Horsefly bear outing...

[srupp]

So Susan and I and Ebony went out after work this morning to Horsefly to check for bear activity and see how the snow levels were…

7 km before the camping spot we crossed Gibben Creek and ran into a wall of snow perhaps 20 inches deep on the road. Now given that this road climbs in elevation over the next 25 km it would be pretty easily to see two or 3 feet up at the top… I haven't seen this much snow in 30 years.

The lower elevations are greening up nicely and I have no problems in feeling that bears are out happily munching on anything green. Perhaps along the lake it may be easier going but the main road is totally snowed in.

I will attempt to get back in there in the next two and half weeks, but I think perhaps for this year we might be hunting west of the Fraser River or north of Williams Lake.

A couple of bonuses with this deep snow is that no one else has made it in to hunt these bears and there certainly must be patches of open green, however these bears are certainly working and traveling to get enough green vegetation in this area to fill their stomachs.

For the grizzly hunters as I predicted the snow conditions will make a most awesome spring grizzly season and I anticipate a whack of big, well furred bears.

Cheers

Steven

[warnniklz]

these are from June 9 2009... so I'm expecting to be even more snow this year

This is me and my two buddies climbing the snow pack (should have put the camera on auto focus for father)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/climbing.jpg

Me sliding down the snow pack
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/sliding.jpg

This is looking over Horsefly Lake... facing north at the bottom of the snow pack we climbed/slid on
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/lake1.jpg

Hopefully the week after May long there will be some green and a big booner(in my books) wandering around.

[srupp]

ha ha ha ..lol I know exactly where photo #1 and #3 are taken.. exactly..we normally dont go THAT high for spring bear....but the steeply climbing elevation does give a constant supply of fresh nutricious greens for the bears to follow up the hill as it greens up..

today couldnt get 20 yards past the cattleguard just past the ranch....

GREAT PHOTOS of a very familiar area to me..

one fall I left the "little lake" and headed up that very rd and parked my ATV EXACTLY where the grey truck in your photo is...while it was still dark and I was waiting for first light a big non typical mulie buck came down the rd to where you guys are...lit her up in the headlights of the atv..

cheers
Steven

[warnniklz]

That day we passed up a little guy closer to plato island and the redhead missed one near the cattle guard... well he didn't miss. He got out of the truck with rifle in hand and ammo on the center console of the truck.

[Barracuda]

from what i am hearing the snow is still deep so it should be good for limiting access also it will make the roads turn to mush in some areas if it thaws quick

[moosinaround]

That day we passed up a little guy closer to plato island and the redhead missed one near the cattle guard... well he didn't miss. He got out of the truck with rifle in hand and ammo on the center console of the truck.
Well a lesson was learned! Some are born wise, and some otherwise!!;) Moosin

[warnniklz]

Well said moosin... it was his first year hunting and has yet to bag anything. Can't be too hard on the guy. However he did win the boner of the year trophy for his fish and game club for that incident.

[srupp]

Barracuda..EXACTLY..lots of deep snow WILL indeed limit bears to slides and then cutblocks....access will also limit others...those that do want a great bear this your year..

Caution some bridges ie HORSEFLY will be suspect come flooding in late May...take your truck trailer to some elevation till waters go down...
emergency planners are looking at some major flooding as hardly any of the snow pack has started to melt...still gin clear streams

Steven