New to hunting, looking for a meat deer! Around Vernon...

[BCKyle]

Hey, my first post though I have dug around in the past posts for a while. So here it is:

An Irishman, a nun and a prostitute walk into a bar.


... And the bartender says, "what is this??? Some kind of joke?"


So there's my first post joke. You never said it had to be a great one!


I am new to shooting and hunting but I am hoping to get into a meat deer this fall. I have been working up in the cariboo so I've been out a few times a bit north of dunkley and seen a lot of hunters but no deer.
I'm moving to the island and getting knee surgery so my hunting window is small: five days this week that I will be in Vernon picking up some stuff from storage and visiting family... I intend to spend most of that time doing neither of this things and instead out camped somewhere looking around for a buck; any buck!
My potential areas are MUs 8-21, 3-12and 3-26... That kind of area. Not too much of a drive but some higher areas and some cutblocks to stumpsit and stroll around. I don't mind hiking at all, prefer it to driving around... I will be going solo as my buddy who was going to come out can't anymore. So hiking kilometres into an area is less an option now that I don't have someone to help carry a deer out. I want to get within 100 yds before taking a shot, based on my target practice over the summer. i want a clean kill. Practice practice practice, I want more of it!
There's the back story... Any suggestions for ways to improve my chances of success in that area this year? I wish I had had the chance to scout the zone but seasonal work this year prevented it. I am leaning towards pinaus lake area and the cutblocks up there. Any thoughts on what the deer are doing around those areas would be helpful. Or if there is somewhere else worth considering..
Also what gun stores around Vernon are helpful? Might be looking for a 22 for grouse before I head out. Driving home consolation grouse anyone?
Just looking for a meat buck, no Dana Monster Mulies strapped to my jeep!

[The Hermit]

Hunt at first light and last light just inside the timber line of big clear cuts, walk SLOWLY with your face in the Wind! There, now go kill a beginners luck Dana buck! Seriously! Good luck. Oh one more thing, make sure it is the right species, and point count, once you are certain then don't look at the antlers anymore, pic a hair and shoot at it! (aim small miss small)

[nano]

There are lots of nice spots to hunt deer around Vernon. You could hunt up by cold stream, Harris creek,and oyama. I would also bring a 22 as we always see grouse when we are out. I will be up there next weekend for our any buck/ grouse hunt.

[GoatGuy]

Lots of critters close by, pretty much any FSR will get you in to deer. Lots of MD if you head east past cherryville etc and some pretty nice country in that part of the world as well.

[nano]

I was thinking about heading out past cherryville this this year

[Buckmeister]

If your looking for a gun you could try Del Selin's. Head east on main street toward the court house and turn right just between the ugly monstrosity of a lawyers office and the new library. Selin's is on the left near the end of the block.

[savagecanuck]

Another vote for d
Del sellins,place is a mess but they have everything.I hunt in coldstream a fair bit..my advise is get out before its lite out.Get in an area with lots of sigh be persistent and don't give up. I forgow sleep all the time to get up early.10 days ago when I got my 4 point I was heading back at 7 am with it while I noticed some old dude just getting on his quad while I was already done.Be persistent and if an area is not producing go elsewhere.I have about 4 honeyholes and when 1 fails I try another.A lot of the good low areas become good late in the season as wintering grounds.Hunting lots from Nov 1st and on increases your chances when the rut is happening.Good luck even take advantage of the WT doe season if you just want meat.

[PointMan]

I love in Vernon if you need a tour

[BCKyle]

Awesome guys thanks for all the suggestions; some good nuggets in there! Definitely not been hunting from inside the tomber's edge; more been staking out just below hilltops and ridges in cutblocks looking down at treelines... Seems like a good vantage point for a dark to first light stump sit but then when I move anywhere I am pretty aware of how obvious i must be to any crafty bucks around. I definitely think I lost any chance of a deer last time I was out, when after hiking to a good vantage point like mentioned before, in the dark, I realized that as soon as the hills around got even a hint of sun my hillside flushed cold wind (and my shivering scent) right downhill and into the potential bedding/feeding area I was set up to watch... Lesson learned... There could have been a whole posse of em in there for all I know but they would have known exactly where I was.
i will stop into del sellin's when I am down. I know the buildings you guys are talkin about.
savage, congrats on your four pointer!
savage, I like you style... I will be out there in the dark for sure. I would definitely do the doe season except my knee surgery is getting in the way as I have to get down Victoria too soon to be able to hang out up to the 10th... That doe season must be the easiest thing going for just plain getting some meat in the freezer! Next year mebbe.
pointman thanks for the offer; I might pm you on that! I'm plannin on doing a day or two driving around scouting areas and then a couple camped in the most promising zone i stumble on just getting the boots dirty. I went to high school for a couple years in Vernon so I know the rough area ok, just not so much from the hunter's point of view.

