The start of a Booner Season..

[coach]

Nothing has died yet - but I'm determined to do a little better than last year. Hopefully no more boner bucks. :mrgreen: Maybe I'll find a gronk mulie, a toad whitey, my first bull elk and a respectable bear. Anyway.. instead of waiting until the end of the year, I'll try to update this thread throughout the season.

I know I was pretty bored last week, because I started a thread about cutting myself shaving. I'll be the first to admit, it was extremely high on the lame scale. One of the guys I respect on this forum gave me a nasty shot about it and I took his advice to heart..


You cut yourself shaving.....
Put Band Aids on your face.
Took photos....uploaded them to the intraweb.....
...and started a thread on here about it?

Are you fu.cking serious?
Go to a 3D Archery shoot, reload some shells, tie some flies or go drill a Coyote or bear, will ya?
Get a life.
Cheers
:grin:

Thanks, Dude - I'm back on track now. :-D This thread will be 100% hunting related.

[coach]

A couple weeks ago, I made a trip out to the west of Okanagan Lake - looking for Yogi. Along the way, there was sign that the Mulw deer population is strong - but getting the hell out of the Okanagan and heading for the high country in region 3..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_1986.jpg

Although I never caught up with the herd, there were plenty of small groups spotted along the way. This little guy had a pretty shaggy coat:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_1989.jpg

This was part of a group of 10. One had antlers that were already pushing out past his ears. Several others only had little bumps. Unfortunately, I didn't get pics of the promising buck.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_1992.jpg

[Ourea]

Coach, good luck on the gronk mule deer this season! I am sure the story will be a classic if successful.
I've been out quite a bit this spring scouting in the back country. Areas that I frequent that usually hold bucks this time of year are pretty thin this year. Think guys are going to have to work a little harder and a lot smarter to close on a trophy buck this coming season.

.......and yes, The Dude is a beauty isn't he, LOL.

[coach]

This doe didn't want to leave her bed, but kept her nose in the wind, trying to figure out if that black dodge was a threat or not:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_1990.jpg

[coach]

Coach, good luck on the gronk mule deer this season! I am sure the story will be a classic if successful.
I've been out quite a bit this spring scouting in the back country. Areas that I frequent that usually hold bucks this time of year are pretty thin this year. Think guys are going to have to work a little harder and a lot smarter to close on a trophy buck this coming season.

.......and yes, The Dude is a beauty isn't he, LOL.

Thanks Ourea! My kids will have their own tags this year (when I can finally get the CORE examiner to put on a course for them). This means they can take on the "pressure" of filling the freezer and I can look for booners..

[coach]

In two afternoons bear hunting, I managed to spot three bears. The first was a borderline shooter - but right beside the main road and very early in the trip. Not really what I was after. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. The second was a beauty. I got myself setup on my pack, laid down, put the crosshairs on his shoulder.. and hit the dirt directly over him. The miss was confirmed by my hunting partner, who watched everything through his binos. The shot was about 220 yards, but I was shooting straight downhill and did a really shitty job figuring out the trajectory. Lesson learned - and even more ammunition for my hunting partners to rib me with! The third bear was a huge chocolate that ran like a bat out of hell as soon as he heard the truck. Although we made a slow stalk in the direction he ran, we never caught up with him.

Unfortunately, I have no bear pictures from those first two hunts. There was still a fair amount of snow in the area and very little green grass. I figure it should be good out there by now though - with the warmth and precipitation we've had recently.

[coach]

The best part about HuntingBC is the people you connect with that have the same passion for hunting and the outdoors. After posting my story of the "boner" buck, last fall, I met Wrayzer. Circumstances were rather humorous. We were out getting a Christmas tree, when we came across a group of people at the base of a steep hill, looking at a truck that had slid sideways into the ditch. Normally, I would stop and help - but I figured there was enough people there already and that they all must be together. The road was slick, but I inched my way past everyone and continued up to get our tree. A couple hours later, we came back with our tree and the truck was still where it had been - in the ditch. A couple kilometers later, the couple who had been in the truck were sitting at the side of the road. I pulled over, asked if they needed help and apologized for not helping earlier (turned out they weren't with the other group of people after all).

"You're coach!" was the response I got. "I'm Wrayzer, I know you from HuntingBC." Kinda funny - but he recognized me and my daughter from the pictures I had posted on this website.

It turned out he had a ride coming to pick him up and the situation was under control, so we continued on home. Wrayzer and I have PM'd a fair amount since then and yesterday got together for a bear hunt.

[coach]

It turns out my new hunting partner is a great guy. He didn't have time to pick up a license or tags - so he left his rifle at home and took on the roll of camera man. After a quick tutorial on how to use my Canon - we were on our way. No bears were spotted, but we did see a few critters along the way:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2053.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2054.jpg

The most amazing thing about watching this moose was that a second after Wrayzer took the pictures, it walked behind a small bush and completely disappeared from sight. Although we watched for a quite a while, she never showed herself again. This was in a pretty open area - with seemingly not a ton of cover. The experience really highlights the importance of taking your time when glassing an area. If a moose can hide that easily, it would be extremely easy to miss a deer or bear.

[coach]

Later in the day, we spotted these strange looking critters:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2059.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2058.jpg

We spotted several mulw deer and whitetails throughout the afternoon - including a WT buck who already has 5 inch brow tines and main beams that are sticking straight out past his ears. I'm thinking he's got potential. Unfortunately, it was too dark for a picture.

Although we didn't see any bears, we were both pretty pumped about a great afternoon out and are full of optimism for the rest of the season.

To be continued, whenever I get back for another hunt...

[monasheemountainman]

Good start gentlemen!

[sawmill]

It was a mild winter here and the game seems to have done well.Another winter of full freezers coming up.Maybe a big rack too but I don`t think I`m allowed in the nudie bar for at least 8 more months.

[Wrayzer]

Looks like I found a new hobby if I can't fill my freezer...in the words of Old Uncle Rico I Might as well do somethin' while I'm doin nothin'.

[coach]

Good start gentlemen!

Thanks, Ben. Looking forward to hunting with you this season as well.

[vortex hunter]

lets put some bear on the ground boy's I already tagged out for the Year lol

[kennyj]

Thats more like it! Great photos.
kenny

[Tikka270wsm]

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your season. While out hunting yesterday, my buddy and I were talking about the amount of game a guy see's in other parts of the province compared to the island and how it's easy to get complacent here. Looks like you guys saw alot of wildlife that day making for a great outing.

We did manage to see 6 bears, 3 deer, a bunch of grouse and a fresh wolf kill in the middle of the mainline which for here is a great evening hunt. But it sure must be nice to have the variety of game you guys have in your area. Never a dull moment I guess, hey?

[300H&H]

It turns out my new hunting partner is a great guy. He didn't have time to pick up a license or tags
.

Sniff...Sniff....looks like I've been replaced already.:icon_frow
I guess I should have tried harder to get you your turkey.
Sorry !

[coach]

Not at all, Rick! I look at it as assembling a "crew". One of us will be bound to connect with a booner sometime.

[sawmill]

[QUOTE=Ourea;115532
.......and yes, The Dude is a beauty isn't he, LOL.[/QUOTE]

Yeah,we danced a few times:mrgreen:
Pretty whippy guy,if you gonna tangle with him you gotta pay attention and keep your sense of humour.:twisted:

[Ourea]

Yeah,we danced a few times:mrgreen:
Pretty whippy guy,if you gonna tangle with him you gotta pay attention and keep your sense of humour.:twisted:


He's a pretty sharp cat, gotta give him that. If anyone wants to put him in their sights they best be prepared as you said. His tremendous sense of humour is quite a weapon.
Good character to have actively involved on this sight if you ask me.

[coach]

I gotta agree with you on that one, Ourea! He's definitely a welcome character here.

[sawmill]

We tangled(in fun),we called it a draw.But I actually won.

[300H&H]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzq5dzoRwf1r5lw8d.gif


Im just a little emotional right now.
That news hit me hard and I have to try to sort out my feelings.

[coach]

Looks like my thread has officially been derailed! I'll try and get it back on track..

Walking through the woods lately, I've heard an awful lot of "thump, thump, thumping". I've been under the assumption that the male grouse are pumping out their chests and beating their wings to attract hens. Turns out - it might be Rick beating his head against trees.:-D

I took these pics a couple years ago - the date was May 25. Must be peak rut for these birds:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/May25-kidsatPredatorRidge011.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/May25-kidsatPredatorRidge024.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/May25-kidsatPredatorRidge023.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/May25-kidsatPredatorRidge022.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/May25-kidsatPredatorRidge021.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/May25-kidsatPredatorRidge012.jpg

All of these pics are of the same bird.

[frenchbar]

very nice pics sean ! i gotta get out and snap a few .

[The Dude]

Call it tough love, Coach. I like your stuff here, and that shaving thread floored me. :grin: I had a
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj313/Heliox18/Forum%20Ammo/tumblr_lik0ppNEBl1qaieua.gif moment, but I'm OK now.
Thx for the kind words gents.
Ourea: I'm off to kill some Asian couriers.....will update by email. You know what I'm sayin' :grin:

[The Dude]

We tangled(in fun),we called it a draw.But I actually won.

Sez who? Oh, and btw, your wife is out of deodorant. :D

[5 spike]

Good luck coach on your season. cant wait for the updates.

[300H&H]

Looks like my thread has officially been derailed! I'll try and get it back on track..

