Barriere Bound

[Norseman87]

So the boys and I are off on our annual mulie hunt and we've pegged Barriere as our next destination. We'll be staying on a property near Forest Lake on the E. side of the North Thompson, so that'll be our primary stomping grounds. We've also been hearing great things about the Skull Mt. trail network, seems the fire did some wonders for that area. Any other info would be well appreciated!

Norse

[604redneck]

U shouldnt go to barrierre its terrible for hunting ;)

[Glassman]

Barrierre area is horrible for hunting. Just because the 4 of us all tagged out before noon is no indication of it being a good spot to hunt.

[Norseman87]

Dang eh, well do they at least have a decent pub around?

[Grousedaddy]

4 , 4 points before noon? Thats impressive

[Bc Deer Hunter]

Barrierre area is horrible for hunting. Just because the 4 of us all tagged out before noon is no indication of it being a good spot to hunt.

pics or it didnt happen!! :mrgreen:

[Glassman]

It was end of Oct. Not all were 4 points.

[doubled]

Just got back from 5 days there with six guys. Only one 4pt dropped. Saw tonnes of does with 1 - 3pt, bunch of spikers and a few 2s. No big guys and we walked our a$$es off. Was a gong show at Skull with camps everywhere. COs have been up there recently giving tickets for road closure areas so lots of vehicles parked at trailheads.

My advice, go on the other side of the river and hit the burn there.

[Piperdown]

nothing but dinks there, oh ya and small bucks too :)

[Brian011]

Skull has been getting pounded this yr, tonnes of little bucks but good luck finding a 4 point that's still alive.

[Looking_4_Jerky]

Skull has been getting pounded progressively worse every year since the fire. There were about three stellar years after the fire and it has been a hard downhill slide ever since. As others have suggested, there are probably better areas around Barriere.

[Jelvis]

Hows Skull Mtn doing for escape routes and hiding holes for the monster buck?
Jelly Grilled Panini

[Husky7mm]

Just got back from 5 days there with six guys. Only one 4pt dropped. Saw tonnes of does with 1 - 3pt, bunch of spikers and a few 2s. No big guys and we walked our a$$es off. Was a gong show at Skull with camps everywhere. COs have been up there recently giving tickets for road closure areas so lots of vehicles parked at trailheads.

My advice, go on the other side of the river and hit the burn there.

What does everyone think will happen when its talked about on a public forum?? Happens all the time......

[doubled]

No surprise there Husky. I lived there for years and have never seen anything like this year - NOT EVEN CLOSE!!

That location has always been decent and with the fire even better with much improved visibility, fresh food and closed roads. This year reminded me of why I don't hunt alot near roads around Ktown - it was that bad.

That area will recover with time and as the bushes/trees get bigger and provide more cover. Not too worried about it.

[russm86]

Doubled is correct. Skull has always been a good deer area even for some great big mulies. I have seen many of my biggest bucks ever up there, though never real successful on any of them. It wasn't just the fire that brought deer in after, they have always been there, it has been their wintering grounds probably since deer evolved. The fire however, a bit of a double edged sword just made it easier for everyone to see all the deer, as well as offered some great food for them for a few years (however a bit redundant as they'd eventually come in to winter there anyways). You will really notice the population to boom around mid November and early December as they move down from the hills especially with the bigger bucks the later the better. I have been in the area early in the year and you may be lucky to see a couple does as with most areas there may be a few resident deer, but because they winter there once the snow gets deep in the hills you can see it change quick. Late in the year you could see hundreds of deer in there in a single day, I think I have had days in there in the last week of November and the first few days of December where I have seen like 25+ bucks, not all 4-points of course. As most have mentioned though, and as with many good areas, it has been getting used and abused by more and more people now. You will find this similar to a lot of the grasslands areas around Kamloops though many of them are used as wintering grounds. Another thing I think is hurting these areas is them getting hunted a little harder with more pressure from out of area hunters as the first week or so of December hunting season in most other regions has ended already and it is perfect timing for the deer to be moving into these wintering areas. Anyways, I think there have definitely been better days around Skull.

[Jelvis]

Do you think all those hunters you see on the open road, (the green one on the map) are just driving along the bottom and around Skull, or are they hiking their butts off down towards the river?
Jelly Skull Poison Mystery Black Goudreau, Whitewood Canyon, Gorman Lake fsr, Fishtrap, Mt Hagen,Camp Nine, Corral.

[hunter1993ap]

yup big mouths online do no good for areas. keep your mouths shut if you want an area to stay good.

[doubled]

Do you think all those hunters you see on the open road, (the green one on the map) are just driving along the bottom and around Skull, or are they hiking their butts off down towards the river?
Jelly Skull Poison Mystery Black Goudreau, Whitewood Canyon, Gorman Lake fsr, Fishtrap, Mt Hagen,Camp Nine, Corral.

