Hunting Botanie valley

[RoverHound]

Anybody hunted Botanie valley? Got some family up that way and was thinking of making a trip in the season.

[Surrey Boy]

I and some fellows had a killer (as in we killed several animals) up Laluwussin, just north of Botanie reserve. Great weather, fun terrain. They'll be going back in the fall, I'll be working a little farther north.

I assume this is the same area, so please forgive me if I'm way off.

[bighornbob]

Anybody hunted Botanie valley? Got some family up that way and was thinking of making a trip in the season.

A lot of first nation pressure.

BHB

[CurryNV]

Isn't there some kind of massive compost dump up there?

[Surrey Boy]

There is a proposed bio-waste facility there, which the indians are largely against for various reasons real or not, but it isn't there yet.

Around Boothanie proper I got alot of menacing looks from people who look like they might hold a status card, but the man at the gas station on the reserve was as happy and helpful as I could ask for. There was a donation jar for somebody's legal defence fund on the counter that I found humourous.

I can't verify hunting pressure, but this May and June I personally observed many large mule deer and black bears, colour phases included. The land contour and foliage allow for different types of hunting and are very scenic; my one complaint is about how hot it gets.

[bsa30-06]

lots of first nation pressure,and there starting to try and make problems for outsiders who want to hunt up there.Have hunted up there lots in the past.

[RoverHound]

Woh, woh. They're starting to make problems for outsider wanting to hunt there? Care to go into detail on that? Kinda distressing.

[troutseeker]

Sheep not far from there... Big ones.

[bighornbob]

Woh, woh. They're starting to make problems for outsider wanting to hunt there? Care to go into detail on that? Kinda distressing.

There was a thread last year about some hunters that were in there and coming back to burned camp at the end of the day. The evidence that it was burned down intentionally was pretty obvious. Not saying who did it, regardless it was burned down.

I was personally told by a local I should hunt else where.

Bhb

[Surrey Boy]

If that happened to me I'd need to buy a new barrel and bolt for my rifle.

[RoverHound]

Oh well, I'm still going. Guess I can't be friends with everyone.

[bcmulie]

RoverHound,

What will you be hunting for? I used to hunt up the Botanie Valley quite a bit, although it's been a few years. If you have specific questions, PM me and I'll try to answer as best I can. I ran into a few First Nations hunters when I hunted up there, and they were always friendly.

It was my cousins camp that was burned up there, although I thought he was camped north of Botanie (Murray Creek FSR) - I'll have to ask him about that, and about who he thinks burned it.

Good luck with your hunting.

bcmulie

[CurryNV]

Camps burnt to the ground? Told by locals not to hunt there? This place seems like it holds a lot of game. If I was a local, I'd be telling people the same stuff. Sounds fairly ambiguous. Anybody have anything helpful besides hearsay?

[bighornbob]

Camps burnt to the ground? Told by locals not to hunt there? This place seems like it holds a lot of game. If I was a local, I'd be telling people the same stuff. Sounds fairly ambiguous. Anybody have anything helpful besides hearsay?

I dont know whats hearsay about someone telling me I should hunt elsewhere or that BCMulie's cousin camp got burnt down (like I said there is a thread on here about it happening). But whatever.

You want helpful. How's this in all the years I have hunted sheep in there (going on probably 15 years) I have only seen about 10 deer. I am not kidding. Mind you I am not road hunting or glassing clearcuts but glassing all the slopes that contain sheep and should contain mule deer but dont for what ever reason.

I also know a native fellow that works in the area and I asked him what he though about the lack of deer and his response was "Lights". You can take that as hearsay or him blowing smoke up my ass or me trying to do it to you.

If you really want to hunt deer there by all means go and knock your socks off (like the saying goes "a bad day of hunting is still better then a good day in the office". I will be there this september and October sheep hunting, if you see me (white chevy truck with a camperette) say hi.

But if you really want to hunt deer, do your self a favour a drive toward Merritt and have a chance at a buck. If you want to hunt sheep come on up and glass the hills with the other 15 or so hunters that can be found in the area on any given weekend.

Like I said say hi if you see me becuase I will be there but not deer hunting.

BHB

[frenchbar]

ive never in all the yrs i hunted up there had any problems with the first nations...and ive bumped into more than a few...and im with bhb much better places to hunt mule deer...plus i hate the sound of screaming 2 stokes.... the bikes have slowly destroyed that area for hunting imo .

[bsa30-06]

Woh, woh. They're starting to make problems for outsider wanting to hunt there? Care to go into detail on that? Kinda distressing.

I started a thread on here about the incident,basically told by a first nation member that i better think twice about hunting up there again,or they could charge me with trespassing for driving up the Botanie Rd.That was the first time in ten years of hunting up there that i ever had a problem.I have sat and talked to many of them when passing on the roads and all were friendly,except for this guy and he was not happy about the waste facility going there either.They have even posted a new no trespassing sign at the start of Botanie rd.

[CurryNV]

I dont know whats hearsay about someone telling me I should hunt elsewhere or that BCMulie's cousin camp got burnt down (like I said there is a thread on here about it happening). But whatever.

You want helpful. How's this in all the years I have hunted sheep in there (going on probably 15 years) I have only seen about 10 deer. I am not kidding. Mind you I am not road hunting or glassing clearcuts but glassing all the slopes that contain sheep and should contain mule deer but dont for what ever reason.

I also know a native fellow that works in the area and I asked him what he though about the lack of deer and his response was "Lights". You can take that as hearsay or him blowing smoke up my ass or me trying to do it to you.

If you really want to hunt deer there by all means go and knock your socks off (like the saying goes "a bad day of hunting is still better then a good day in the office". I will be there this september and October sheep hunting, if you see me (white chevy truck with a camperette) say hi.

But if you really want to hunt deer, do your self a favour a drive toward Merritt and have a chance at a buck. If you want to hunt sheep come on up and glass the hills with the other 15 or so hunters that can be found in the area on any given weekend.

Like I said say hi if you see me becuase I will be there but not deer hunting.

BHB


BHB,

My only concern was that people might be trying to "scare away" other folks. Seems my paranoid disposition on this particular matter was a touch unfounded. People can be odd about where they hunt.

Thanks for the advice on deer, and when I'm up there hunting sheep, I'll sure to say hello.

[frenchbar]

theres other reasons other than hunting on why they want to scare you off ....