Walking through the woods lately, I've heard an awful lot of "thump, thump, thumping". I've been under the assumption that the male grouse are pumping out their chests and beating their wings to attract hens. Turns out - it might be Rick beating his head against trees.

Yah ! Cudda been me.
All tho the only time for sure it was me was when my Dad had "tom" turkey 20 yards in front of him this spring and he did not pull the trigger.
On second thought maybe it was me thumping his head against a tree.:mrgreen:

OK enough distractions....back on track to a booner year.

[hunter1947]

Very nice pistures thanks for sharing and good luck this fall with your mule deer hunt ,hope you get your dream buck...

[coach]

Very nice pistures thanks for sharing and good luck this fall with your mule deer hunt ,hope you get your dream buck...

Thanks, Wayne! Thanks to you too, for sharing so many pictures and videos here on HBC.

[coach]

Weekly update: Not much chance to hunt this weekend. We camped at Fintry Friday and Saturday nights, but I drove back to Kelowna Saturday morning and put in a few hours teaching golf before heading back to join the family. We did a little geocacheing and I scouted a few new (to me) areas that looked promising. After packing up camp today, I made a little detour for a few hours this afternoon. Unfortunately, I had to be back to pick my daughter up at the airport this evening - so I missed out on the best part of the day.

Along the way, I spotted a band of sheep above the road. There was a good spot to pull out and I made a little stalk in and took some pictures:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2122.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2119.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2107.jpg

[coach]

I photographed the young ram a few weeks ago and posted pics in a different thread. To my very pleasant surprise today, there were six brand, spanking new lambs in the group. I figure this is a pretty good sign with respect to the health of the herd.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2095.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2102.jpg

The ram paid very little attention to me. I got within 20 yards of him and he decided I was no threat so he bedded down. This old ewe seemed most curious about what I was doing so close to the group.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2099.jpg

[coach]

Although I didn't have a ton of time on my hands, I ventured a fair distance into the back country anyway. The truck was fully loaded with all our camping gear and I had a bike rack with three bikes hanging off the back - perfect for road hunting. Ha ha.. If I'd seen a bear, I'm not so sure I would have pulled the trigger anyway, since the only space left for him would have been in the passenger seat.

Along the way, I spotted about 25 mulw deer. This was a group of 8:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2127.jpg

This little guy was just starting to grow his first set of antlers. He was still hanging with (I assume) his mom and sister.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2129.jpg

[coach]

We spotted this doe the night before - I forgot to mention it earlier. From the look of her belly, I think she's gonna be dropping a couple fawns any day now. Either that or she's recently moved here from Mississippi (Fattest state in the USA for the last 6 years running).

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2092.jpg

[coach]

I managed to make a quick tour of the area where I missed the bear a little while back. There's a lot more green out there now and a decent amount of sign. This was such a perfect paw print beside a mud puddle that I had to stop and take a picture:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2131.jpg

Chilko decided she'd see how her footprints compared to the bears and jumped into the slimy mud then right back onto my leather seats. I though briefly about testing my .300wsm on her - but decided I'd let it go this time.:-D

A busy week of work coming up. Hopefully I'll get out next weekend. I'm running out of time to find a booner spring bear.

[coach]

Here's a little video I made of the sheep:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_2123.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_2123.mp4)

[hunter1947]

Fantastic pictures you took as for the video clip of the sheep ,I noticed that there is a second ram laying down behind the fist ram I can see is horn sticking up ,thanks very much for sharing your outing with us HBC members ,PS keep up the nice picture taking and filming on your outings I like http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon6.png http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.png..

[coach]

Good eye, Wayne. He's in the background of this picture:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2105.jpg

There are several rams his age in the herd. There's also a group of three larger rams - but I haven't run across them lately. One was a 3/4 curl two years ago. There's another that's apparently close to full curl. I hope to photograph that group one of these days.

[300H&H]

There are several rams his age in the herd. There's also a group of three larger rams - but I haven't run across them lately. One was a 3/4 curl two years ago. There's another that's apparently close to full curl. I hope to photograph that group one of these days.

Just let me know when your are going and I will give you a couple of spots you may not have tried.

[coach]

Very little to report this week. The weather in Kelowna has sucked. From the range I work at, I've watched the snow line move up and down the local hills in our area. Yesterday morning there was fresh snow just above the KVR. Apparently the Coquihalla has been a mess and I've heard reports of fresh "pow" at Big White and Silver Star. Lucky for me - I've stayed busy at work and couldn't get out to hunt anyway. Tomorrow will be my last chance at a spring bear - so I plan to make the most of it. The forecast looks great: skies are clearing, weather is warming up to 23 in town. Hopefully the bruins have been hunkered down all week and will be out in force once the sun hits the hills. I'll be heading out mid-day with a couple HBC'ers and will put in an honest effort until dark. Hopefully there will be some pics and a story to share on Monday morning.

Good luck to anyone else out hunting this weekend.

[Wrayzer]

Better see some bears hit the dirt this week! If ya need a camera man again let me know, my portfolio is filling up.

[dave_fras]

jefff buddy... he isnt taking pics at gyro! haha

[coach]

jefff buddy... he isnt taking pics at gyro! haha

Dave , the kid was a bit shaky photographing elk. I don't think he'd stand a chance taking pics of jiggly things.

[Wrayzer]

Tough taking photos from a boat...................

[coach]

Tough taking photos from a boat...................

True! I really should post that video.

[300H&H]

Ya just get home from a grueling bear hunting trip and your on HBC already ?
Time to go to bed !
Had a great time...

[coach]

Ha ha. Always gotta check in. Thanks for a great day, Rick. I'll post up a couple pics tomorrow. No booners on any of my tags yet - but we did see some promising areas with plenty of animals for the fall.

[coach]

A few pics from yesterday's hunt with 300H&H:

I first met Rick through this website a couple years ago. He asked a question about moose in an area where he had an LEH draw. As I've hunted that zone a fair amount, I pm'd him some info. Although he didn't connect with a bull that year, he did see cow and calf moose in the places I told him to look. As we drove by a spot yesterday, he said, "Dad and I saw a moose right down there... Hey! There's a moose! Right where dad and I saw one." It was good for a laugh and a few pics. Situations like this are pretty common. I'm sure we've all got similar stories.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2134.jpg

This guy won't be a booner this year. Unfortunately, he's likely to be bigger than a fork too. Regardless, I plan to scout the area this summer. Hopefully he'll stay close and I can keep track of his antler growth.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2135.jpg

[300H&H]

If the weather dries out alot and we don't get any more rain his antler growth could be stunted.
So lets not give up hope on him just being a spike/fork just yet.
Atleast I know when he might be.


http://www.animateit.net/data/media/175/moose.gif (http://www.animateit.net/details.php?image_id=333&sessionid=d14efe9fa5f4d35cdd6a4c61fa2fb1f8)

[coach]

Here's another moose pic:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2138.jpg

We also saw lots of these:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2144.jpg

Most of the deer are now sporting their summer coats. Several does looked very fat and none had this years fawns with them. Not sure on the timing of them dropping their fawns, but I suspect there will be lots of little ones running around out there soon. Saw several bucks - all with antlers just getting started. None that looked like they'll reach any size this year - but I know where I'll be taking my kids on September 1st. :-D

[coach]

Hunting is done for the spring - but I made a quick jaunt up the hill today to photograph the garbage situation from my other thread. I managed to spot these guys while on my way down:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2185.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2184.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2181.jpg

Not booners, by any stretch, but it will be interesting to see how big they get by September.

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2177.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2176.jpg

Good to see the little bucks around. Even better when I can get pics of them.

[coach]

I thought this was pretty cool. Click to view video:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_2173.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_2173.mp4)

[91Jason91]

cant wait to see the end of this thread in dec to see all the animals
great job on the pics

[Wrayzer]

Some potential on those boner mulw deer thats for sure.

Good eye on that whitey, Fisher Dude may take note on your road hunting skillz....

[coach]

Finally got a couple pictures of a turkey vulture:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2282.jpg

Lighting sucked and I should have been using the tripod - but we were on our way up to clean up the FSR when the shot presented itself.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2283.jpg

[coach]

Saw this little gaffer on the road up to the Tough Mudder. There sure are a lot of bears in the Whistler area. Saw two this color - didn't realize there were so many color phase in that area.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2230.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2232.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2231.jpg

Definitely the face of a young bear. Likely first year away from mom.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2233.jpg

[coach]

With the LEH results now online - the Booner season has taken a couple of very exciting twists. I managed to draw 7-57/58 zone A bison draw for November 1 to 15! I'll be leaning heavily on my fellow HBC'ers for assistance preparing for this hunt. And... Even better.. My long time hunting partner, Shootthesheep, punched another of his friend's number into the computer yesterday and learned he'd won the ultimate draw - kamloops lake sheep!! I'm hoping to get involved in some serious summer scouting and possibly accompanying the boys on the hunt with my camera in hand. This truly has the makings of a booner year!

[Bc Deer Hunter]

With the LEH results now online - the Booner season has taken a couple of very exciting twists. I managed to draw 7-57/58 zone A bison draw for November 1 to 15! I'll be leaning heavily on my fellow HBC'ers for assistance preparing for this hunt. And... Even better.. My long time hunting partner, Shootthesheep, punched another of his friend's number into the computer yesterday and learned he'd won the ultimate draw - kamloops lake sheep!! I'm hoping to get involved in some serious summer scouting and possibly accompanying the boys on the hunt with my camera in hand. This truly has the makings of a booner year!

