Advice needed for Elk jet boat hunting

[300 Wby mag]

Hi guys I'm looking for advice on some choices about where to go for open non LEH Elk hunting in BC.
I have been looking on the web a bit and talking to some friends about this and a couple river names have come up; the Tuchodi and Muskwa rivers.

My boat is big it's a 24' North River it can pack a massive amount of weight for gear and game but it does need a bit more water than the lighter smaller jet boats. If I were fully loaded I would probably need 8" of water non plane or around 5 to 6" planing water.

I've jet boated a lot for fishing but not yet for hunting.

It will be myself and one other guy in my boat and we're hoping to have another couple guys come with their jet boat also but not 100% for sure yet.

I've also been working on ideas to make a platform for the back of my boat to get a quad up on it. The beam is very big and tons of room back there for it. Might make a Moose or Elk hunt much more efficient with it for getting the game out of the bush to the boat.

Any advice or ideas greatly appreciated.

[Bear Chaser]

You should check into the legalities of motorized vehicles in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. I'm pretty sure you would not be permitted to take an ATV anywhere off either of those rivers.

[MuleyMadness]

Here is the best map I have ever found of the park up there...not sure what exactly the legalities for all the various areas, but it's a good starting point...if it's green, assume you aren't allowed anywhere off a designated trail.

http://www.riverjetadventures.com/location.html

[BIGHUNTERFISH]

No disrespect,but I would leave the jet boat home and hunt the East Kootenays around Canal flats for elk.Those rivers are no place for a maiden voyage, way to many things can go wrong if you have that large of a boat without teflon on the bottom and navigating skinny water, with lots of logs and rocks in an area your not familar with.If your set on hunting this area phone Kevin from Riverjet Adventures and he can take you into some awesome hunting area then you can see what you are up against.Good luck on your hunt.

[fourbyfour]

well i don`t own a boat but i`ve been up with Kevin a few time and for the price, i wouldn`t take a boat there. not nowing the river is huge and kevin
nows what he`s doing. so save your boat and go and have a good time .

[Ramshot]

well i don`t own a boat but i`ve been up with Kevin a few time and for the price, i wouldn`t take a boat there. not nowing the river is huge and kevin
nows what he`s doing. so save your boat and go and have a good time .

And where's the fun in that? U ain't going to learn if u don't go. Sure, pay the packer and sit stacked up on the river and hunt the same spot for the next week! Take your own jet-boat and explore and have a good time. God hates a coward:-D. Ramshot

[Bighorn hunter]

And where's the fun in that? U ain't going to learn if u don't go. Sure, pay the packer and sit stacked up on the river and hunt the same spot for the next week! Take your own jet-boat and explore and have a good time. God hates a coward:-D. Ramshot


X2..

The Muskwa is a big river, just be prepared with some gear if you get stuck.Nice to have the ability to move around if you want to.

Cheers
BH

[MuleyMadness]

And where's the fun in that? U ain't going to learn if u don't go. Sure, pay the packer and sit stacked up on the river and hunt the same spot for the next week! Take your own jet-boat and explore and have a good time. God hates a coward:-D. Ramshot

That is all well and good, but you guys know that he's not running the best boat for the job, nor is he experienced at ALL in running the river. Perhaps a trip with someone experienced, be it a friend or paying Riverjet to take you up and learning from them would be the smart course of action.

As for being stacked up on the river, well most guys get dropped off then pack in a bit in order to get off the river, cause it's as busy as many a FSR come elk and moose season. As well, Riverjet will come by and remove your meat if need be, AND they will move camp for you, all included in the basic fee, if you feel the area doesn't hold the animals you want.

It's not cowardly to ask for help or get guidance from experienced people. It is STUPID however, to do something you're not equipped for or knowledgable about...that is how people get hurt and killed...thinking with their balls instead of their brains.

