Does anyone have any experience hunting 4-33 ?

[jackychiles]

Has anyone spent time hunting, goats, deer, bear or even elk in region 4-33 ?? I am generally talking about the Incomappleux Valley.

Jacky

[alpinehunter]

Have hunted up there lots.

But no more, rockfall came down summer 2006 in the canyon at 7.5km and has damaged the bridge that parrellals the river. You can't even get a quad or motorbike over the rockfall. I think 100 tons came down and cracked the bridge foundation.

Its a shame but ministry probably won't replace bridge.

Warren

[jackychiles]

I saw pictures of the rock fall. Is there not a eco-tourist hostal up there ?? At the 7.5 km mark could a guy hike and do some hunting ?? Are there deer or elk up there or is it just mainly goats and bears ??

Jacky

[rocksteady]

You mean whats called locally "the Fish".

Been up there lots and have never seen an over abundance of game, I think too much local hunting pressure (some maybe at night) from the residents of Trout Lake.

Fair decent whitey population where the fish dumps into the Arrow Lake at Beaton Arm, and quite a few bears in the back end. Some goats and the occasional moose, never seen an elk in the back end, but have seen them at Beaton.

[alpinehunter]

If you want to hike past the rockfall, it is just a issue of how far are you willing to walk. I have not been there to see if you could pack a pedal bike over or not.
There is a hostal back at 27 km, but since it is a forestry road there is no obligation to make sure it is open.

There are deer, elk, bear and goats. The mule deer population was huge up there until the winter 95-98 killoff, due the huge snowfall events. You don't see alot these days. As for elk there are population in various spots but the valley is not thick with them. Bears, lots of them, but you have to understand this is not your typical hunt the cutblock areas. Most cutblocks are 15 years and better. Thick probably does not describe the brush. You could hear a bear from the road, but it may never come out of the brush.

As for the goats, oh yea they are there and if you want them they are all yours, beside thick brush I forgot the steep slopes with huge cliffs. I love hunting goats but there are better areas to get big goats. Make sure you can get to the goat before you shoot.

Don't get me wrong if you are obsesed with hunting like me this may be your spot, but be prepared to work for any type of game up the FISH(thats what the local people call it).

[jackychiles]

Over the winter I usually spend some time looking for good deer and possibly a good goat area. I have hunted 4-29 for goats and that seemed near impossible. Bears everywhere the one mule deer ( that oddly enough was as big as an elk....it was huge) but goats seem to way off, maybe due to a heli skiing operation I came upon ??? I thought that 4-33 looked like some better area for mule deer and maybe goats.

Jacky

[boxhitch]

I know of a logging contractor from Nakusp who had spent a couple years working in the Fish area, prob a recent as 2002-03 ? Should be some fresh blocks.

[alpinehunter]

I think you would find 4-29 easier to hunt goats, late in the season 4-33 up the Fish has goats low down in hard-imposible to access cliff systems.
Goats in general in West Kootenay's if you are finding nannies and smaller billies down lower, set your spotting scope up and look at the ridge tops. The biggest usually hange out up high until very late in the rut and some don't even come down at all. I don't think the Heli skiing lodge affect them at all, you can find goats around the lodge at various times of the year. In my experience if you are looking for a great goat with 10"+ horns, they are in hard to access areas.

I think it would be fair to say that trout lake area in general does not have a huge mule deer population. 4 points are hard to find and a nice 4 point takes time and alot of work. They are there but they can just step off the road and you will have a hard time seeing them.

The Fish does have a few cutblocks <10 old but 95% are >15-40 years old.

I would suggest if your interested in the area for fall, come over for bears in the spring and walk in to get an idea what the country is like.

Warren

[jackychiles]

I don't think the Heli skiing lodge affect them at all, you can find goats around the lodge at various times of the year.

Warren
Your kidding me right ?? I have been up there in August scouting and in Sept and have not seen a goat within miles of that lodge. In fact I have yet to see a goat from the dirt roads anywhere in there. The goats that I know of are a long long hike away. Very rough country.

Jacky

[alpinehunter]

No I am not kidding!

In summer (July-August-September) they are high and you have to spend alot of time looking for them. Unless they are out in the open on contrasting background be using your spotting scope. You would be suprised that you can scan the whole face of a mountain and see nothingwith bino's, scan the same face with a spotting scope and there they are. Some times you also have to hike up the other side of the valley in a slide chute or a cutblock to get a better view.

Even when the goats are close to the lodge they are still a long hike away. The reason the Heli skiing lodge has little impact is that they only run January until end of March. In the winter time when goats are in there winter range habitat the heli skiers are not in the same area. They may fly past once in a while, but most of the heli skiing is in treed higher locations. Most of the winter habitat for goats a trout lake is mid-lower elevation on very steep cliffy gound that has lots of wind and lower snowpack.

If you think the trout lake area is very rough then the Fish must be extreme. That is probably very true.

Warren

[jackychiles]

Thanks for your input. I am no expert goat hunter by any definition but I found that trout lake area brutal. That being said I will go up again and give it a try. It is rough but very fun. Those goats that I saw were a long way from the lodge, probably more south east from that lodge and the river.

Jacky








No I am not kidding!

In summer (July-August-September) they are high and you have to spend alot of time looking for them. Unless they are out in the open on contrasting background be using your spotting scope. You would be suprised that you can scan the whole face of a mountain and see nothingwith bino's, scan the same face with a spotting scope and there they are. Some times you also have to hike up the other side of the valley in a slide chute or a cutblock to get a better view.

Even when the goats are close to the lodge they are still a long hike away. The reason the Heli skiing lodge has little impact is that they only run January until end of March. In the winter time when goats are in there winter range habitat the heli skiers are not in the same area. They may fly past once in a while, but most of the heli skiing is in treed higher locations. Most of the winter habitat for goats a trout lake is mid-lower elevation on very steep cliffy gound that has lots of wind and lower snowpack.

If you think the trout lake area is very rough then the Fish must be extreme. That is probably very true.

Warren