Good luck Coach, thats awesome that you drew a bison and best of luck with the kammy sheep hope you can get it on film that would be so cool :)

[Wrayzer]

Wow Shoothesheep won the kamloops draw eh, unreal.

[coach]

Wow Shoothesheep won the kamloops draw eh, unreal.

Not quite - it's a friend of his, but he will be along on the hunt and I'm hoping to photo and video the whole thing, from scouting to the end of the hunt.

[Wrayzer]

Now that my head is on right and I got some sleep after a 12 hour work day, I can read properly that it was Brians buddy who pulled it. That is incredible.

If they need a shaky hand for the camera work Im your guy....but if they like watching and not feeling like they are on the corkscrew at the PNE, I'd have to bow out.

[coach]

Went for a little drive tonight through regions 8, 3 and 2 and back - spotted a few critters along the way. About 20 mulw deer, 6 WT's and a moose. Managed to get a video of two mulw bucks out of a bachelor group of 4.

Click to view video:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_2460.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_2460.mp4)

This one had pretty good width - I'd like to know if he'll stay a fork this season or fork again.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2458.jpg

[coach]

I spotted these guys a little closer to the region 2,3 border. Unfortunately, the big guy had his head in the bushes when I snapped this picture.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2439.jpg

The wind was blowing from them to me and traffic was going by non-stop so I figured I could get closer for a picture. As they were feeding toward the trees, I thought I should move quickly to get a clear shot. Despite all of the traffic noise, I stepped on a small branch and the big guy took off like I'd shot a bullet at him..:sad:

[coach]

The smaller one also bolted for cover, but popped back out shortly after. We had a stare off for several minutes and I snapped a number of pictures. He's a decent buck - but nowhere near as big as his buddy.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2440.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2441.jpg

[coach]

He's a good lookin' fella..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2446.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2454.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2453.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2452.jpg

He's definitely got potential - and I'd love to find one like him for the kids this fall - but if I'm gonna make this a booner season, I'll have to pass deer like this up. I wish I'd managed a better picture of his friend - as I'm pretty sure he was a good'er.

[Wrayzer]

He's got some good bases, potential is definitely there. LOTS of feed and still 60 or so days of growing left.

[coach]

I'd like to be able to keep an eye on this guy and his buddy over the next two months just to understand antler growth a little better. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll see these guys again - due to their location.

[boxhitch]

Saw a pair of bucks about a month ago, the small one had head gear like the one in your pic. His big bro had bone out past the ears already, looked like bike handle bars.
That one I would like to catch up to, but when he is outside the park.

[dana]

Some good velvet pics. I've been trying to get some early velvet pics but some bucks ain't playing nice, hiding their racks behind trees and brush. They are growing well and in a few weeks we should be able to tell what they may become by the end.

[coach]

Went to Christina Lake for the weekend. BC Women's Amateur golf championship starts tomorrow and I've got 4 students in the field. Combined taking the girls through a practice round with a short camping trip with my GF (and no kids)..

Went for a pretty good hike yesterday and found a pretty promising elk area - tons of sign. Saw a nice 4x4 mulie - but he didn't stick around long enough for pictures. On the way home, I spotted this lanky bear not too far from Greenwood. Sorry about the blurry pics - was zoomed in 140X

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2482.jpg

Moved like a big bear - but ears looked big for the head and belly was a long way from the ground. I figured a few guys would be interested in the black phase with brown muzzle.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2479.jpg

[coach]

Not real easy taking pics of animals 400 yards away - this is about all I got:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2477.jpg

[coach]

Saw a decent 3 point mulw deer near Midway - but a damn cyclist scared him away before I could snap a pic. Lots of WT's between Rock Creek and Kelowna. Anyone have this issue with whitetails? Seems they are pretty good at hiding their heads behind trees. This was a doe - but it sure seems to be the WT MO..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2485.jpg

A good weekend - but not much to report in the way of pictures. I'm definitely interested in the CL area though - might have to make a trip down there in the fall to see if the area I liked can produce my first bull elk..

[604redneck]

nice pics!

[face_ek]

Loving this thread. Awesome pictures.

[coach]

Spent the weekendKentucky Alleyne. My youngest daughter celebrated her 10th birthday today - and Chilko turned the big two! July 8th is a special day in the Coach household..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2546.jpg

Somebody was jumping for joy in celebration of her big day:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Untitled-2.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Untitled-1.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2637.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Untitled-3.jpg

[coach]

Unable to find a suitable stick to chase,"Chilly" attempted to wrestle a full size tree off the bottom of the lake. Gotta love her determination! :-D

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2628.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2629.jpg

Eventually, we found something a little more appropriate to chase and she was occupied for hours..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2531.jpg

[coach]

There were a fair number of smaller trout patrolling the shallows of the lake - with the odd pound and a halfer thrown in. I tried photographing a few fish and was surprised at this image. Looks like somehow the image of the fish reflected off the wave. I thought it was kind of cool - particularly after enhancing it with the photobucket editing function:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2619.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2618.jpg

[coach]

Where there's fish - there's usually loons. This family was on the far side of the lake. I had to zoom in 140 x digitally to get the pictures:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2510.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2509.jpg

[coach]

This loon was all by himself at the far end of the lake. I'm pretty happy with how these pictures turned out:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2564.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2565.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2563.jpg

[coach]

My dad and his wife joined us for the weekend. He's not a hunter - but enjoys wild game on the dinner table. His passion is bird watching - something the girls and I joined him for an enjoyable afternoon on the backroads.

I'm no expert - but I'm fairly certain this is a red naped sap sucker (formerly know as a yellow bellied sapsucker). Man, I hate political correctness..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2567.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2569.jpg

[coach]

We checked out a pretty nice looking road and found a bit of a "fixer uppper" toward the end of it:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2566.jpg

I liked the spot, so I took the kids out for an evening drive hoping to spot a few critters of the ungulate variety. Not to be disappointed, we spotted this healthy looking doe not far from the "cabin":

Hard to get great images zoomed in 120x but this one turned out ok.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2614.jpg

On our way back to camp, I spotted a decent four point with another buck as they ran across the road. Unfortunately, they disappeared into the dark timber before I could snap a picture. A few hundred yards further down the road, we saw this spike buck and doe. Decent sized spikes for early July. Are we in for a year of good antler growth?

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2615.jpg

[coach]

Lots of these guys around camp to terrorize the dogs:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2503.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2502.jpg

[coach]

The moon was up late each night - but so were we. I set the camera up on the tripod and tried to catch the moon rise. Unfortunely there was a tree in the way. Pictures turned out kind of cool anyway:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2493.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2495.jpg

Eventually, I got the picture I wanted:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2501.jpg

[coach]

Not much more to report. We're another week closer to hunting season, and I'm encouraged by the number of bucks I'm seeing in various areas of the province. The forest is green, green, green and there's no shortage of water. We'll see how long the heat lasts. Car thermometer hit 40 today. Hopefully things cool off soon and get real cool for September.

[bowhunterbruce]

Great job sean
i see you have not lost your long distance spotting ability.
im lookin forward to following this thread to the end of the season
bhb

[popsy]

Great pics again!! Keep them coming

[hunterdon]

I'll say it also. GREAT photos Coach! But, do you ever get some sleep? Just a thought........you could do very well working on the side for one of those nature shows. Your stories and photos are every bit as good or better.

Congrats on your bison draw.Of course we will all be waiting for that story and photos.
Cheering for you on that one Coach!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

All that "green" should help produce some nice healthy antlers and horns.

SSS

[coach]

But, do you ever get some sleep?

Thanks, Don. Funny you should ask about the sleep. I've got friends who look at my pics and ask if I ever work. Lol. Although we enjoy a lot of family time in the outdoors, it's always sandwiched between a busy work schedule. Usually I teach 8 to 8 during the week. Last Friday, I squeezed all of my golf lessons between 8 and 3 with no breaks. Rushed home, loaded the trailer and planned to hit the road at 4. Somewhere in the process, Chilko escaped out the front door and took off. An hour later we located her - in "jail" at the SPCA. Fortunately, we were able to post bail and sprung her for the weekend. Hit the road an hour and a half late - lucky to get a campsite. Home late last night. Teaching again today and planning to do another adventure after work this Friday. Hopefully there'll be more animals to photograph.

Thanks to all the guys following this thread. It's fun to do and I've got a goal of posting a few different animals every week - culminating in some successful hunts this fall.

[coach]

All that "green" should help produce some nice healthy antlers and horns.

SSS

Thats what I'm thinking. Dana's pictures from last week seem to indicate that too.

[300H&H]

Coach...good news...I have found a new access point to get into my secret spot.
Room on the back of the quad for you this fall.
But...you must leave all the big bucks for moi !

[Wrayzer]

Don't forget to blindfold him and keep the cap on his camera when ya take him into your secret spot.
And Don't worry, we all know he only shoots the Boner Bucks :-P

[300H&H]

Don't forget to blindfold him and keep the cap on his camera when ya take him into your secret spot.
And Don't worry, we all know he only shoots the Boner Bucks :-P

Some good advice there Wrayzer.

He has only posted his "Boner Bucks".
But keep in mind even the ugliest guy sometimes gets to dance with a hot chick.
Sooner or later everyone gets lucky.

[coach]

Some funny shit there, Rick!

