Robert_G
09-29-2006, 01:43 PM
I posted this at the other site as well, but thought I'd post it here too.....
We have 9 regions to hunt in BC.. 7a/7b counting as 2.
Taking your favorite game, scenery, overall appeal....in what order do you favor them from greatest to least.
1. My Favorite would have to be 7B. Need to spend more time there ...(usually because of time restraints and fuel costs), but its almost got the remoteness of region 6 but the variety of game in 7B is unequaled anywhere else.
2. Favorite #2 would have to be Region 6. Has more sq miles of remoteness and sheep/moose/cariboo country then anywhere else. Also has more open days of 'any bull' season for over the counter tags (moose) then anywhere else. Also has the biggest Grizz for those who like to hunt the remote coastal areas. Plus where else in the world can you shoot 15 deer a season for 9 months of the year, and then catch a 60 lb Chinook the same afternoon??? http://huntshoot.coastangler.com/hunting/images/smilies/eek.gif
3. Third place is a toss up between region 5, 4 and 7 A.
7A can go from great to fair, depending if you get LEH or not. Without a LEH moose draw, this area is nothing to write home about (especially if you're driving all the way from the LM). If you do get drawn, you're hunting in argueably the greatest moose habitat in the world, so yeah...its hard to know where to place this region.
Region 5 is where I've seen more Mule deer then anywhere else in BC. For a deer hunter looking for a Mule deer just to eat, this is the best place to hunt. Can be good pick if you get a moose draw too. Outside of that, its pretty limited. Both my deer have been harvested in region 5, so I'm kind of partial to the Cariboo region.
Region 4 would be my top choice to hunt out of 4,5, 7A, 'IF' I didn't get drawn for anything. You can see both speices of deer in ANY given area. Long Elk/Sheep seasons not needing an LEH tag. Goat LEHs are a near guarantee in most areas. The sheer numbers of deer exceed region 5 when you take both speices into account. Some of the deer seasons exceed 3 months in region 4. I need to spend more time here.
6th Place....is a toss up between region 3 and 8, but I have to choose region 8 over 3. The south east area is a Whitetail Bonanza, and region 3 just doesn't match up. Both region 8 and 3 can be gong shows at times, but the bottom line is, I see way more game overall in region 8 compared to region 3. The seasons are generally the same, but region 8 just has a huge whitetail edge over 3 which makes 8 more preferable. Not to mention I've seen some nice elk in region 8...
7th Place would be region 3.
Probably my least successful region, although I shot my first bear here, but it was border line region 2. I still don't know if I actually crossed the region line or not..lol. Regardless, it was legal in both regions.
Anyways...this is a region I'm hoping to change my luck in, but until then, it remains 7th place. Considering region 3 brags the biggest Mule deer densities in the province, the short 30 day season is a disapointment, as well as the 'few' sitings I've encountered.
8th Place is region 2..where I live http://huntshoot.coastangler.com/hunting/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif
Can you say gong show? You're more likely to run into grow op ******s then hunters when out in the bush. Not to mention, hunting blacktail is like a lottery. Even the succesful guys down here say finding a blacktail buck is like winning the lottery. With the exception of a few day hunts in Nov up the Harrison and Coq, and spring bear hunting, I steer clear of this area. Harvesting Blacktail Bucks outside of the rut is a pipe dream.
On the other hand, Goose hunting is fantastic.
9th Place would be the Region 1 of course. Ferry costs make the trip to the Island a definete 'NO', when taking everything into consideration.
The only thing that would get me over there, would be an Elk LEH.
As for the open season, the financial cost and actual time of getting there is equal to the cost of getting to region 5 or 4, and given the choice, its pretty obvious where someone with no LEH is going to go. Region 1 is the most limited region for hunting in the province. Deer are medicore at best, and mostly on private land. The success stories of big deer on crown land on the Island are getting less every year.
The big coastal Black Bear would be the high point of region 1 unless you get an Elk draw.
Still...when you look at everything, there is decent to excellent hunting in every corner of the province.
