yer seeing? Thanks, Moosin.

[todbartell]

probably an area that holds the best chance at a mulie buck in the 180-190 class in 7A. Send 'Stonechaser' a PM, he can give out specific area info to try, he is a local and can help you out 8)

[1899]

Not only big antlered, but some of those bucks in there are absolutely huge bodied animals.

[steel_ram]

Shot a good one there a few years ago. Was in there last week during G.O. Moose and some pin head had set up a camp dead centre of a great deer feeding area.
More sign there than ever. If I had the opportunity I'd love to hunt there mid Nov.

[BCrams]

One of the under the table areas of 7a. There are fantastic bucks along the north side of Francios Lake. A couple 'pocket' areas in the vicinity of Fraser Lake are yeilding very good bucks as well but I'm not the one to ask regarding those pocket spots.

[steel_ram]

There are good patches of deer on the southernish facing slopes of a few of the larger lakes in the area. There were some nice deer on Babine near the old mine sites. Many of the roads in The Burns Lk area are getting deactivated.

[StoneChaser]

Definately an area that harboured some pockets of deer in years past if you knew where to look, but these past few winters have really knocked populations down (winter of '06 had waist deep snow in Oct).

Low enough in fact that I live within 1 hours of some historically decent deer hunting, and have been driving to FSJ again to hunt deer, and then to region 3 later on for the past few years.

Going to old "honey holes" and seeing 1 or 2 deer in a weekend really took the fun out of it for me.

Went out last year for a day and hunted all day in an old spot of mine to see 1 set of tracks (few day old snow).

It takes years to rebuild populations in the fringe areas....add the predator problem we're facing and it doesn't bode well for our mulies any time soon.

At least the regional bio's realized this and shortened the season 15 days and did in with the late bow season for does/bucks.

[David Heitsman]

I assume you mean north side as in east of the ferry crossing. I have run my zodiac down the north side hunting past the road ending and have yet to kill a good deer there but have picked up some reasonable sheds.
I think the area warrants some more time spent there but it's a pretty good haul from the Valley for deer hunting.