[coach]

Enjoying a weekend at Lundbom right now. Got some great scenery pics to post when I get home - but not a lot of animal photos. Had to take my daughters to Hope today to do the handoff with my ex wife. Managed to spot two deer near the old toll booth - both WT's. Saw another on the road into Lundbom. Took the dog for a short hike as the sun was setting tonight in hopes of getting a few good pics. Managed to spot a pretty good sized bear in the distance. Unfortunately, he was on the move and the only pic I got is pretty poor quality - zoomed in 140x in fading light. I'll go for a quick jaunt with the camera at first light tomorrow. This sure looks like great mule deer country. Gotta be some decent bucks running around.

[coach]

A few scenery pics from Lundbom. At least there's some benefit to being woken up by your bladder at first light.. When I saw the sun beginning to rise, I did my business, then went straight for the camera:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2757.jpg

As the sun continued to rise, the view got better and better:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2759.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2778.jpg

This may be the best of the bunch:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2777.jpg

[coach]

At sunset, I grabbed my camera once again, and scrambled up a hill to take a few more pics..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2797.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2798.jpg

[coach]

As I moved up over the crest of the hill in the last picture, I spotted a decent sized bear in the distance. Unfortunately, I skylined myself and he quickly moved off before I could get any decent pics. This was zoomed in 140 times..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2795.jpg

Same view as the morning - this time at sunset:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2787.jpg

[coach]

The next morning, I was again up with the sun and decided to go for a quick look around the area in search of critters to photograph. I spotted this doe in the same place the night before and decided I might as well take her picture:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2841.jpg

I was surprised not to see a fawn with her - but her behavior on both occasions that I watched her said she had one hidden nearby.

A little while later, I spotted this handsome young dude:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2830.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2826.jpg

[coach]

I struggled with the lighting for my pictures, so I decided to shoot a little video instead: (Click on picture to view)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_Deerpart1.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=Deerpart1.mp4)

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2833.jpg

A short while later, he'd had enough of me and my damn camera..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2838.jpg

[coach]

This was kind of a cool sight on my way back to camp:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2850.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2844.jpg

[The Dude]

This may be the best of the bunch:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2777.jpg


That's like postcard shit, Coach! Awesome pic, I will use it as my desktop this week, with your permission. :D

[Wrayzer]

Time to trade in the Rifle and Golf clubs, looks like ya may have found your calling :-P..

Decent spread on the 3 point, could grow into a good buck if he survives a few seasons.

[coach]

That's like postcard shit, Coach! Awesome pic, I will use it as my desktop this week, with your permission. :D

Thanks! It's yours to use - just means your desktop will match my laptop and iPhone this week. Lol

[coach]

Time to trade in the Rifle and Golf clubs, looks like ya may have found your calling :-P..

Decent spread on the 3 point, could grow into a good buck if he survives a few seasons.

Would be fun to watch that guy grow, Wrayzer. Not sure if he's living on land that's open to hunting or not. There's no signs around there - but I assume those rolling hills with all the cattle are part of Douglas Lake or Nicola Lake ranches.

[pnbrock]

very good photography keep them coming .

[coach]

Only 47 days until youth/bow season. Plenty of time to work on your long distance spotting skills and test how good your equipment is. Through my Canon sx30is, I was able to zoom in and identify this as the same buck I video'd earlier. The image was blurry, but I'm sure it was him. (Click to view)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_2840.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_2840.mp4)

Through my Leupold 8x42 binos - I could clearly identify it as the same buck. Through my Vortex Impact spotter, I could tell I was looking at an amimal. I couldn't confirm whether it was a cow, horse or deer - but it was definitely moving. I know which piece of my equipment needs replacing..:shock:

[coach]

Another week closer to hunting season and nothing exciting to post on this thread. I didn't get out at all on the weekend - so no pics to post. My better half surprised me the other day by texting me a picture of some nice bucks in the "Dillworth" herd. Unfortunately, she used her iPhone from too far away and I couldn't see how big the antlers were. I think it pretty cool that this girl, who'd never eaten wild game until we met a few years ago is now going to do her CORE this month and take the time to pull over and photograph mulw bucks on her way home. :smile:

I made a really tough decision today regarding my Bison draw: after years of putting in for this hunt, I finally got lucky and won. Every year, I have a running deal with my two closest friends and hunting partners that if one of us gets drawn, all three of us will go on the hunt. Unfortunately, neither of those partners can make it this year and I figure it's a once in a lifetime hunt and if I'm going it's gonna be with them. Both had very legitimate reasons and told me about it as soon as I got the draw. I deliberated for a couple weeks and - as difficult as the decision was, I called the LEH office today and then mailed my authorization back. The booner season will continue - but for me, it won't include Bison. Hopefully an HBC member will get a pleasant surprise in the next couple weeks as that nov 1-15 7-57A will get handed to another lucky hunter.

[Ourea]

Another week closer to hunting season and nothing exciting to post on this thread. I didn't get out at all on the weekend - so no pics to post. My better half surprised me the other day by texting me a picture of some nice bucks in the "Dillworth" herd. Unfortunately, she used her iPhone from too far away and I couldn't see how big the antlers were. I think it pretty cool that this girl, who'd never eaten wild game until we met a few years ago is now going to do her CORE this month and take the time to pull over and photograph mulw bucks on her way home. :smile:

I made a really tough decision today regarding my Bison draw: after years of putting in for this hunt, I finally got lucky and won. Every year, I have a running deal with my two closest friends and hunting partners that if one of us gets drawn, all three of us will go on the hunt. Unfortunately, neither of those partners can make it this year and I figure it's a once in a lifetime hunt and if I'm going it's gonna be with them. Both had very legitimate reasons and told me about it as soon as I got the draw. I deliberated for a couple weeks and - as difficult as the decision was, I called the LEH office today and then mailed my authorization back. The booner season will continue - but for me, it won't include Bison. Hopefully an HBC member will get a pleasant surprise in the next couple weeks as that nov 1-15 7-57A will get handed to another lucky hunter.


Sorry about being put in a position to have to decline.
Noble of you to contact LEH and ensure it is utlilized rather than just eat the tag.

[coach]

Thanks, Ourea. It wasn't an easy choice. It is nice that someone else will get it. The fact that I'm going to get a chance to possibly video the Kamloops sheep hunt played a part in the decision too. A guy can only afford so much time off from work and family.

[MerrittBow]

All the rolling hills from charter ranch to the powerline are all open to hunting, if you go past lunbum and start dipping down into the other side it turns into Douglas lake which is no hunting. I love watching all those bucks while fishing marquart in the morning.

[Elk-Aholic]

I had no idea you could send back an LEH authorization and decline the hunt AND, in turn, allow someone else the opportunity to draw the tag and have a chance to harvest that animal. KOODO's to you for that!

[coach]

I had no idea you could send back an LEH authorization and decline the hunt AND, in turn, allow someone else the opportunity to draw the tag and have a chance to harvest that animal. KOODO's to you for that!

With Bison, you can. It's a coveted, high odds draw and there's information in the package outlining the fact you can give it back and it will go to someone else. If I apply next year, my odds won't go down - it will be as if I didn't draw successfully. Although it may have been possible to put a trip together, I decided that I wasn't far enough along in the planning and felt the person who gets my draw deserves enough time to put their own hunt together.

FYI - you cannot give other authorizations, such as moose or elk, back. The number of authorizations allocated factors in that some people will draw a tag and never use it.

[BCRiverBoater]

Thanks, Ourea. It wasn't an easy choice. It is nice that someone else will get it. The fact that I'm going to get a chance to possibly video the Kamloops sheep hunt played a part in the decision too. A guy can only afford so much time off from work and family.

Getting a chance to be on the Kamloops sheep hunt is way harder than drawing the rare bison tag. I would consider the sheep hunt as well over the bison. Good on you to giving it back. I guarantee that there is many bison tags every year that go unused that could have been given back.

[The Dude]

I think it's awesome you took the time to do that Coach.....may the LEH Gods shine on you and give you everything you wish for......
Unless you want MY Rosie Draw, then go **** yourself :D

[coach]

I think it's awesome you took the time to do that Coach.....may the LEH Gods shine on you and give you everything you wish for......
Unless you want MY Rosie Draw, then go **** yourself :D

Another hilarious post, Dude. Might have to use that as my new sig line. :smile:

[coach]

Another week closer to hunting season..:D

My daughter was visiting her mom this weekend, so I took advantage of an opportunity to spend a day with my future step son (gotta marry his mom to make it official). There were lots of different options open as far as fishing goes. I though hard about taking him to Osoyoos to chase sockeye - but had no reports to get me excited. I considered taking him to Hope to fish for springs in the Fraser - but I know how that plays out - I'd be doing the combat fishing and the poor kid would be bored waiting for something to happen. I was invited by a very good fisherman to fish for summer runs in the Coquihalla - but didn't think the kid would enjoy that either. To an experienced fisherman, catching a summer run steelhead on a fly is a great thrill - but the amount of expected action would be minimal.

In the end, I decided to take him on a little drive south of Kelowna to check out a few spots in the Kettle. Although I didn't have high expectations of catching big fish, I had to think back on what I would have enjoyed at his age - lots of action. The plan was to teach him how to present a dry fly, a little bit of how to cast and how to play a fish on a fly rod. Things played out pretty well. First run we walked into, I hooked a small trout and handed him the rod. He played it briefly before it came off the hook. Next cast, I hooked another one - which he landed.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2852.jpg

The next words out of his mouth - "This is fun!" As the day went on, he started fishing his own rod. Several times, he hooked and landed small fish of his own. There were no fish of any size - but I think I've got myself a lifetime fly fishing partner. That's my victory for the week.

