Going Bison Hunting-Any suggestions?

[Dad and son]

On Friday the 15th my 11 year old son and I fly to Ft St John to hunt Bison. He will probably be one of the younger hunters in the province to shoot a wild bison as he got the draw and not me. I have rented a truck and a snowmobile and a sled/caboose and will be staying at the Sikani River Lodge. He will be shooting his brothers Tika 300 win mag. I have never hunted with a snowmobile and have not driven one in over 20 years. I also have not hunted Bison before. Does anyone have any suggestions for me. I plan to take the bison to 101 Meats and then shipped home frozen to Vancouver. thanks in advance

[pmj]

Good luck. Hope you are prepared for cold weather and you have more than the two of you to get the animal out. Here is a link to a recent buffalo hunting story from the area you are going to. It will give you a hint of what you may face. It is from the Port Coquitlam and District Hunting and Fishing web site, hunting section.

http://www.pcdhfc.com/BuffaloHunters.pdf

[Schmaus]

One of my buddies just got back from their buff hunt. They said the buffalo were all up really high. It couldn't have been bad though because they only hunted for two days. I will try and get some pics up and a better story by the weekend.

[hunter1947]

Take a big winch there big animals ,hunter 1947.http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

[tuchodi]

Good Luck!! I have been on 2 Buffalo hunts in that area in the last 5 years. Both were successfull and a lot of hard work. Be carfull of rivers when you cross with the snowmobiles. If there is open patch's of water there may still be lots of ice above or below it which will be safe. It can get really cold as the first time I was there it was Minus 40 but no wind. That time the animals were all down from the mountains and it was easy pickings. The last time the Buffalo were all up high and it was a very hard hunt but successfull. Your son will have the time of his life and tell stories for many years. Eleven and shooting a 300 will be sumething special for you. A friend who lives in Ft St John just got back yesterday and his wife had the draw and got a nice big dry cow. "Hunt Safe".

[mark]

Be very prepared!!!!! It can be very cold up there! Do pack a gun yourself! Guns seem to jam up on them hunts! From my experience head shots are best (its a pretty big target) Lung shots barely do anything, although they will die. Dont hesitate to start shooting after the boy makes a hole in him! Dont believe everything you hear about size, they are not elephants. Me and my partner got 4 year old bulls, they weighed about 500 lbs quartered up! good luck!

[RiverOtter]

I have two buddies who were successful on Bison hunts in the past 6 years. One was in the Sikinny(sp) Chief area and I can't remember where the other was. They both loved their experiences and would go back. Both of them took a quad and a snowmobile, as some areas had very little snow.

The one thing that they both said about their bison was, "There all rib cage". They are large animals, no doubt, but no worse than dealing with an elk or moose.

Have fun and we look forward to hearing all about your hunt when you get back.

RO

[BCrams]

From my experience head shots are best (its a pretty big target) Lung shots barely do anything, although they will die. Dont hesitate to start shooting after the boy makes a hole in him!

Headshots on bison are not the best shot to make. IF it were, you'd have the information packet telling you so. Start talking about headshots with Hammets and you'll be given a lecture.

They may have worked for marky mark.....but its not recommended.

The best shot is down low right behind the forleg! Hit them there and they die easy .... unfortunatly, from the stories we have heard from the outfitter - most guys on their hunts tend to forget where they're supposed to shoot and end up shooting the buffalo midway up the side which just happens to be alot of meat and bone and you get one pissed off bison.

If your son hits the bison where you're supposed to hit them .... you shouldn't need to start shooting as if you're at the fair grounds like Mark would and ruin alot of good meat.

I hit my buff 6" up from the bottom right behind the forleg and took the heart out ... (remember the heart sits low on bison) and it was over ! Not an ounce of ruined meat.

We stayed with Mike at the Sikanni lodge as well and had a great hunt.