Now..this is just one hunter's opinion, so I'd like to hear where others rate the 9 regions.
We have 9 regions to hunt in BC.. 7a/7b counting as 2.
Taking your favorite game, scenery, overall appeal....in what order do you favor them from greatest to least.
1. My Favorite would have to be 7B. Need to spend more time there ...(usually because of time restraints and fuel costs), but its almost got the remoteness of region 6 but the variety of game in 7B is unequaled anywhere else.
2. Favorite #2 would have to be Region 6. Has more sq miles of remoteness and sheep/moose/cariboo country then anywhere else. Also has more open days of 'any bull' season for over the counter tags (moose) then anywhere else. Also has the biggest Grizz for those who like to hunt the remote coastal areas. Plus where else in the world can you shoot 15 deer a season for 9 months of the year, and then catch a 60 lb Chinook the same afternoon??? http://huntshoot.coastangler.com/hunting/images/smilies/eek.gif
3. Third place is a toss up between region 5, 4 and 7 A.
7A can go from great to fair, depending if you get LEH or not. Without a LEH moose draw, this area is nothing to write home about (especially if you're driving all the way from the LM). If you do get drawn, you're hunting in argueably the greatest moose habitat in the world, so yeah...its hard to know where to place this region.
Region 5 is where I've seen more Mule deer then anywhere else in BC. For a deer hunter looking for a Mule deer just to eat, this is the best place to hunt. Can be good pick if you get a moose draw too. Outside of that, its pretty limited. Both my deer have been harvested in region 5, so I'm kind of partial to the Cariboo region.
Region 4 would be my top choice to hunt out of 4,5, 7A, 'IF' I didn't get drawn for anything. You can see both speices of deer in ANY given area. Long Elk/Sheep seasons not needing an LEH tag. Goat LEHs are a near guarantee in most areas. The sheer numbers of deer exceed region 5 when you take both speices into account. Some of the deer seasons exceed 3 months in region 4. I need to spend more time here.
6th Place....is a toss up between region 3 and 8, but I have to choose region 8 over 3. The south east area is a Whitetail Bonanza, and region 3 just doesn't match up. Both region 8 and 3 can be gong shows at times, but the bottom line is, I see way more game overall in region 8 compared to region 3. The seasons are generally the same, but region 8 just has a huge whitetail edge over 3 which makes 8 more preferable. Not to mention I've seen some nice elk in region 8...
7th Place would be region 3.
Probably my least successful region, although I shot my first bear here, but it was border line region 2. I still don't know if I actually crossed the region line or not..lol. Regardless, it was legal in both regions.
Anyways...this is a region I'm hoping to change my luck in, but until then, it remains 7th place. Considering region 3 brags the biggest Mule deer densities in the province, the short 30 day season is a disapointment, as well as the 'few' sitings I've encountered.
8th Place is region 2..where I live http://huntshoot.coastangler.com/hunting/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif
Can you say gong show? You're more likely to run into grow op ******s then hunters when out in the bush. Not to mention, hunting blacktail is like a lottery. Even the succesful guys down here say finding a blacktail buck is like winning the lottery. With the exception of a few day hunts in Nov up the Harrison and Coq, and spring bear hunting, I steer clear of this area. Harvesting Blacktail Bucks outside of the rut is a pipe dream.
On the other hand, Goose hunting is fantastic.
9th Place would be the Region 1 of course. Ferry costs make the trip to the Island a definete 'NO', when taking everything into consideration.
The only thing that would get me over there, would be an Elk LEH.
As for the open season, the financial cost and actual time of getting there is equal to the cost of getting to region 5 or 4, and given the choice, its pretty obvious where someone with no LEH is going to go. Region 1 is the most limited region for hunting in the province. Deer are medicore at best, and mostly on private land. The success stories of big deer on crown land on the Island are getting less every year.
The big coastal Black Bear would be the high point of region 1 unless you get an Elk draw.
Still...when you look at everything, there is decent to excellent hunting in every corner of the province.
Now..this is just one hunter's opinion, so I'd like to hear where others rate the 9 regions.