A highlight of the fishing was this small brookie we hooked. This fish hit my dry fly about 3 times before I finally connected. I noticed the brownish color of it's back each time it hit the fly. I've only fished the Kettle once before - so not sure how many of these guys are in there. All of our other fish were rainbows.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/brookie.jpg

[Bc Deer Hunter]

Not a bad brookie for the kettle coach!!! Looks like a great day was had by your step son and you!! :D

[yota]

This thread is awesome coach keep it up. I think your either helping or teasing everyone on here with excitment for there own opening days to get out in the wilderness. awesome thread again.

[coach]

Thanks, BC Deer Hunter and Yota. I stared this thread with the intent of inspiring others to share their stories and pictures. Hopefully, I'll connect on a booner animal this season - but it's really all about getting out there and enjoying the outdoors.

[sapper]

Coach, the more I read this thread the more I want to leave the lower wasteland and move to the interior. We're getting closer though - Wednesday we swap one of BC's oldest communities for another, moving from New Westminster to Langley (Walnut Grove). I will have got that much closer to my hunting grounds. :-)
I may yet be looking for a teaching job in the interior.

[coach]

Coach, the more I read this thread the more I want to leave the lower wasteland and move to the interior. We're getting closer though - Wednesday we swap one of BC's oldest communities for another, moving from New Westminster to Langley (Walnut Grove). I will have got that much closer to my hunting grounds. :-)
I may yet be looking for a teaching job in the interior.

Sapper - if you make that move to the interior, you'll never look back. I spent way too many years in the LML, including a short stint in Walnut Grove.

[The Dude]

Great deal taking the kid fishing. Can't wait to do that with my boy.
Get him in shape for hauling my Elk when he's older....... :D

[coach]

Spent the long weekend camping at Kekuli bay on Kalamalka lake. Not many critters to report - but I got some pics of my favorite bird:

Got up at a little after first light and hiked over to where two ospreys were in the process of building a nest on a platform high above the lake. Got myself into position when they decided to take off:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2897.jpg

That picture could have been great, if I'd only zoomed a little less. Really tough to take pictures of them in flight while zoomed in 140x. I tried, but the result wasn't great:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2896.jpg

Fortunately, this one returned to the nest not long after and I got this shot:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Osprey.jpg

[coach]

They decided to pose for a while and I got a few more:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2872.jpg



http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2878.jpg

[coach]

Not sure how long the platform has bee there, but they seemed busy building the nest. As a result, they were back and forth pretty regularly:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2880.jpg

Again - just mis-timed the zoom on this one:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2883.jpg

[coach]

The happy couple:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2888.jpg

They should be happy. Here's the view from beside their house:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2865.jpg

Only 25 days until hunting season. Time to start scouting for animals..

[Tikka270wsm]

They are an incredible bird for sure. Once again, very nice photos!

[coach]

Inspired by Ourea's recent threads about spring salmon, I decided it was about time I made a journey to the Fraser in search of some tasty chinook for the bbq. Prior to moving to the Okanagan, fishing the Fraser was my number one pastime. The last six years, it's been about once or twice per season that I get out. On Friday, I had to make a trip to the Lower Mainland anyway - so I gave OldnGrey a call and invited my HBC buddy, Wrayzer for a quick overnight trip. As usual, getting out of K-town took a lot longer than expected, but we were on the river for the last couple hours of fishing light on Friday.

The views on the river are stunning. It's a great place to spend some time chasing springs. When sockeye aren't open, the crowds aren't too ridiculous, and we can always find a spot to fish:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2948.jpg

Every year, we try to guess when the snow will finally come off of Mt Cheam. I'm betting this year, it won't happen:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2939.jpg

[coach]

We managed to put one small spring in the cooler the first night and OldnGrey connected with another mid-morning on Saturday:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2942.jpg

With a quick casting lesson from OldnGrey, Wrayzer got the hang of casting pretty quickly. He managed to hook a couple sockeye, which we carefully released, but wasn't able to hook a spring of his own.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2947.jpg

[coach]

After packing up camp, I decided to make a couple more casts before running back down river to the launch. Not sure how I do it, but it seems I very often hook a decent spring right when it's time to leave. This nice doe took at least 4 big runs and made a couple jumps before my 14 foot Fraser River Death Stick and 700 Calcutta put her on the beach. One fish each - It was pretty much the perfect ending to our short trip.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_2958.jpg

I cleaned up the smaller spring for Wrayzer. Pretty sure when he bbq's this, I'll have another fishing partner begging to hit the river again next summer:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/97A907C6.jpg

[coach]

Another pic of my fish:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/15C99AC7.jpg

[Wrayzer]

I'm trying to convince the pregnant wife to spend our anniversary at the end of the month on one of the bars on the Fraser...not going so well so far...haha

[coach]

Ha ha! Better come pick up your fish soon. That little bit of omega 3 filled Fraser river red spring could go a long way to convincing her. Won't be long and you'll be considering naming your kid 'nother limit - like I was tempted to do! Lol

[coach]

Ok - time for the Coach to get all educational and part with a few of my salmon barbequing secrets:

1 - Don't bother making your own Teriyaki - Costco already sells one that is more than adequate. If you have guests, you can always pour it into a separate container and pretend it's homemade. This stuff is the bomb:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/D8B3992D.jpg

Lightly cover your salmon and let sit in the fridge. Every Teriyaki has it's own best marinating time. I find this stuff works best with 3-4 hours.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/913D0F2B.jpg

[coach]

Some members of your family (or possibly your dinner guests) will claim they don't like salmon. Make sure you cook something good for them (like chicken). If you do a really good job of it - they won't ask for any of your salmon. (More for you!)

Make sure the grill is good and hot then start the chicken first, then add the salmon. The absolute worst thing you can do to fish is over-cook it!

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/0B57A2CC.jpg

Start your salmon skin side down on a well oiled grill. Olive oil is best. Sear the skin and let the fish cook then turn it over.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/44C80D7A.jpg

[coach]

I always keep the front fin of the salmon and keep it for myself. It's really not that good - so I make sure I don't give it to my family or house guests. BTW - Wrayzer, your fish didn't have that part, so you won't have to worry about it.. :-P

The thinner belly part of the fish will cook faster than the thicker back part. Separate it on the grill. Once again - never overcook your salmon. If you are planning to server your guests first, you can separate it before grilling and keep the belly part for yourself. Guests won't like belly meat. :-D You can always cook it last, and eat it yourself. (Sometimes you need to sacrifice for the happiness of your guests.)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/3DAFB7AE.jpg

Salmon skin is very tasty. When the fish is almost cooked, peel it off and grill it. The flavor is outstanding and it goes really well with beer. Make sure you take fish that is cooked off the grill when it's ready. Each piece should be cooked just the right amount.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/A05D3035.jpg

[coach]

When salmon is cooked perfectly - it will be kind of like al dente pasta: slightly rare on the inside:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/BC80129C.jpg

Everybody knows that the tail section is the best part of the fish. No bones.. NOT! You might be able to fool some people, some of the time - but I've pulled the wool over my families eyes a few too many times. Here's what was left over tonight (one big piece of tail):

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/34FB128D.jpg

[coach]

The left over salmon is great for sandwiches the next day. Simple recipe: mix with Mayo and green relish. Mine is sitting in the fridge now - ready to be make into a sandwich for lunch tomorrow:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/261AE0C7.jpg

I'm all done edjumucating for tonight. If anyone's got any comments or suggestions - have at 'er..

[604redneck]

Bring some by my house next time u cook it so i can let u know if its anygood or not!:razz:

[The Dude]

That's cool you keep and cook the collars. When I was in Japan, my Japanese gf ordered "Hamachi Kama", or Tuna collars. I was like yuckkkkk.....
I told her the we feed 'em to cats in Canada, and she told the owner/chef......andddd......well, you could heard a chopstick drop.......... a block away.

Turns out they're awesome, very different, rich texture, and now I get 'em all the time.

[coach]

Many years ago, I fished off Comox with a former commercial fisherman. We caught a few springs and when he cleaned them up at the dock he removed the collars and set them aside. "I'll just keep this little part" he said, with a smile. Later that evening we got together for a BBQ and I tried them for the first time. Definitely worth the effort! A year or so after that, I met my (now) ex-wife who is Japanese Canadian. Her parents were from west coast BC fishing backgrounds. Salmon collars were a delicacy in her family - as was tempura (kind of like fish cakes) made from extra meat scraped off the bones after filleting. Haven't found a use for fish heads (yet) but not much of a salmon goes to waste in my home.

[Skull Hunter]

Many years ago, I fished off Comox with a former commercial fisherman. We caught a few springs and when he cleaned them up at the dock he removed the collars and set them aside. "I'll just keep this little part" he said, with a smile. Later that evening we got together for a BBQ and I tried them for the first time. Definitely worth the effort! A year or so after that, I met my (now) ex-wife was Japanese Canadian and her parents were from fishing backgrounds. Salmon collars were a delicacy in her family - as was tempura (kind of like fish cakes) made from extra meat scraped off the bones after filleting. Haven't found a use for fish heads (yet) but not much of a salmon goes to waste in my home.