I know the six of us put up to 100kms on our boots on in the five days there and there were alot of others that I never saw. The one thing with that area is it is very mountaineous so easy to get away from the masses.

Find the ugliest ravines and hike - you will find deer there just not like it used to be and you better be prepared to pack them out when you do find them.

As usual, alot of guys drove the green road. The one nice thing is I never once saw somebody drive a closed road while we were there but there were alot of eyes out and about.

[doubled]

Do you think all those hunters you see on the open road, (the green one on the map) are just driving along the bottom and around Skull, or are they hiking their butts off down towards the river?
Jelly Skull Poison Mystery Black Goudreau, Whitewood Canyon, Gorman Lake fsr, Fishtrap, Mt Hagen,Camp Nine, Corral.

You forgot Rexford, Crooked and a few others.

[Jelvis]

Crooked is Snake Lake now on new maps duoble bubble. Gotcha. lol.
-- The bush is higher now so the deer can hide better. 2003 and it's 2012, nine years and the fire that levelled the big trees and was a landscape is now grown up enuff to help the deer to cover. If people wood stay off the closed roads with motorized vee hic ulz, hic, it would be real nice for the real hiking hunter, who can drag a deer out. Need snow like now to skid it along otherwise whoa!
Jelly -- Fishtrap Mountian Maniac

[BlacktailStalker]

Quite the crew of indians bombing around there all hours of the night as well. I was there a few years ago, shot a 4 pt buck and saw 5 different moose shot during the night and winched to the road. Pretty sad. I imagine they whack quite a few good bucks as well. This one 'steward of the land' :roll: was rally racing around in his dually diesel, doing a continuous loop for two days/nights (that we saw, slept during the day I am sure but was always back for prime time and the night) and was responsible for a couple of the 'loading sites' on the road we would see each morning.

[Sofa King]

What does everyone think will happen when its talked about on a public forum?? Happens all the time......

yup.
same as when the bc outdoors mag features certain lakes.
suddenly everyone is going to fish and camp at that lake, 'cause someone said it was good.

[Jelvis]

Mule deer habitat does that to muley hunters, cougarzzzz, wild dogs, and Canine (hint)whoa, the dropping ground for the migrating mule deer from all over, including the Bonaparte herd, travelling over and down town Barr E Air.
From Skoatal to Parky Mtn, full throttle down from Dunsapie and down fishtrap to the North Thompson River.
Jelly (the Ex Loo ) across dah water muley hunters -- got yer hikin ro botts boots on? -- Fill My Qwiver nor river :neutral: --

[doubled]

Quite the crew of indians bombing around there all hours of the night as well. I was there a few years ago, shot a 4 pt buck and saw 5 different moose shot during the night and winched to the road. Pretty sad. I imagine they whack quite a few good bucks as well. This one 'steward of the land' :roll: was rally racing around in his dually diesel, doing a continuous loop for two days/nights (that we saw, slept during the day I am sure but was always back for prime time and the night) and was responsible for a couple of the 'loading sites' on the road we would see each morning.

Hunted there for over 20 years and can't say I have seen more than a handful of moose in all that time. Where abouts were these 5 different moose shot??

[Jelvis]

I know some Indians hunt up Fishtrap and Skull, some logged it off years ago about twenty years ago.
One fella got a beauty drop tine off Skull when they made road along the edge on top of the Skullian.
Now they finally took that road out good like back to slope. I givem credit for that good thinking for hunters who prefer walking not driving hunting. And to stop access of vee hic cals. Back to slope is the answer when stopping traffic.

[Jelvis]

If you want a non typical gene blood line of muley bucks by Barriere hunt up Leonie and you will see non-typ muley bucks with huge racks. If yah got the truck and chains, and legs like fire hydrants.
Leonie Creek up the Barriere Lakes road then turn up Gordon Creek to Mt. Borthwick / Garrison Mtn -- Toad City non typticalies

[604redneck]

It's always been Snake or Crooked you bunch of fools

[604redneck]

Muley goof ball , you goofs from the coast have pretty well poached everything with horns around here,time to go and terrorize a new spot

[Jelvis]

I like the area too of course who doesn't but what got me all uppity was when after the 2003 McClure fire the forestry cut down the burnt trees, that was real dum, what were they thinking?
Crooked, Snake it's all the same, awesome country for the real muley hunters who aren't afraid to walk and drag.
You better like hiking in the bush and know your prey and know the lay of the land and the pockets of hidey holes, BOOM!
Jel -- Crooked Lake with a foot and a half of the white stuff -- Paradise City