ELK in Quesnel???????

[.330 Dakota]

I was at a fellow's ranch in Quesnel today where he showed me the biggest Elk antler I have ever seen. It was from a 6 point bull and the bases were about 3.5 inches in diameter. He said it was a shed he found on his ranch, and that there are a herd of elk living there that he feeds in the winter.
I had no idea there were elk in the Quesnel area.
Any Input??

[kwasky]

Were you out east of Quesnel? Theres a few out that way that i know of. I was out there last night looking for a bear and saw a herd of them in a field.

[ROEBUCK]

I hear theres a few north of quesnel also around hixon.

[.300WSMImpact!]

see them around quesnel lake too

[LYKTOHUNT]

Yes there is actually quite a few the most I have seen are just east of Quesnel around the bridge going across the Quesnel River at Gravell ferry. I have seen some very big ones out there. There is also some out on the Old Prince George highway and then more out closer to Hixon

[XPEIer]

I was watching two nice bears in a field east of Quesnel last year, then looked to the back edge of the field and there were was a herd of about 13 elk watching both me and the bears. Good to see for sure.

xpeier

[Jagermeister]

There are elk in every direction from Quesnel, some up the Blackwater Road, some down the West Fraser Road, over the Gravelle Ferry. Just not enough numbers to make it an open season. I know that there are quite a few ranchers getting compensated for "haystack damage" from MOE
The Elk in the Skelton Valley and over by Quesenl Lake probably originate from the elk herds that pre-dated the die off in the early 1800s of so I was told by a regional wildlife biologist back when he was trying to get some transplants into the Gaspard/Churn Creek areas.
The elk in the vicinity of Hixon are new comers also and are actually in region 7 which has an GOS on them but they're a wary lot.

[.330 Dakota]

Were you out east of Quesnel? Theres a few out that way that i know of. I was out there last night looking for a bear and saw a herd of them in a field.

I was on the Blackwater Rd just west of Quesnel near Bouchie Lake

[.330 Dakota]

Thanks for the info Guy's, I learned something today

[Chuck]

Oh no! So much for the Mulies then.

[E.B.]

Saw two spike bulls and a cow at hallis lake. 10 kms SE of quesnel.

[.330 Dakota]

It would be nice to have an elk season so close to home

[leadpillproductions]

Years ago i seen a cow out at big lake close to likely

[TPK]

The Quesnel Rod and Gun Club had worked with the Region 5 MOE folks to see if we could get a season. We were told if we could get consecutive counts of over 100, the MOE would consider a season. The two problems we faced in doing this and why we gave up were, one, the road transects that we were inventorying the Elk on were often not where the Elk were, so counts were very low. The second and likely largest issue was we were told that even if we did get good counts, the MOE had to get First Nations buy in to open a season. So much for wildlife management based on science and inventory numbers ....

[Jagermeister]

Saw two spike bulls and a cow at hallis lake. 10 kms SE of quesnel.
Up until a few years ago, that essentially was my backyard. It's not suprising that the elk have entered into that area. A friend has a ranch at the foot of the Hydraulic Road as it comes down to the river and and he had elk at his ranch frequently. From his place to Hallis Lake is a mere hop-skip and jump. Also too is the fact that the Hallis Lake area is a community pasture making it ideal elk habitat.

[srupp]

hmmm there are approx 300 or so head of elk just south of Quesnel..and before Moorehead lake ..as the crow flies....seen maybe 100 in one day while moose hunting..in various groups of 15 -20 in different spots through that valley....

and some closer to the highway north of McLeese lake....

cheers
Steven

[David Heitsman]

I grew up on a ranch south of Kersley and left in '79 never hearing about any elk in Quesnel. Now I've heard of them at up the Quesnel River and also Marguerite area.

[CanuckShooter]

BIG bull elk are living in James Mountain area [south east of Quesnel].......in November at least.......

[griz325]

That herd out on the Black water road has been there for years as when I hauled loggs out of that area you would always see them at the hay bales he put out.Yes there are some nice bulls there.

[tinhorse]

I wonder how long before they are in the Chilcotin area/alexis creek and into the grass lands (or what used to be grasslands before the cattle grazing leases took over).

[.330 Dakota]

hmmm there are approx 300 or so head of elk just south of Quesnel..and before Moorehead lake ..as the crow flies....seen maybe 100 in one day while moose hunting..in various groups of 15 -20 in different spots through that valley....

and some closer to the highway north of McLeese lake....

cheers


Steven

Thats a fair amount of critters Steve. Wouldnt that support an LEH season for bulls in that area?