[2SHALLOW]

I came down the muskwa yesterday, hit a few rocks no big deal, my boat is built for it, personally i wouldnt take a boat on that river without plastic but i bet half the people who i see up there dont have it on there boat. Well if you go up good luck and for gods sake be careful up there!! oh ya bring a turfer because im pretty sure you cant push a 24' boat off a gravel bar very easily!! good luck!!

[The Hermit]

If you go lets us know how it turns out. Do you have teflon on your boat?

[Swamp Rat]

And where's the fun in that? U ain't going to learn if u don't go. Sure, pay the packer and sit stacked up on the river and hunt the same spot for the next week! Take your own jet-boat and explore and have a good time. God hates a coward:-D. Ramshot

It has nothing to do about being a coward. Very low water, 24' north river with no UMHW, 1st trip = high possibility of expensive experience. Maybe up the muskwa a ways?? Absolutely not the Tuchodi at this time. just my 3 cents

[2SHALLOW]

Sorry forgot to tell you went for a 30 min ride up the tuchodi and its extremely low, touched at least 8 times and ive boated the river alot and my boat is only 17' long! my advice if your dead set on going up stay on the muskwa and keep asking for updates on water levels!!

[300 Wby mag]

Hey guys thanks a lot for everyone's input!


Here is the best map I have ever found of the park up there...not sure what exactly the legalities for all the various areas, but it's a good starting point...if it's green, assume you aren't allowed anywhere off a designated trail.Thank you I will for sure check out the regs about a quad in the area I'll go in if we can make this trip this season.


No disrespect,but I would leave the jet boat home and hunt the East Kootenays around Canal flats for elk.Those rivers are no place for a maiden voyage, way to many things can go wrong if you have that large of a boat without teflon on the bottom and navigating skinny water, with lots of logs and rocks in an area your not familar with.If your set on hunting this area phone Kevin from Riverjet Adventures and he can take you into some awesome hunting area then you can see what you are up against.Good luck on your hunt.No disrespect taken at all I appreciate the advice. I was under the impression from a lot of videos I've seen on hunting forums, youtube etc..that the Muskwa is not a very skinny river except for the very top area. Not to say it's big but compared to a lot of the tributaries that flow into it; it looks like it has quite good flow and depth? I haven't been on it but have watched whatever vids I could find on it and looked at a lot of still pics of guys on the river with their boats. I do have quite a bit of experience on rivers with my boat fishing though. I'm going to talk with a local jet boat builder tomorrow about adding some teflon to the bottom of my boat. I've never been much for getting guiding of any kind from outfitters. Not that I don't agree with them I just really love learning things on my own or from help of my friends or family or from experienced guys like here on this forum. I won't be going on the Tuchodi river with my boat I do think it's too big and draws too much water for it from what I've seen and read on the net especially since everyone is saying the water is a lot lower this time of year than the norm.

And where's the fun in that? U ain't going to learn if u don't go. Sure, pay the packer and sit stacked up on the river and hunt the same spot for the next week! Take your own jet-boat and explore and have a good time. God hates a coward:grin:. RamshotI've had some of the best experiences and seen some of the most amazing things from exploring the outdoors. Being confined to what a guide wants you to do or where to go just ain't in my blood.

That is all well and good, but you guys know that he's not running the best boat for the job, nor is he experienced at ALL in running the river. Perhaps a trip with someone experienced, be it a friend or paying Riverjet to take you up and learning from them would be the smart course of action.

As for being stacked up on the river, well most guys get dropped off then pack in a bit in order to get off the river, cause it's as busy as many a FSR come elk and moose season. As well, Riverjet will come by and remove your meat if need be, AND they will move camp for you, all included in the basic fee, if you feel the area doesn't hold the animals you want.