I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on giving this recipe a try....

salmon head soup You will need some Japanese ingredients to make my version of salmon head soup, but they are not terribly hard to find. Easy, actually, if you have an Asian community near you.
Serves 6-8.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes


4 salmon heads (gills removed)
A 2-inch piece of dried kombu seaweed (optional)
A 3-inch piece of peeled and slivered ginger
Salt
1/4 cup mirin (sweet wine)
Somen noodles
3 tablespoons white miso paste



Wash the salmon heads well to remove any blood or gills. Gills will ruin the broth by making it bitter and cloudy. Cover the heads with water in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the kombu and ginger and bring to a bare simmer. Do not let this boil.
Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt and taste. Add more if you want.
Strain the broth and save the heads. Pick out all the meat from the heads, especially the cheek meat. Reserve in a bowl.
Return the broth to a clean pot and add the mirin. Heat but do not let boil.
Bring another pot of salted water to a boil: This is for the somen noodles. Add the somen noodles, which normally come in single-serving little packets. Boil fiercely for 2 minutes.
Ladle out some broth into soup bowls. Add a heaping teaspoon of miso to each bowl and stir to combine. Portion out the noodles to each bowl. Add the salmon meat on top of the noodles. Each person should get at least one cheek. Cover with more broth and serve at once.

https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif

[coach]

Very cool, Zubris! Thanks for that. Gonna have to give it a try.

[coach]

Spent a very short few days on the island over the weekend... After tragically losing her husband while on vacation in Cuba a few years ago, my mom got herself back on her feet and met a great guy. It didn't take long for their relationship to progress and last weekend they decided to tie the knot aboard their 41 foot boat, moored in Cowichan Bay. Not a shabby boat.. wonder how many rods we could fish off this sucker?

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3039.jpg

The ceremony was good. Copious amounts of beer and wine were enjoyed by everyone and I woke up Sunday morning with a pretty good headache. :redface: Rather than suffer through an 8 hour drive and ferry ride home, we decided to spend an extra day visiting. A quick check of Huntingbc informed me there was a gun show in Duncan, so I got in touch with fellow HBC'er, Tikka270wsm and we met up and checked things out. I'm sure there were some good deals there, but my vision was a bit blurry from the night before, so I saved a little money. T and I decided to grab a quick coffee and bs'ed about hunting for a while. Great guy - looking forward to hunting blacktails together one day and to showing him some of the area around Kelowna in search of the multiple species we have to hunt around here. I think it would be pretty fun to attempt shooting all four major species of deer in one season - might have to make that a 2013 goal!

[coach]

Back at the dock for the afternoon, I taught the kids how to fish for bullheads, perch and crabs. The novelty wore off pretty quickly with the fish, but the crabs proved to be rather entertaining. Our method was pretty simple - attach a good sized piece of halibut carcass to a weighted jig head, drop it to the bottom, allow a little slack and wait for a crab to latch on to the bait. The kids reeled up several decent sized ones, both dungeness and rock, which were released soon after catching.

Here's where it gets interesting.. As the tide really started to flood, the crabbing got better and better. At one point, Colin had just let his bait down to the bottom when his line suddenly went tight and starting taking off under the dock. He reeled down, the rod doubled over, and his line starting peeling out at a high rate of speed. Thinking he had a dogfish or cod, I tightened the drag on his reel and he started getting things a little more under control. As he slowly retrieved some line against heavy pulling from below, I leaned over the edge of dock, face close to the water, straining my eyes to see what he'd hooked. Suddenly, an otter popped it's head out from under the dock and snorted! Totally unexected, the little bugger scared the crap out of me! :shock:

I've fished and hunted all my life, and have had a good number of chuckles over the years - but that had to be one of the funniest experiences ever. The kids will be teasing me for years to come!

[coach]

Anyway - one of the neighbors came back from the bay and gave us a few fresh dungeness from his traps. We enjoyed a pretty nice feed of crab and a great sunset:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3168.jpg.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3035.jpg

If it wasn't for the damn ferry, I'd be on the island a lot more. Great place to visit!

Only a week and a half until hunting season - time to scout!

[Tikka270wsm]

That otter incident is friggun hilarious! I can imagine the look on both of your faces! LMAO. Bet you forgot all about your hangover eh? It was great meeting you and I'm looking forward to hunting and fishing with you in the future. My door is always open for ya. :-D

[coach]

Yeah - the otter scared me so bad, I had to start drinking again! :smile: Reminded me of the Monty Python killer rabbit.

[604redneck]

Hahahaha i would pay to see that otter poke its head out of the water while u were so concentrated on the water

[Wrayzer]

Coach I found a picture of your otter after you tumbled down the dock.....


http://www.roflzoo.com/pics/042010/evil-otter-is-evil.jpg

[300H&H]

Im happy for your Mom..wish her all the best for me !

[coach]

Thanks, 300h&h. Nice to see her happy again. Unfortunately she has to live on a boat, surrounded by killer otters, but, hey, I guess she can't have everything. :smile:

[coach]

Finally a chance to do some scouting!! Went looking for elk sign on Saturday with Wrayzer. Saw some tracks, but no elk. Spent Sunday evening with my daughter having a look at some spots for her youth season / my bow season.

Lots of does and fawns around. Most seemed to have twins with them. Some of the fawns still have their spots:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3216.jpg

There were cattle in many of the clear cuts. Some of the deer were a little harder to spot than others: (click picture to view video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3214.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3214.mp4)

Good looking girl - another couple months and she'll be fighting the boys off with a stick:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3213.jpg

[coach]

After spotting 19 deer, we finally saw a buck. Kiana must have been looking at the doe beside him through her binos - because she didn't see him right away. Apparently I've got my work cut out for me this year as she didn't feel this one would be big enough for her. Shortly after I turned the video off, she said she's looking for one like Cody's. (As in Robbins) A little too much Wild TV for this kid..

Click to view:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3218.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3218.mp4)

This second video was taken at 30 yards. Anyone figure he'll be standing around all casual like this on September 1st?

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3222.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3222.mp4)

[coach]

He's no booner - but he'd make a lot of youth hunters happy next weekend. Hell, I'd have to think long and hard about sending an arrow his way..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3220.jpg

Saw one of these Saturday and another on Sunday:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3209.jpg

Planning to find a little more time to look around this week. Can't wait until Saturday!!

[The Dude]

Give that little 4-point 3 years, he'll be a TANK!

Oh, and stop spoiling your daughter. :D

[coach]

Give that little 4-point 3 years, he'll be a TANK!

Oh, and stop spoiling your daughter. :D

Yup - I figure that buck will be real good in a few years. Hope he makes it that long.

[coach]

A friend emailed me this recent picture of a healthy looking bruin that was spotted over the weekend:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/940BA5D0.jpg

[calvin L]

I always look forward to reading this post . That mule deer and b/bear would look real good in my freezer lol
My wife has signed us up for two tough mudder's next year . :-(

[coach]

Ha ha! Thanks, Calvin. My GF signed us up for another mud race in October. Mercifully, it's been cancelled. Now she's talking about warrior dash. Meanwhile - all I can focus on is hunting! Lol. Definitely will do tough mudder again next year though.

On another note, I packed a good sized salt block into a t-cam site on Saturday. Although it seemed a little strenuous at times, I kept reminding myself I'm a Tough Mudder! Ha ha.

[calvin L]

That is funny . I do the same thing when I start to think things are getting tough . LOL . I hope to meet you and your kids one day . My boy's are much younger but they still love to get out in the woods .

[Ourea]

Great posts coach, ...... as always.

[Tikka270wsm]

Yup, great addition to this thread! Nice look'n young buck there. Looking forward for next weeks update.

[The Dude]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_2840.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_2840.mp4)

Nice spot for a summer camp, if you get my drift...... :D

[coach]

Definitely a great spot for a summer camp, Dude! Ideal location, really.

[coach]

Hunting season is upon us!



Came real close to a hunting accident with my daughter this morning..:rolleyes: (Click picture to play video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3265.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3265.mp4)

[The Dude]

Your daughter got a manicure ust in time for huntin' seaon!
(That's not very redneck! ) :D

Where's the pics, huh? huh?

[coach]

On the 31st, Kiana and I headed out into R3 and set up camp. Although she killed her first buck in 2009, she hunted hard in 10 and 11 and enjoyed many chances but had no success "closing the deal". Once the tent trailer was up, we went for a quick scout. It didn't take long until we saw our first bucks of the night..

This picture was taken at 20 yards:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3238.jpg

click this picture to view video

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3244.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3244.mp4)

[coach]

In additon to a couple videos, I also took a few pics of the boys..

Closer examination of this photo indicated this was the same buck we had seen while scouting the week before.
http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3239.jpg.

Not sure what was in the draw behind them, but the body language indicated something was there..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3245.jpg

Not wanting to spook them, I shot another short video, and we pushed onward.

[coach]

Kiana was having a tough time making up her mind as to which deer she prefered to "take" in the morning..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3246.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3246.mp4)

Despite the fact he was "just" a 4x3, she liked the look of this handsome guy, still sporting his summer coat.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3241.jpg

[coach]

After spotting several more deer we headed back to camp full of optimism for the morning. At 5:30 we were up and getting ready to go, when the first truck of the day drove past our camp. Fortunately, he turned to a different fork in the road than the one we were planning to hunt. The sun was starting to rise, and the moon was still high in the sky.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3248-1.jpg

Quietly, we made our way to where we'd left the bucks the night before. Expecting to see deer, we were disappointed when the cut block was occupied by 40, or so, head of cattle. The deer were nowhere to be found.