[mark]

Im just speaking from experience! My bison hit the ground like a sack of nails, as did my buddys. We watched other guys take 13 rounds to down em, as well lots got wounded. There were blood trails all over the place, some guys were scared to go after them in the thick too. I had to go in the thick and finish one off for some woosies when i was there in 96.

[mainland hunter]

what do u mean no ruined meat, you hit the heart:)

[tuchodi]

BCRAM is correct about shot placement. Low and right behind the leg is were I got mine and no problem. If you stay At Mike's you will really enjoy yourself. It is sometimes hard to aim that low but just do it. I am not sure if Mike still has the large Buffalo head in his lodge with an arrow throught it but if he does just look at the size of the head and then you will realize how much fur they have and how small a target the head really is.

[BCrams]

Im just speaking from experience! My bison hit the ground like a sack of nails, as did my buddys.

You guys got lucky you hit where it counted......its still not recommended.

We watched other guys take 13 rounds to down em, as well lots got wounded.

Obviously they were not hitting the buffalo where it counted. (too high on the body). The guides up there routinely finish off buffalo with their 30-06's after the buffalo have been wounded by guys using .338 and .375 H&H's Simply put - bison are about shot placement.....they die easy when hit where it counts (forget about the so called knock down power for those of you using .338's and up) Its very easy for guys hunting bison to aim mid-point and wonder why they don't go down and start shooting like they're flock shooting birds trying to bring the animal down.

[StoneChaser]

Good bullets!

I've never killed one, but personally I'd be using 180gr TSX or 200gr Nosler Partitions in a 300 Mag... I realize they're not bullet proof, but at 300 Mag velocity the non premium bullets will compromise penetration (especially should heavy bone (ie leg bone) be encountered)... that is a fact!

Premium bullets may be seen by some as overkill but when things go wrong......

StoneChaser

[Schmaus]

I think my buddy said that his buff weighed in at around 440 lbs and it only took one shot from a .338 win mag shooting 250 nosler partitions.

[Fisher-Dude]

Nosler Partitions? :confused: Save those for gophers. They will just splatter like birdshot from a shotgun when they hit a bison. They don't even do a good job on a puny deer from what I've witnessed! Get a GOOD quality bonded bullet that will penetrate thick hair, hide and bone to find the vitals. TSXs, Accubonds, or Core Lokt Ultra Bondeds (my personal favourite) are by far the better choice.

[StoneChaser]

Nosler Partitions? :confused: Save those for gophers. They will just splatter like birdshot from a shotgun when they hit a bison. They don't even do a good job on a puny deer from what I've witnessed! Get a GOOD quality bonded bullet that will penetrate thick hair, hide and bone to find the vitals. TSXs, Accubonds, or Core Lokt Ultra Bondeds (my personal favourite) are by far the better choice.

Dude.......

The TSX isn't bonded and the Accubond is ALMOST as good as a Partition...not quite though. I can't comment on the Performance of the CLUB as I've not killed with them (reviews I've "read" claim alright performance.. nothing worth ranting about).

The Nosler Partition is THE bullet that all others are measured against... has been since 1946!

Perhaps you're mistaking it for the Ballistic Tip?

StoneChaser

[todbartell]

this might explain better than I can

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=6905
(http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=6905)

(grin)

[StoneChaser]

this might explain better than I can

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=6905
(http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=6905)

(grin)

Now I get it...guess the other millions of hunters can consider ourselves lucky we never lost our game hit with NP's!

StoneChaser

[Will]

Perhaps you're mistaking it for the Ballistic Tip?

StoneChaser
I've tired that...........it doesn't work.

Partitions Bullets set the Standard to which ALL other bullets have been measured against some 50 years ago(?) There is a reason for this....
They work and work well.

Anyone that says a Nosler Partition Bullet did not perform on a given animal must have shot the animal in the A$$.

My Whitey this year wasn't the biggest critter out there but then the Little 6.5mm 125 Grain Partition that did him in wasn't so big either !