It's not cowardly to ask for help or get guidance from experienced people. It is STUPID however, to do something you're not equipped for or knowledgable about...that is how people get hurt and killed...thinking with their balls instead of their brains.I appreciate your advice for sure but that's why I'm trying to find out as much as possible about the area and river before I go. I'll be putting some teflon on the boat before going up. I've been wanting to anyway ever since I got the boat after running over a few bars on the rivers I've been on. The aluminum is starting to get a bit scratched up a bit. I have been over log jams and had to motor hard over a few bars that were too shallow for my boat.
I have a wife and two daughters. I wouldn't do anything stupid or needless to jeopardize not seeing them again. I play safe and my hunting partners are the same way.

I came down the muskwa yesterday, hit a few rocks no big deal, my boat is built for it, personally i wouldnt take a boat on that river without plastic but i bet half the people who i see up there dont have it on there boat. Well if you go up good luck and for gods sake be careful up there!! oh ya bring a turfer because im pretty sure you cant push a 24' boat off a gravel bar very easily!! good luck!!Thanks for your advice! I will for sure get some teflon on it before I go. Definitely be bringing a turfer too but I'm also thinking to be safer I'll bring a gas or electric winch too. I have a small generator and triple batteries on the boat as well.

If you go lets us know how it turns out. Do you have teflon on your boat?I will for sure. Teflon is going on before I go for sure.

It has nothing to do about being a coward. Very low water, 24' north river with no UMHW, 1st trip = high possibility of expensive experience. Maybe up the muskwa a ways?? Absolutely not the Tuchodi at this time. just my 3 centsI have definitely ruled out the Tuchodi and yes I'm getting teflon on the boat. What do you think the shallowest depth is of the Muskwa I'll be going over? I won't go way up where it gets narrow and very shallow.

Sorry forgot to tell you went for a 30 min ride up the tuchodi and its extremely low, touched at least 8 times and ive boated the river alot and my boat is only 17' long! my advice if your dead set on going up stay on the muskwa and keep asking for updates on water levels!!
Yes for sure I won't be going on the Tuchodi with my boat definitely too shallow and narrow.

Thanks a lot for all of your advice guys!
Couple more comments and questions for you guys:
If I do take a quad I'll be putting it on my boat before the hunting trip and running some local rivers with it mounted to test the mobility and handling of my boat with it on there.

What is the shallowest water I will be going over up the Muskwa this time of year? I won't be going up to the top where it gets very shallow and narrow.

I have read on this forum that gas weighs 7lbs/gallon. I'm trying to calculate my gas usage for the trip. I have a 350 Kodiac FI motor and an 80 gallon gas tank. (yes most guys have big blocks in 24' jets but this boat is how the guy ordered it that I bought it from.) My boat is 5000lbs full of fuel. The boats top speed is 40 mph on flat water at 4800 rpm full throttle. I don't trust the gas gauge on the boat too much it is always fluctuating with the boats movements. Does any one have a rough estimate on what my boats fuel economy is? I'm guessing it's around 6-10 gph or 2-4 mpg at around 4000 rpm what do you guys think?

If anyone is going up near the end of Sept/beginning of Oct. with a jet boat it would be great to meet up with you guys.

[BCRiverBoater]

We are leaving Wednesday morning for as far as we can go on the Muskwa.

Loaded you will be every part of 10 gph or even more if really heavy. I run a sportjet and get around 10 gph on my first tank of gas when loaded heavy. By the time I lighten up and head home I usually am down to 6-7 gph. Not too many boats will be under 10 if packing 140+ gallons of fuel and a camp.

[browning]

Just came back down the muskwa on saturday morning..heavy rains has raised the water on the muskwa quite alot..total different river than the sunday before when we went up. water level dropped about 6 inches the week we we were there hunting and rains on friday and overnight raised it about 12 to 18 inches..we were about 3 hours up the muskwa near kluchesi creek. It was my first trip up there. definately an eye opener. Took some advice from an experienced boater at the launch before we left, stay away from the rock walls..it was definately good advice. Excellent trip but still lots to learn, can't wait to go again next year.