The morning hunt was pretty quiet. We saw several does, both mulw and whitetail, but no bucks. At one point, this guy attacked a mouse or something not too far off the road. Funny thing about this area, there were raptors everywhere - likely due to the huge population of mice. Every time I walked into a cutblock, the little rodents were scurrying around.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3249-1.jpg

[coach]

Unsuccessful in the morning, we made it back to camp around noon to have a little rest and some lunch. Kiana was eager to eat and get right back out there. Her logic was that we stood a far better chance covering ground than sitting in camp. I told her the deer wouldn't likely be moving much mid-day and that she should have a rest and get ready for the afternoon hunt. I also suggested it would be a good idea to open the window at her end of the trailer as it faced onto a huge cutblock. I told her, "You just never know, it might be possible to spot a buck from camp".

Within a couple minutes of that little prediction, a deer appeared behind some trees a couple hundred yards away. Although I determined right away that we were looking at a doe, I indicated to Kiana that I wasn't really sure if it was a buck or not. This gave me a chance to teach her how to make a stalk on an animal using wind, terrain and cover to our advantage. Exectuting the plan perfectly, we stalked to within 50 yards of the "camp deer".

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3251-1.jpg

In the process, she also learned a lesson about just how easy it is for a deer to hide in the vegetation in a seemingly open cutblock.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3252-1.jpg

[coach]

After lunch, we headed back out for a lengthy road hunt. Again, we spotted several does, but no bucks. We made one more stop at camp before our evening hunt. The camp deer was back.

click to view video

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3255.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3255.mp4)

[coach]

With about a half hour of sunlight left in the evening, we finally spotted our first buck. Silhoutted on a small ridge, this guy was about 600 yards away when we first saw him. The sun was setting to his left and we had a wide open cutblock between us and him. About the only condition in our favor was the wind direction (blowing directly from him to us). Not sure what was the best plan of action,I told Kiana to walk directly behind me and we walked straight toward him. "By walking single file and close together, maybe he'll think we're another deer". The plan was a longshot, but it worked. We managed to close the gap to 125 yards. I set up the shooting sticks for Kiana, but with the deer sky lined, there was no ethical shot. We sat and watched helplessly as he finally slipped back over the hill and into the trees.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3257.jpg

As disappointing as the situation was, I know we did the right thing. (Click to view)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3258.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3258.mp4)

[coach]

The moon was rising as we pulled back into camp.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3259.jpg

Our original plan was to be home on the evening of the 1st. At one point during the day, I found a random pocket of cell reception, called home and let the rest of the family know that we'd really like to have another crack at things in the morning. Plans re-adjusted, we enjoyed KD and smokies around a small fire and spent a second night in camp.

[coach]

My alarm went off at 5:15 and it didn't take long to get Kiana up and ready for the morning hunt. With limited time and fuel, I was hopefull we'd see something early. At approximately 6am - I spotted a good sized deer feeding in the pines along the edge of a clearcut. His head was in and out of cover and when I saw the forks in his antlers, I figured I was looking at something pretty special. I'll let video tell the rest of the story:

(click to view)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3260.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3260.mp4)

[Piperdown]

Awesome Coach now for some pics. Oh and one more thing with all the camo your daughter is wearing I think she may be a LEAFS fan...get it :) Job well done.

[coach]

Funny, piperdown. Everyone knows camo is mandatory equipment for road hunting..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_MVI_3268.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=MVI_3268.mp4)

Our successful stalk brought us to within 75 yards or so of this buck. He remained oblivious to our presence until Kiana was all set up. At that point, he peered around a tree and looked straight at us.

"Are you on him?"
"Yes"
"Are you steady?"
"Yes"
"Wait until he steps forward, then shoot right behind that front shoulder" On cue, our buck stepped forward.. "Now!"
BANG! Her 7-08 went off and the buck crumpled right in his tracks. It was over instantly. The Hornady Superperformance 139 gr sst performed perfectly.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3271.jpg

[coach]

As he lay:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3272.jpg

[coach]

One happy girl:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3276.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3277.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3281.jpg

One proud father and daughter:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3282.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3285.jpg

We took a fair amount of time taking pictures. I know we'll both remember this experience for the rest of our lives - but the pics will always be here as a reminder. In all of the experiences I've enjoyed as a hunter, this one ranks right at the top. What a great morning!

[coach]

A souvenier:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3269.jpg

And that brings us back to where we started:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3266.jpg

Can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

[The Dude]

That's your Booner right there......your daughter with a buck! Awesome, Coach!
Great thread! Happy for you and Kiana!

[black mountain]

Great story and pics

[604redneck]

Nice work! Congrats to u and kiana!

[one-shot-wonder]

Congrats to you both on a nice porky buck, some great eats coming your way!

[nano]

Well done, congrats!

[Piperdown]

Awesome pics Coach you must be real proud of your daughter, again job well done!

[sarg]

awesome job guys, thats a beautiful 2 point,

[Bc Deer Hunter]

Awesome Kiana!!! Very nice 2 point indeed :D Coach now i guess it is your turn to put one down eh? :mrgreen: Later..

[300H&H]

Outstanding Kiana !!!
Thats a great buck.

Dad and I dropped into camp but you two were still out.
We saw almost 40 mulies and 5 were bucks but the only one within bow range got away because DAD WAS EATING A SANDWICH !!!
We did see the buck Kiana got and tried to stock it but only got to about 70 yards.
Too far for a bow shot.

A great start to the season.

[Grousedaddy]

Nice 2 pointer i can not wait until my daughter is old enough for that expierence shes only 3 but is already begging to come out congrats again!

[MOUNTAIN MAN - TOYOTA/ATV]

Nice Mule Buck - Nice photos of your hunt.

[coach]

Thanks, everyone, for the great comments! Kiana is still smiling a full day later. Tenderloins were awesome last night. What a great feeling for her to be able to provide the first of many dinners for the entire family.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/8790171B.jpg

Here's a little detail I left out that might help some of the dad's in the HBC crowd. Here's the shooting stick I put together for Kiana to use on our hunt. It's the top of my Primos Trigger Stick mono-pod (not steady enough for her) attached to my Monfrotto Tripod. Works great! I may have to use it myself this year.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/054E6D7B.jpg

[Fraink]

Great job Sean and Kiana nice buck!!

[dana]

Coach,
Congrats to both you and your daughter! Memories that will last a lifetime. AWESOME! Great pics too!

[Tikka270wsm]

Couldn't tell just how big in the body that buck was in the pic you sent to my phone. He's really chunky! Congrats to you both. Awesome memory to think back to in the future.

[deer nut]

Great story. Way to bring your girl up right!

[BCHunterTV]

its great to see kids out, congrats !








http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3281.jpg

One proud father and daughter:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3282.jpg

[open-sights]

19 pages of salmon recipes and best terriyaki sauces, yawwwwwwn! before we finally get something good to read about, Congrats Kiana, Proud of you kiddo! Well done Sean and the next time you are in town and dont call, you get a kick in the nads!

[coach]

19 pages of salmon recipes and best terriyaki sauces, yawwwwwwn! before we finally get something good to read about, Congrats Kiana, Proud of you kiddo! Well done Sean and the next time you are in town and dont call, you get a kick in the nads!

Kiana says thanks, buddy. Salmon recipes are useful for those of us that CAN catch fish - I can see why you'd have no use for them.

Great news - she chalkenged her CORE last night and passed with Flying colors! She can now return her junior license and get the real thing. And I get to use my remaining two tags! Life is good.

Elk open on Monday...

[OutWest]

Kiana says thanks, buddy. Salmon recipes are useful for those of us that CAN catch fish - I can see why you'd have no use for them.

Great news - she chalkenged her CORE last night and passed with Flying colors! She can now return her junior license and get the real thing. And I get to use my remaining two tags! Life is good.

Elk open on Monday...

Are you going to be chasing them around Sean?

[coach]

Are you going to be chasing them around Sean?

Yes sir! Camping solo on the mountain Sunday night. The rest of the crew will be up there early Monday morning.

[OutWest]

Yes sir! Camping solo on the mountain Sunday night. The rest of the crew will be up there early Monday morning.

That's great to hear. I'm heading home from school today. We're going in early on Sunday. Good luck!

[monasheemountainman]

That is one beauty 2 point! great job Kiana, and Sean!!

[Wrayzer]

Pack an extra pillow to cuddle up to Sean, going to be lonely up there!
Count down is on....

[Ourea]

Good luck boys

[coach]

Thanks, Ourea! Looking forward to getting out there in a few hours. Best of luck to you and your crew as well.

Got some great news this morning too - got the official invite to assist by spotting and videoing on the Kamloops sheep hunt next weekend! The Booner season continues...

[Ourea]

[QUOTE=coach;1199830]Thanks, Ourea! Looking forward to getting out there in a few hours. Best of luck to you and your crew as well.



Thanks.
Hope to have boots on the ground by just after 4 am. Cooler day forecasted tomorrow so I wanted to take advantage of it.

Really looking forward to our hunt next week back in our old stompin grounds in the weedy west kootenays now that the trails are done.
No hunting pressure and no worries of any "celebrities" finding it and ruining it.

Safe travels this afternoon coach!

[coach]

Figured I better report in from my overnight Elk trip last weekend..

Friday evening, I hiked into a spot we'd been scouting over the last couple weeks. We'd seen a fair amount of sign and had a few elk on the T-cams but hadn't bumped into any animals in our travels. Although I'm pretty new at hunting these critters, figured it made sense to camp up high (hopefully above the elk) and hunt down on them in the morning. My hunting partners had commitments at home - so it meant they'd be hiking in early Saturday morning. With any luck, I would either spot the elk and alert the crew or they'd push the animals toward me and I'd get a crack at them. We picked a spot that would (hopefully) be away from the masses and possibly be bit of a "safe" haven for elk that might be pushed by other hunters in the morning.