One other deer specific question I had was how high about would be best to try right now in the area? I can't imagine much snow yet so as high as I can get along the edges of the valley?
thanks to all the contributors and suggesters!

[ncurrie]

Don't worry about snow right now, go anywhere in lumby or cherryville and you will walk away with a deer, As far as a gun store, Del is good or you can go and talk to Larry at Fisher's Hardware, tell him Nicole sent you. I am going out monday morning, I need to be by myself right now, but if you pm me I will send you in the right direction.

[Dirty Steve]

I went way the hell up Harris Creek last week, didn't see anything up high but lots down low. Came through from Three Valley Gap to Mable lake last night and passed up on a 4 pt white tail ( got mine in the freezer allready) and saw a bunch of dinker bucks down low almost at Kingfisher. Have seen lots of little bucks over on West side rd around sugarloaf Mtn. Good mix of white tails and mulies over there. Cherryville for white tails.
Definatly Dels! Don't got for service or smiles though.

[BCKyle]

Nicole, thanks! Larry is a sweet dude, I was going to go in and snag my yearly tub of honey so I will ask him for sure. I'll mention you. Also I really appreciate you taking a moment at this time to help a complete stranger; my condolences for you and your family.
Ncurrie and Dirty, that is good information to have... I will probably spend less time scrabbling as high as possible as I would have before.

[s0ylentgreen]

wow - just a quick note to you guys who posted - great job - very friendly and helpful - definately a great help to newer hunters like me!
i'm also new to vernon and have taken great advice from local hunters - would be lost without HBC!
thanks!

[BCKyle]

You said it soylent! It is awesome that there is a place like this where people are so helpful and open with suggestions for rookies like myself. Big props to HBC... Which is all of you guys!
cheers

[tomahawk]

Make sure you know the difference between mulies and whitetails, in younger deer its not as easy for new hunters.

[BCKyle]

I have another question to add now... Taking everyone's advice I headed straight to del selin's. my scope needed to be remounted and positioned; now I am getting a better sight picture for sure. But now I need to sight her in again. So is here an area around Vernon like a gravel pit or something where people shoot regularly that would be ok to use to sight in at?
I don't want to just go to a random place out in the woods like I would around quesnel and start blasting away... Too many hunters around here and I don't want to be that guy who unknowing spooks someone's carefully scouted honey hole... And I am only in the area for a week or so so a range membership would be kind of wasted... I am hoping to figure this out soon so I can get out on a scouting mission tomorrow or Friday latest.
Thanks for any suggestions!

[PointMan]

I have another question to add now... Taking everyone's advice I headed straight to del selin's. my scope needed to be remounted and positioned; now I am getting a better sight picture for sure. But now I need to sight her in again. So is here an area around Vernon like a gravel pit or something where people shoot regularly that would be ok to use to sight in at?
I don't want to just go to a random place out in the woods like I would around quesnel and start blasting away... Too many hunters around here and I don't want to be that guy who unknowing spooks someone's carefully scouted honey hole... And I am only in the area for a week or so so a range membership would be kind of wasted... I am hoping to figure this out soon so I can get out on a scouting mission tomorrow or Friday latest.
Thanks for any suggestions!

Head up King Eddy (Coldstream) and take the right at the 9.8K marker, there's a nice spot with 2 back stops already set up about a kilometer past the turnoff. That's where I go.

[BCKyle]

Awesome, thanks pointman that is exactly what I'm looking for.

[ncurrie]

Hey I just was talking to Larry and he said you got a deer right after you talked to him! That is awesome!

[BCKyle]

Hey NCurrie! Yeah, thanks for the suggestion. Larry and Kelly steered me right and I spent a couple days up there camping out and looking for places to sneak around in the dawn/dusk. Flushed some deer, saw a big bull moose at about 70 yards. i was about to head back down to restock food and water when a guy I had met earlier that morning came ripping up to give me a tip on a spot where he had seen a couple bucks. He shot one and the other had run a little ways and kept grazing. I went up with him and he backed up my imperfect first shot and helped me with my first field dressing and then ran for the dressing! Good times and I was stoked to meet him. Friendly vibes around the OK!
butchering was a bit of a gong show, see my thread here:

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?87184-Two-post-hunt-rookie-questions!&highlight=Rookie+post+hunt

But it all worked out in the end! I went out for a few morning and evenings afterwards looking for another one to further stock the freezer, but I only had a couple of days and didn't see anything legal. Now I am off to Victoria for knee surgery so my season is over but I am stoked and satisfied. And eating well...
thanks for the suggestions and the help!

[ncurrie]

I am so glad it all worked out for you! Hope your knee surgery goes well and wish you a speedy recovery!