[wapitiwhacker]

Tuesday the 21st we'll be headin' upriver, in tandem with Kevin as he is running some gear up for us. Can't wait!! My first trip up there.

[pete_k]

no hijack intended.
What does teflon do? Thinking it goes on the hull?
Must be on very thick.
I can scrape the teflon off my fry pan if I rub it too hard with a scotch pad.

[Swamp Rat]

Just came back down the muskwa on saturday morning..heavy rains has raised the water on the muskwa quite alot..total different river than the sunday before when we went up. water level dropped about 6 inches the week we we were there hunting and rains on friday and overnight raised it about 12 to 18 inches..we were about 3 hours up the muskwa near kluchesi creek. It was my first trip up there. definately an eye opener. Took some advice from an experienced boater at the launch before we left, stay away from the rock walls..it was definately good advice. Excellent trip but still lots to learn, can't wait to go again next year.


So how was the hunting? How did you make out?

[Riverratz]

no hijack intended.
What does teflon do? Thinking it goes on the hull?
Must be on very thick.
I can scrape the teflon off my fry pan if I rub it too hard with a scotch pad.

It's not really "Teflon" as such, but that is the common name given to the product.
The material is actually UHMW "ultra-high molecular weight" polyethylene plastic, most often 1/2" thick and is bought in 4X8 or 4X10 sheets. Very slippery stuff, won't stick to rocks, and virtually indestructible. More importantly it spreads the force of impact (say with a rock) over a very large surface area, thereby stopping, or at least minimizing, hull damage. It still has limitations and more severe collisions can break the studs/bolts holding the UHMW to the hull, or can still result in a split hull. Aluminum sticks to rocks badly and tears open, usually with disastrous results. With UHMW this damage risk is minimized.
It is fastened to the bottom of the hull with a 'bolt-thru-hull" system, or with a type of "welded-plug" method. It is heavy, hard to work with, and very expensive. Typical install (full width & length with double thickness along the keel line and around the intake) on a 18'-20' boat can run approx. $3000-$3500 when the boat is being built, or upwards of $5000 after the boat is built. Some go with a partial UHMW bottom - full lenth but only 4 ft. wide, usually to save some money - not ideal, but it can work, assuming you never hit any rocks with the exposed aluminum that isn't convered with it.
Expensive? yes. Needed? - absolutely, unless you can somehow guarantee yourself you'll never hit a rock. You only have to hit a rock hard once to wish you had it, and then the cost of the UHMW will seem cheap.
Some boats are seen on northern rivers with no UHMW, but I guarantee those boats are being driven by guys who really have the river memorized and a ton of experience........or by fools.

[bridger]

if you have any experience running rivers don't be afraid to head up the muskwa for a first trip. try the tuchodi after you have a little northern experience under your belt. leave the quad home. not many places you can use it either legally or illegally and it is unnecessary weight. water is really low this year and a big boat will be at a dis advantage so go light. don't know if you have teflon on the bottom if not it is kinda like master card don't leave home without it.

[pete_k]

The material is actually UHMD (ultra-high molecular density), most often 1/2" thick

Thanks for explaining RR

[Rock Doctor]

Muskwa level shot up about 3 feet yesterday. Some poor bugger had his truck and trailer wash down the river. There is "Litterally" whole log jams flowing down right now.
I tried to run up this morning, and only made it about an hour up. WAY to much trash flowing down right now.

On the bright side, the water dropped quite a bit today. I left my trailer parked in about 6" of water when I went up, and it was high and dry when I got back.

[browning]

So how was the hunting? How did you make out?
Called out a nice 6 x6 near kuchesi creek, but dissapeared back into the willows before I could get a clear shot. Seemed like the elk would only start calling back about 40 minutes before dark. Definately had lots of fun and a great trip. Caught my first grayling as well, cool looking fish. All in all, a great trip and learned lots about running muddy water. No dents in the boat when I got back to the launch, so that was good for the first trip.