Hunting in a rain/wind storm?

[caddisguy]

I was planning on seeing how far I can get the Jeep up the mountain from Boston bar tomorrow when the weather was calling for 5-10mm of rain over there, but now the weather network shows 30-40mm rain and 10-20km/h wind. Abbotsford to Hope is expected to get up to 60mm, so the drive will suck too. From what I have read, under these conditions, grouse will be hiding and deer will stay bedded down. Is this accurate? I'm willing to risk the highway conditions and potentially getting stuck way up the mountain without a chainsaw if I have decent odds at grouse or deer. Since I cannot decide, I am asking the Internet to decide for me. Do I stay, or do I go?

[sapper]

Wow, you're prepared to get stuck for a grouse?! :)
Seriously though from what I've read on here (and elsewhere) blacktail deer love the wet, stormy stuff. So, depending on how far you drive it could be ideal. Boston Bar though, from my understanding might be getting more into mule deer territory. Regardless, I'd make sure you have a chainsaw with you considering the storm that is supposed to be coming. There's a serious rainfall warning in effect. Good luck to you and have a safe hunt.

[Sasqman]

I was out in region 2-19 last sunday in the pouring rain for a grouse outing. Drove a bit, hiked a few kilometeres and didnt see anything!!!

So my advice would be to go!! A day in the rain, in the truck, or out hiking beats a rainy day at home! Also, I brought my fly rod, as fishing is always good in the rain.......................especially all the creeks up where you are going.

Have fun

Paul

[BearStump]

probably be a good idea to at least bring a hand saw if you cant get a hold of a chainsaw. Sure would suck to be way up a mtn and have a tree block your access out behind you. in that weather its less likely that someone else might just drive up to bail you out.

[lilhoss]

Rain,wind,...old growth timber,best conditions for b-tails.Right after a storm, look for 'em on the edge of clear cuts ,etc. You can get'em if you don't go!

[Sofa King]

why not play it safer and go in from the other side?
or explore the many better areas up the coq direction?

[caddisguy]

I'll see if I can borrow a chainsaw. I keep meaning to buy one. If it's too big to move, drive over, chop/burn/etc, it would sure be a chore to saw through by hand. Though if I can't get the chainsaw this evening I'll definitely bring a handsaw.

[caddisguy]

duallie it will just be a daytrip, so coming in from the other side would be 3-4 hours before I'm on the trail rather than 1.5. Though from what people are saying, maybe I'm best off along the Anderson FSR on the lower boston bar side watching for BT's instead of heading up trail that starts near the power lines (Spius FSR I think) for Muleys. Also I have to check, but I think if I head down Anderson far enough, I'm back in region 2 where less than 4 points is open.

[Big Lew]

"Also I have to check, but I think if I head down Anderson far enough, I'm back in region 2 where less than 4 points is open."

Check very carefully, it can be 'iffy'. Be prepared to defend just where you shot anything less than 4 points. Co's have been known to check hunters coming out onto the highway.

[Sasquatch]

There is some new active logging the first few km of the Anderson and spius roads, lots of traffic and equipment there...extra caution in lousy weather.

[Sofa King]

duallie it will just be a daytrip, so coming in from the other side would be 3-4 hours before I'm on the trail rather than 1.5. Though from what people are saying, maybe I'm best off along the Anderson FSR on the lower boston bar side watching for BT's instead of heading up trail that starts near the power lines (Spius FSR I think) for Muleys. Also I have to check, but I think if I head down Anderson far enough, I'm back in region 2 where less than 4 points is open.

what?
how's it 3-4 hrs to the toll booths?
the coq is a helluva lot faster than driving up the #1.

[caddisguy]

"Also I have to check, but I think if I head down Anderson far enough, I'm back in region 2 where less than 4 points is open."

Check very carefully, it can be 'iffy'. Be prepared to defend just where you shot anything less than 4 points. Co's have been known to check hunters coming out onto the highway.

