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TyTy
04-24-2013, 07:46 PM
So, Nov. 13, 2011, peak of the rut, I moved from mid-Island back to the fraser valley. start new job Nov. 15. First day on the new job my co-worker spots a massive 4-5 pointer across a creek in a cut block. We ranged him at 400+ meters. You can see this deer is huge at this distance, slowly working his way down hill; its snowing heavily, but blizzard is breif. Oh well, back to work... Didn't get much time in hunting the rut that year, just got plain worn out from too many consecutive days in the bush between hunting and work, and the move on top of it.

*I'm going to mention here, that in this area, it is neither blacktail or mule deer, but hybrids! Its pretty cool. They are like blacktails on steroids. The country is rediculously rough and steep. and the bucks have these tall and wide racks but with a deep curl to the main beam. These are "canyon" bucks, I don't know what else to call them. They are big like mule deer, kinda short legs for the body size, and behave like and live in blacktail country. Whatever, just awsome deer and my best line on a big buck right now:-D
2012....

Decided I'd hunt up the mainline a couple kilometers up from where I saw the big guy. Did some more work up that same mainline later that year, got to know that area pretty well and liked what I saw. This area gets lots of road hunting pressure, but its so stupidly rugged and ugly, No one hunts the timber. "puzzle piece"

There was always this ugly hill, talus slopes, bluffs, cliffs with big timber. I always made an excuse not to go up there. One hunt, I forgot my boots and only had my street shoes. I looked at the hill and said, F it, Ill just have an excuse not to go up there when I have my boots, I"m just gonna go for it.

Just starting up the base, crawling up it, head down, i crawl right into this

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Shed_find.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)


Good start to this hill. "puzzle piece"


Further up the hill. On a second trip in.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Matched_side_find_4.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Matched_side_find_5.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)


Saw no deer here in 2012 and very little sign. Area was littered with tracks in 2011. Also in 2011, saw drag marks in the snow one day, of a buck, shot by a hunter... right on the frigin road. probably the big buck of the area.... got shot while rubbing some willows... "puzzle piece"

On a later trip in, last weekend, April 2013

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Matched_side_find_1.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)

TyTy
04-24-2013, 07:47 PM
Found the matching side to a shed I found last year. Friggin 6 feet away, didn't look hard enough for the match last time, but hell, look where I found it. I was standing there for 2 minutes, it was right at my feet! This is a cool buck, tall, wide but compact frame.

see the shed? This patch of timber is about 15 meters in radius and is in the middle of a talus slope below bluffs/cliffs

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Matched_side_find_2.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Matched_side_find_3.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Matched_sides_1.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)

The matched sides over a 36" stick. The rodents have been hard on all the sheds in this area. Also I'm figuring all the sheds were dropped winter 2010. Likely the where the bucks congregated at that time?..."puzzle piece"


Anyways, No success to report, just sheds.
I found all but two of these within 200 meters of each other.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/All_sheds_up.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/All_sheds_down.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)

The genetics really vary here. One thing they all have in common is they are big and in close proximity. "puzzle piece!!"

TyTy
04-24-2013, 07:51 PM
Unfortunately I have no success to report for this area. I think all the sheds were from winter 2010, 2011 had a nice buck shot out of the area. 2012 I saw nothing (though we smell deer at work). I know there is some really nice timber higer up the hill from where i'm finding the sheds, and nice apline above that. And I am also cluing in, that the deer likely "move" through this area, twice a year; down during the rut/winter, likely hover around until april, then move up mountain. No fresh sheds gonna have to check across the tributary valley, steeper, bigger, uglier hills and bluffs. should be painful

And I hung a trail camera on a game trail, there are cliffs on the other side of the timber in the pictures. Its a pinch point, kinda the center spot where i'm finding all the sheds.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Camera_1_Location_a.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Camera_1_Location_b.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)


The "climb" in.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Blacktail_Country_1.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Blacktail_Country_2.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)


Likely the reason why the sheds are so chewed up,

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Blacktail_Country_3.JPG (http://javascript%3cstrong%3e%3c/strong%3E:;)



Hopefully more to come

Brew
04-24-2013, 08:04 PM
Thanks for sharing TyTy. Nice antlers and looks like a good spot. Met you up at UBC that one day. Who do you work for? Both of us are lucky too work in the bush everyday. I think I spend just as much time looking for animals and sign as I do working. I especially like the days when we go in with the heli. I've found some great sheds walking future heli blocks.

Wade
04-24-2013, 08:21 PM
Nice pics. I like looking for drop horns too.

adriaticum
04-24-2013, 08:26 PM
What do you guys do with all these antlers?
I've seen some pretty humongous collections.

~T-BONE~
04-25-2013, 04:28 AM
It's only a matter of timing now.. You'll connect! Good luck!

kennyj
04-25-2013, 05:28 AM
Nice finds! Looks like an exciting area.
Good luck up there.
kenny

EGLPNT
04-25-2013, 08:41 AM
Very cool! Keep us posted! :mrgreen:

BCKyle
04-25-2013, 08:52 AM
That is a crazy antler at the bottom right of the top group photo... I'd be stoked to get something like that on a wall!

Good luck in there, sounds like you're hot on the trail. It's a whole new season a-comin'...

geoskier
04-25-2013, 09:20 AM
Thanks for sharing TyTy. Nice antlers and looks like a good spot. Met you up at UBC that one day. Who do you work for? Both of us are lucky too work in the bush everyday. I think I spend just as much time looking for animals and sign as I do working. I especially like the days when we go in with the heli. I've found some great sheds walking future heli blocks.

No kidding! on one heli job (mineral exploration) I found a mountain with 50+ goats on it. We were there a couple days before season opened and I figured you could hike in on one rough day. Too bad I had to be somewhere else right away...

TyTy
04-25-2013, 07:14 PM
Hi Brew, I agree working in the woods rocks. I"m scouting 5 days a week. I'm a timber cruiser, based out of chilliwack.

Rut Buck
04-25-2013, 09:31 PM
yup just seen 17 deer up skagit on monday..

Tim
04-25-2013, 09:49 PM
Well I'm in the wrong career! Sounds like the hunters dream to me

Brew
04-26-2013, 07:32 AM
I've seen a few deer up skagit this week as well. When the snow was on the ground there was moose tracks and turds as well. Few guys have been spotti g cougars up there this week to. Three in total

geoskier
04-26-2013, 03:18 PM
Lately I've seen moose, deer, and goats 25 minutes from home in Pemberton!