Pathetic Posthill Lake

[Gunner Staal]

Having just had my ATV tuned up I decided to take a rip up Posthill lake road to giver a test run. Of course, I wasnt going to go without my rifle. Although I have never been on that particular FSR I only live about 5 km away. I have heard about it as being a decent, but over hunted white tail spot popular with locals. Im also aware that this is a popular place for non-hunters to take their ATV's, have fires, go hiking...so on and so on. After my trip today I must say im embarrased to call myself a hunter.

Not 100 meters after turning from paved road onto the FSR are the carcasses of what look to be 3-4 deer. Bones, hides, ribs, hooves scattered all over the road and piled up stinking and rotting. These deer were not shot here, they were thrown out of the back of a pickup truck and piled up without a second thought by an ignorant and undeserving hunter. I realize shooting an animal causes some leftovers, leftovers that should be discarded in the bush, away from public areas. I continued on to the 3km mark and turned off on a spur road not knowing really where I was going. 100 meters after the turn lay another two carcasses, "deboned" if thats what the hunters call deboning, and left in the middle of the road. I dont know when these deer were shot, but it was recent and the amount of meat leftover was terrible. A hack and slash job done in haste ON A ROADWAY. Take the animal somewhere you can properly clean and harvest your meat. How absolutely lazy can you be. I came across several families who were having a bonfire at one of the gravel pits with children and I can only imagine the look on the kids faces as they drove past rotting deer parts scattered on the roadways. Even the most ethical and honest of hunters would have a hard time arguing that scene to the tree huggers.

Look, I know that no one is perfect and we all sometimes do things we shouldnt but this to me was unacceptible. In a society that increasingly slags the pastime that I and most of you are passionate about its these scenes that will be the end of hunting as we know it someday. Yes I reported this to the CO's......who were sitting in the middle of the same road all day today checking every vehicle coming in and out.

[Glenny]

No not hunters...Poachers. Or someone apparently exempt from the law.

[Gunner Staal]

As much as "we" try to distinguish ourselves from "them" its a losing battle. The non-hunting conservative groups see only.....a guy with a rifle, some camoflage and a paper license he got at the hunting shop. I highly doubt that these acts were committed by one toothed red necks screaming and shooting from the back of a pickup truck with a licence from a kellogs box. I would put money on it that these are legally licensed hunters with no ethics, forethought or respect for the sport. We can keep saying their not hunters, their poachers all we want and we understand. The rest of the public doesn't. Just my opinion. Im just getting sick of seing this kind of thing. I guess I shouldn't bitch without a solution.

[Glenny]

Yes I hear you Gman. we are all painted with the same brush by the antis.

[kbb]

what did you think of that shooting gallery on the left past postill swamps. what a mess! Now that is embarasssing! this is what gives hunters a bad name

[Fisher-Dude]

As an aside, you might want to check with the Ministry of Forests in Vernon (558-1700) as to whether Postill is an FSR or a gazetted road. If it's the latter, you don't want to be quadding on it. I had heard they gazetted it, but that may have been only a rumour.

[blackbart]

Goes to show you what happens when you ask about a tree stand and how good the hunting is in that area. Brings in all kinds of riff raff from the www.






Just kidding, never been there and now have no desire to go.

Perhaps the Okanagan members could organize some form of a clean up come December??? Just a thought.

[Wrayzer]

I rarely hunt that area, went up there late last November and right at 3km theres a bank to the left, I saw some ravens, took a peek down and saw half a dozen hides, carcases, heads, the works, some of these from fork/3 point mulies. I mentioned it to the CO's and they went and took a look, didn't hear a follow up. They did say it could be a dumping ground for highway kill.

Not saying thats the case with what you saw, just something I came about.

[Gunner Staal]

If it was in the bush or even over the side of the bank then maybe something I could understand. This was right on the road within steps of the intersection with pavement. I talked to the CO about it. He agreed it was a shit show up there and thats why he was checking people. I felt bad for the guy to be honest. He was doing his best to figure shit out but its pretty tough to do if no one sees it happen. That will be my last trip up there. Was like Schindlers List for deer.

[boxhitch]

Anyone who doesn't like whats going on in the wilds around them should be joining a Wilderness Watch group to help out with the issue.
Walk the talk

[jonz]

I noticed that same stuff too the one time I went up the Postill road several weeks ago. Near the 3 km mark down an embankment was a large pile of animal carcasses including several deer, racoons and something dark haired, it was hard to tell but either a bear or moose. And other carcasses were found in some other areas up there. I was thinking somebody maybe was using it for a roadkill dump area. There were hundreds of ravens around. Overall I found it the grimmest area I have ever seen and I will not be hunting there again.

[ratherbefishin]

SLOBS-thats all you can call them-and its a wonder the PETA doesn't take pictures of it and splash it all over the media.....and every time there is a discussion about a park going ''NO HUNTING''-this is the arguement presented-tough to beat.
Maybe the best thing we can do is pick up garbage and burn offal like that....better than leaving it for the general public to see...

There is one other possable explanation-not saying its true of this case-but I know the animal control officers were dumping road kill carcasses-but over a ravine

[BlackBear]

Over the previous few years, I have had similar experiences. Last year, I stopped hunting that area; however, there are still a few really good, relatively quiet, areas well off the main road. Fifteen years ago or maybe less, before the main road was re-routed, it was a wonderful area to hunt with relatively few people.

[Pete]

The Postall lake rd has become a garbage dump. There is not one single rd that you can go up that does not have garbage dumped on it, left over construction debris, vehicle bodies or part, or the left overs from grow ops. What doesn't have garbage dumped on it has be ripped up by off rd vehicle, birt bikes and quads. Really too bad, nice area.

[Big Lew]

Over the fifty years of my hunting experiences, usually when coming upon scenes as you discribe, it has been "pit-lamp", or night poachers that have shot animals, on, or beside the roads, and then hurriedly slashing off most of the best meat before scurrying away.

[dedapair]

I too live within a few kliks of Postil. I have quaded up there a few times (maybe three) because of it's close proximity. It has always been natorious(sp) for poaching and the dumping of animal carcus. Not that many years ago several cattle were killed and butchered up there. We notified the rancher/owner at the time an he told us of losing more than a dozen so far that year.

I agree with you about it most likely being poachers but unfortunately there are slobs amoungst us whom don't give a rats' @## about images. I'm not sure, but I understand we are not allowed to dump the left overs at the dump anymore either.

[killer_shot]

Post is a sh!t hole dump that for some reason deer like.

Not in this case but i think farmers have dumped deer up there that were prob eating their fruit. Ive seen many a dumped deer up their intact. That being the case it would prob be the place poachers would dump too

[dennisb370]

I was up ther yesterday and saw the same thing and do agree with how disgusting it is.I`ve hunted all my life and can`t believe so called hunters would do this.

[MOUNTAIN MAN - TOYOTA/ATV]

I go to the Postil area lots.

One time, near the small Postil swamp, I saw a pig's head on a stick.

It was scary.

People are crazy.

I just like to walk around on all the trails and enjoy the bush.