The bullet smashed the near shoulder on a slight quartering towards me shot....it Broke alot of bone on the way in, removed the tops of both lungs and the heart, then broke 2 ribs as it exited just ahead of the diaphram on the offside leaving roughly an inch and a half sized hole.
Hardly the Performance of a Bullet prone to "Fragmenting" and failing to Penetrate:|

I have had Much the same results from Partitions on Bears(alot more then one), Muleys and Moose as have Millions of other Hunters.

But then what do a Bunch of weekend warriors know about Rifles and Bullets anyways:lol:

Edited to ADD:
I should also say that While I am a Firm Believer in Partition Bullets the more "Modern" designs are certainly Great performers.......bonded bullets give the sleek BC's of Match type bullets but hold together well for good penetration.

The Solid designs like the TSX Barnes etc. are proving themselves to be wicked little projectiles.
Any Hunting Bullet will Kill ANY animal if place appropriately as ALL the dead animals Killed every year by the Cheapest ammo Canadian tire or Walmart carries will tell you.
Truth be known I'm sure the Majority of Hunters do not "reload" and certainly aren't buying up the "Premium" ammo niether yet Many animals don't seem to care what just Blew thier lungs out;)

Use whatever turns your Crank but don't Dismiss a Bullet that's been the "Standard" Premium Hunting Bullet since 1948(?)

If there is any Species of animal on the Planet that has not been Killed by a Partition bullet time and time again.......I'll eat Tod Bartells shorts:|

[30-06]

federal power/vital shok bullets,are decent
thats what i shot my deer with this year.
broke the shoulder,double lung and heart and through the other shoulder

[puppychow]

Best of luck for a successful safe hunt. A .300 win mag is a bug gun for an 11 year old. Shoot for the area just behind the front leg just above the front elbow joint. Looking forward to the pictures.

[StoneChaser]

If there is any Species of animal on the Planet that has not been Killed by a Partition bullet time and time again.......I'll eat Tod Bartells shorts:|

I'm beginning the search right now, and will find at least one critter.... Bartell will send them Xpress Post w/signature required!

Wait a second...I don't think Bartell wears any:)

[Will]

Wait a second...I don't think Bartell wears any:)
Thank God........I was betting on that:lol:

[Fisher-Dude]

I'm gonna take Bartell grizz hunting with me. I'll duct tape a pair of my shorts to him. I'll send Bartell in to flush the grizz out to me. Then I'll send the shorts FedEx to Will...I do have his address! :lol: No ketchup or other condiments allowed Will!

All I need to do is get a testimonial from my friend who uses Partitions in his 300WM as to how many shots his deer take before they finally fall over. He's a good shot, the first one is always in the boiler room...and the bloodshot goes from the front of the shoulder to the ass-end. What a freakin mess! He's "using up" his Partitions and then will get a die set to do some reloading with something different. (I know his wife gave him sh*t because she was there when he dumped money on two more boxes of Federal NPs, so he's just avoiding the divorce instead of buying good bullets right now and tossing the NPs aside).

Where's that Goat Guy when I need him? I know what he thinks about NPs and any game, let alone bison. There's a reason some G/Os aren't allowing their clients to use NPs on moose and grizz.

Stoner, the CLUBs that I have been using are giving awesome performance. They are giving me clover leafs at the range (factory loads), and I haven't lost more than 2 lbs of meat on any of the animals I've shot. Two thumbs up from me on the CLUBs. Even the butcher commented on both of my animals last year, saying that he was amazed at the lack of bloodshot and meat loss he found.

[mainland hunter]

partitions have always performed well for me.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSC00641.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=3473&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=504&sl=m)
this one came from the moose i got this year.
210 gr. out of a 338 win mag at 250 yds.
but i havent shot that many animals with them so maybe they are inconsistent

[Gus]

NP's a dam good bullet. I know guys that have been shooting them for years, and there is a reason they haven't changed.

[StoneChaser]

All I need to do is get a testimonial from my friend who uses Partitions in his 300WM as to how many shots his deer take before they finally fall over.