[Jagermeister]

Thats a fair amount of critters Steve. Wouldnt that support an LEH season for bulls in that area?
Patience my man, patience.
When I moved to Quesnel in 1972, there were no elk aside from the Skelton Valley herd in the vicinity of Moorehead Lake. And from what Harold Mitchell told me, they were not expanding because they most likely were aborting due to inbreeding. For that herd to expand it's numbers as Rupp reports, there had to be an infusion of new herd stock by some means to kick start it.
In the mean time, elk started to appear to the south of Hixon and across the Fraser River out towards Titown/Pelican Lakes, which now have an open season.
The Blackwater group frequented the ranch at the eastern base of Milburn Mountain. This herd had some nitwit knock off a few a number of years ago, which incurred a setback in increasing herd size.
The herd out Gravelle Ferry way also had some poaching happen.
And Dave Heitsman would be interested to know that about 6 or 7 years ago, there was a huge elk killed in a highway collision between Kersly and Red Bluff on the southern fringe of Quesnel.
In time, and probably within the next 5 years or so, there may be enough to cause an open GOS. With all the beetle kill wood harvested, the elk should have very good forage and that can lead to increase herd numbers.

[srupp]

Im not an expert on what #s it takes to get an open season...I didnt see any "huge " bulls but some decent ones...good amount of calves.....seems to me that many in that area..how many more in ajacent areas???


steven

[KevinB]

A friend has a ranch at the foot of the Hydraulic Road as it comes down to the river

That wouldn't be Cameron's place would it? He hates "those darn elk"!

[Jagermeister]

That wouldn't be Cameron's place would it? He hates "those darn elk"!No, a little closer to town. Opposite side of the road.
Cameron is a displaced Montana rancher and displaced Montana ranchers are notorious for hating elk, like the one's out Gaspard/Churn Creek way. Try to gain access across or on to his land to hunt, and he will flatly deny you. I'm of the opinion that he chirps about the elk to give credence to his compensation claim for agriculture damage.
I think that when it comes, access for hunting elk will be be hard to obtain on the west side of the Fraser too.

[KB90]

The last couple springs there are all kinds of elk at Hallis lake.

Here's a video from last spring, three bulls. Also saw a group of 20 or more later in the evening (cows and calfs and 2 bulls). Although soon as fall rolls around they leave back to the farmland...

I have also ran into a herd of elk around nyland lake on the 500 road. Nice big bull with them. I had some good pics and video but lost them when my computer crashed...

The biggest most beautiful bull hangs out on the Gilsons property in the fall. I'll try and dig up a pic, if I remember correctly he's a 8x7.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9APmWOQk2jY

[3kills]

i seen a huge 8x7 a couple years ago up the hydraulic road area on a ranchers property. I had my crappy camera with me so couldnt get a good pic i will see if i still have the crappy pic i took

[Jagermeister]

Gilson's, that was the name I was trying to remember. If they are in the community pasture now, they should be over the hill and into backyard soon, eh KB90?

[.330 Dakota]

Im not an expert on what #s it takes to get an open season...I didnt see any "huge " bulls but some decent ones...good amount of calves.....seems to me that many in that area..how many more in ajacent areas???


steven
Good point Steve.............

[KevinB]

No, a little closer to town. Opposite side of the road.
Cameron is a displaced Montana rancher and displaced Montana ranchers are notorious for hating elk, like the one's out Gaspard/Churn Creek way. Try to gain access across or on to his land to hunt, and he will flatly deny you. I'm of the opinion that he chirps about the elk to give credence to his compensation claim for agriculture damage.
I think that when it comes, access for hunting elk will be be hard to obtain on the west side of the Fraser too.

The elk have apparently been pretty hard on fences. I get the impression that the fence damage is a lot more of an inconvenience than the crop damage.

[Jagermeister]

The elk have apparently been pretty hard on fences. I get the impression that the fence damage is a lot more of an inconvenience than the crop damage.
That could very well be. A stubborn old cow elk probably would pop a strand of two if she had the notion that she didn't want to jump. Moose can be heavy duty on a fence until they get used to them. When the road was or improved in the McBride/Tete Jeune area in the mid 70s, the highways dept put the range fence up along the highway. The moose, being not accustomed to the new fence were busting wire on a regular basis in their migration down to valley bottom. The contractor was kept busy mending fence for awhile.
I know that the farmers get really up tight about the elk into the haystacks. Elk can devour round bales in pretty short order. And bull elk can be pretty disruptive during cattle breeding season too, if it's in estrus, they are game to get the rocks off.

[hunter1947]

If me I would talk to this rancher that found this shed and ask him to tell you where he found it and if it is huntable land.