[coach]

Although I've accumulated a lot of backpacking gear over the last few years, I hadn't had the chance to use most of it. Amazingly, I've hunted, fished and camped my entire life, this was my first ever solo foray into the wilderness overnight. I was pretty damn pumped all week at the prospect of spending Friday night alone on the mountain.

When I finally got through my day at work, loaded the truck and drove to my destination, I'd already burned a lot of daylight. With a heavy pack and only a short time until dark, I had to move pretty quick to get to where I wanted to go. As I hiked along the trail, I noticed a fair amount of fresh sign - mostly tracks - moving in both directions along the trail. I was hopeful I might see something before dark.

An hour or so into my journey, I heard a sound I'd previously only experienced on video.. An elk bugled from a nearby ridge! What a rush! The bugle was followed closely by a chorus of cows chirping.. then the area went silent. Was it another hunter? Who the hell would be bugling the night before opening day? Why would the bugle be followed so closely by the cows chirping? Thoughts were running through my head as I tried to make sense of what I'd heard. Suddenly, there it was again.. Another bugle! This time a deeper sound and this time clearly the noise was made by an elk. "Unreal", I thought. I couldn't believe I was hearing this.

Suddenly, I caught movement on the top of the ridge that the noise was coming from. Elk! There he was.. moving across the top of the ridge.. antlers noticeable, but difficult to judge at that distance. No sooner did I spot him then he moved over the ridge and out of sight. Very cool. I glassed the ridge for a few minutes, but he didn't reappear. Inspired, I pushed on to my camping spot.

[coach]

I pushed upwards toward my destination, stopping as I went to thoroughly examine the area around me. As I worked my way up a steep grade, I took a quick look back to where I'd come from and toward the ridge I'd seen the bull walking on. Moving in the opposite direction to where he'd gone, I suddenly noticed a cow, then another, and then a third walking toward a creek that I'd crossed not long ago. I sat down in some small bushes to hide and then watched as a bull followed the cows down the hill..

I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few pics. Poor light, high zoom, blurry, crappy picture..:sad:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3297.jpg

Another poor quality image..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3299.jpg

I tried taking a video - but it was no better. Sorry guys - next time I'll have the tripod ready.

[coach]

Turned out this guy was a 5x5 that the other guys had seen on their trail cameras a few weeks before. He was easily distinguished by the fact his front tines drop downward. I looked at my blurry pics over and over, trying to put a 6th point on this bull - but couldn't find anything to get too excited about. I watched the bull and 6 cows bed down, then snuck away from them a little higher up the hill and set up camp.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3302.jpg

My light weight North Face Phoenix tent worked great and kept me dry despite a consistent drizzle throughout the night. The two beers I packed in tasted pretty damn good with my Mountain house terriyaki chicken and rice.

I was amazed at how quickly my pocket rocket brought water to a boil.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3301.jpg

[coach]

Up at 4:30, I watched my hunting partners headlamps move down the trail toward the bottom of the valley. By 5:30, all of us were in position waiting for the sun to rise and light up the area..

At about 6:30, I noticed movement on the hillside just below me on my right. A quick look through the binos revealed three cow elk feed toward me only 150 yards away. "Perfect!" I thought, figuring they were going to walk right in front of me. I hunkered down, waiting, hoping a bull would be with them. Several minutes went by and they didn't appear.

I wondered if they'd seen, heard or smelled me and gone a different way. Curiousity got the better of me and I decided I should move to the edge of a ridge that overlooked where they'd been. As I neared the edge of the ridge, the bull popped his head over the hill not more that 50 yards from me. We locked eyes and he turned and bolted, along with his cows. They ran maybe 100 yards and I let out a cow call of my own. The bull stopped and looked back at me. The downward brow tines told me right away it was the same 5x5 as the night before. Gradually the herd made their way across a ridge, into a draw and out of sight. Another awesome experience.

Later in the day, Wrayzer called the same bull in to 15 yards. An hour or so after that, my other partner watched him rake a tree at 50 yards. By that time, I had hiked most of the way to the top of the mountain - hoping to spot more animals from my "eye in the sky" position. As it turned out, I spotted the bull and his cows as they put on a show for my crew. Although none of us got to pull the trigger it was a heck of an exciting start to elk season. Can't wait to get back out there!

[coach]

Time to get to bed now. I'll be up at 5:00. Heading to Kamloops. Got a very special sheep draw to help somebody with.. :smile: Hopefully I'll be updating this thread with something really good on Sunday night.

[scoutlt1]

Great posts Coach! Thanks!

[The Dude]

Good luck with that sheep vid!
I know you have a Tripod, so i won't nag about that.
Use it whenever you can, and watch the excessive zooming!
This ain't Count Floyd on SCTV! :D

[Grousedaddy]

Love your write ups look forward to sunday , good luck on the sheep!!

[hunterdon]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3285.jpg

We took a fair amount of time taking pictures. I know we'll both remember this experience for the rest of our lives - but the pics will always be here as a reminder. In all of the experiences I've enjoyed as a hunter, this one ranks right at the top. What a great morning!

I can certainly relate coach. My daughter took her first big game just last year. A 2 point whitetail. Congrats to both of you! Great reading coach!

[Wrayzer]

Not many guys get Okanagan Bull Elk at 50 yards AND get to help chase Kamloops sheep, and its only a week into the season!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Had to play a little catch-up on this thread today.

Awesome!! Congrats to Kiana on her buck and CORE!!! Well done!!

Not many guys get an encounter like that on Reg 8 elk...especially on their first attempt!

Can't wait for the sheep pics/stories!!

SSS

[Ourea]

The boys are on them....think they have a game of enie minie minie moe right now. Sure Coach will articulate their adventure in the way only he can as it's his story to tell as the narrator.
Guaranteed this will be an epic tale ..... with Coach's flair for photography as an added bonus.

[coach]

All I can say is there's rams everywhere! What an amazing hunt to be part of. Got great pics of a rattlesnake, black bear, coyote and tons of great rams. Can't wait to see what happens in the morning. Gonna be tough to sleep thinking about the possibilities.

[coach]

Epic hunt! Details to follow sometime soon. They say patience is a virtue. Hope those who follow this thread have lots. Tons of pics and videos to go through and upload.

[Wrayzer]

From what I'm hearing, we are all in for a treat!

[coach]

Well - I can't wait any longer. Gonna post a few pics of the Kamloops ram in this thread for all those who've been following along at home.:smile:

For everyone else, I'll start a long, drawn out Kamloops Sheep 2012 thread and save the ram picture to the very end.. :-P

[coach]

Here he is - the lucky hunter and his ram:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3615.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3613.jpg

[coach]

Shoothesheep and the lucky hunter:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3624.jpg

The coach gets his pic taken:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3626.jpg

Three pretty excited friends:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3630.jpg

[coach]

This story was really a family affair. Dad, son and brother..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3622.jpg

[Tikka270wsm]

AWESOME!!! Epic thread Coach!

[coach]

Can you believe there's guys on here that didn't know I posted the sheep pics before I even started that thread? :shock: Gotta love the impatience of a few. :smile::smile:

Here's a treat for those of you who've followed my season from start to now.. Enjoy!

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/The%20official%20video/th_Kamloops%20Sheep%20Hunt%202012_zps8655693a.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/The%20official%20video/?action=view&current=Kamloops Sheep Hunt 2012_zps8655693a.mp4)

[Rackmastr]

Awesome ram Coach...cant beleive I missed it here...haha. Still LOVE the other thread with the story and the way it feels like we're right there hunting with ya....

[The Dude]

Except we're not all sweaty and out of breath :D

[MB_Boy]

Very nice Coach!

Was that about as big as a ram as you were seeing in your zone? I wasn't entirely keeping up in the other thread as to which rams you posted up in pics/vid WERE in the zone and which weren't?

That's a heck of a nice heavy ram. I didn't even look closely but what did he age out at?

[coach]

Thanks guys. Taxidermist aged it at 10 1/2. Waiting for Daniel Boone to get back to me with the official number from the compulsory inspection. This was the biggest ram we we saw in the zone and IMO pretty close to the big guy we saw near camp. I also figure the first group of 3 we saw on day one from across the lake are the same three in this video. Location is right below where they were on Friday.

What a special hunt! Gotta finish the other thread now..:smile:

[coach]

No hunting for me this weekend. Getting serious withdrawal! Found an upcomimg window in my schedule Tuesday and Wdnesday. Looking forward to getting back in on an overnighter for elk. Hope to have more good stuff for this thread soon.

[festerstix]

Nice pics - fun posts.

[coach]

Went for a boat ride with my mom, her new husband and my kids on Sunday. Likely the last time the kids will be tubing this year - the water temperature is starting to drop. Nice day on the water, but my mind kept wandering to hunting..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/IMG_3640.jpg

[coach]

With a miriade of work and family commitments, Shootthesheep and I decided a year ago to dedicate Wednesday mornings to hunting. It's a weekday where both of us have coverage on the home front with regard to getting the kids to school on time. This week was the first time this season we've been able to take advantage of that opportunity. We decided to stretch our hunting time a little longer by backpacking in and setting up camp on Tuesday afternoon.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/01776848.jpg

With camp set up, we parked our butts in a couple of good vantage points and glassed the surrounding area for elk. None spotted, but I did see this little guy in the last half hour before dark. Picture was taken with my iphone through the blurrtex..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/F2AD0FD8.jpg