Honestly, how many critters have YOU personally shot with them?

I give VERY little merit to a buddy of a buddies cousin's roomate and his experiences... as the shots are always PERFECT and the bullets suck... same story every time (simply substitute species and bullets of your choice).


He's a good shot

Sounds like a hell of a shot!:frown:

Not a deer alive will take multiple WELL PLACED hits from a 300 Win mag and NP's... sorry (hell, a 55gr varmint bullet from a 22-250 will kill a deer through the ribs no problem), unless your buddy just shoots rapid fire. An NP in the ribs and it's game over... seen 'em work too many times to belive that story!



There's a reason some G/Os aren't allowing their clients to use NPs on moose and grizz.


I don't believe it... who are the G/O's? Kutenay already called BS on Tompkins disallowing NP's, and I put little faith in Lancaster (I personally know one of their long time guides that used 90gr Sierra HP's in his 270 and had 2 clients kill sheep with them... (he loaded them at my house)).

Furthermore... have you seen the video of Bart and his 30-30 on goat where he has to get more ammo from the pack as his goat stands there (after having the entire rifle emptied on him)? Wonder if those were partitions:mad:

StoneChaser

[Fisher-Dude]

He's my regular huntin partner and we've shared dozens of kills over the past 15 years. He puts the bullet where it should go but I ain't impressed with its performance. Not when I compare it to what I've been shooting (same calibre). Let's cut the hijack of Dad & Son's thread off...we can start another one but maybe we can just agree to disagree on bullet performance.

I hope the young fella cracks himself a dandy bison! I'm looking forward to the story and pics...what a story he will have for his schoolmates! Best of luck!

[mainland hunter]

good luck on the hunt glen, a bison for an 11 year old would be awesome.

[RiverOtter]

Won't knock a heart shot, as they're going to be just as dead, but if it were me pulling the trigger I'd be bustin bone. (ie.)Front shoulder(s). If I get the heart on the way through, bonus.

As a side, a NP ain't never a bad choice in a hunting bullet, specially if shoulders get in the way.........

RO

[luckynuts]

Hmmm a 32 special worked on mine 2 weeks ago:eek: Actually the farmer drove up to them stuck out his rifle and pop down she went no fuss.. Though living up here you do get to hear the stories and yes many do get wounded probably why the grizz are a problem this time of year in that area. Like some have stated low and behind the foreleg.


Good luck on your hunt though be prepared there is a lot of snow hit the cutlines for track and you will find them.

W

[CanAm500]

Have some fun on your hunt. Do get some pictures and write up a story on here for us who just dream of a hunt like that.

Best of luck to you and your son.

[Will]

I'm gonna take Bartell grizz hunting with me. I'll duct tape a pair of my shorts to him. I'll send Bartell in to flush the grizz out to me. Then I'll send the shorts FedEx to Will...I do have his address!
Have you seen Bartell ?....he's truly a Giant among men, very Scary.
Bring lots of tape :lol:

As far as my addy ?
Yep NO secret I'm getting pretty well known around these parts......

Come to think of it I should think about Moving........:| :lol:

Best of Luck to the Lad on His Bison, hope he Hammers a Beast ! 8)

[Dad and son]

Well my thots on bullet types is that very few hunters have shot enough animals with similar bullets and similar placement on the animal to make educated comments on what type of bullet is best. With my son's bison he took one shot at 40 yards with a 300 Winchester mag Federal 180 gr Nosler Partition Premium Safari and this is what he did to the heart. I do not think it would have made too much difference which bullet he used if he shot like this. Story to follow
691

[The Hermit]

Congratulations to your sun on a great shot!! And to you for taking him on a hunt like that! Way to go Dad!!!

[Mulies]

Was going to tell you to make sure your son is shooting premium bullets. You don't need a bullet blowing up on the rib cage or the front shoulder. StoneChaser has already said it for me.
Wouldn't be a bad idea to take a trip to the range to make sure that your son can handle the recoil .