I would definitely make sure I'm a couple km's deep back in region 2-17 before I consider anyone less than a 4 point... probably take some pictures as well. I wonder what happens if someone shoots a 2/3 point deer in 2-17 and it runs into 3-14 then flops there. Wouldn't want to be in that situation.

[caddisguy]

what?
how's it 3-4 hrs to the toll booths?
the coq is a helluva lot faster than driving up the #1.

Ah hah! I just looked at the map. I thought I'd have to drive all the way to Merritt to get in from the other side, but yes it doesn't look like I would have to go up that far. Might need to bring some extra gas heading in that way though. But yeah it's just over an hour to the toll booth.

[xtrail]

I would definitely make sure I'm a couple km's deep back in region 2-17 before I consider anyone less than a 4 point... probably take some pictures as well. I wonder what happens if someone shoots a 2/3 point deer in 2-17 and it runs into 3-14 then flops there. Wouldn't want to be in that situation.
If you have good shot placement, you don't have to worry about it falling anywhere else other then in its tracks.

[caddisguy]

I was out in region 2-19 last sunday in the pouring rain for a grouse outing. Drove a bit, hiked a few kilometeres and didnt see anything!!!


Hah! I was out in 2-19 as well--but on the Saturday when it was sunny--up as far as Mystery creek road. Checked out some trails and hiked around. I did not see anything either.

Well, it has been decided. The Internet has spoken. I am heading up Boston Bar tomorrow for some stormy hunting conditions. Aiming to be heading up the mountain by 5-6am.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll post the results late Saturday or sometime Sunday.

[Sasqman]

Good luck Caddis!

[Keta1969]

The other thing I would be concerned about are small slides or small debris flows taking out culverts or bridges if the rain comes fast and furious. It's happened to me on the island and we were very fortunate to have had a chainsaw. I always keep an eye on water levels now and will leave early if its rising rapidly. Still I'll be out tomorrow looking for a deer. Good Luck!

[caddisguy]

The other thing I would be concerned about are small slides or small debris flows taking out culverts or bridges if the rain comes fast and furious. It's happened to me on the island and we were very fortunate to have had a chainsaw. I always keep an eye on water levels now and will leave early if its rising rapidly. Still I'll be out tomorrow looking for a deer. Good Luck!

I'm back! I went way up Spius, along the Anderson, East Anderson and quite a few side trails as well. There were a few areas that look pretty good over there, but did not see any animals--except non-game birds and squirrels--even with a co-pilot focused in the bush, on every tree and every cut. As for the trails, we go through without incident. There were a few limbs falling and some rocks tumbling down--good prediction about slides Keta--and the upper Spius had a section of deep slippy clay based mud to crawl through very carefully. Only a few workers and tree planters up there and maybe a couple hunters. There is lots of equipment though as mentioned earlier in the thread. Definitely be careful up there and creep wide around the corners. Some parts are pretty narrow and steep. The most scary part about it was driving back through the storm on the #1 in a Wrangler... huge gusts of wind and avoiding hydroplaning were problems. The canyon was the worst but the Chilliwack flats were pretty bad too. Any worse and I would have pulled off somewhere to wait it out.

It was an exciting trip though and I have many hours of great dashcam footage. Will I make this day-trip during a storm again? Probably not, but I would love to check it out on a sunny day. I imagine it is an entirely different world.

[sapper]

I would imagine it would have been pretty crazy out there. It was a bit of a circus here in the lower mainland. Towards the end of August I dug a trench 3'wide, 2.5' deep and the length of our house, took all the clay out of that area buried a drain pipe (the kind with the holes on the sides) that drains to the front yard and filled it all in with drain rock. This was needed as last year I realized that our neighbour's property is a few feet higher than ours and their gutter outflows direct their water right towards our ground floor. Well, we weathered the storm yesterday and I only had to run a sump pump twice just to help out a little. I think I need to make some changes to our downspouts as well, take out the rain barrel, and direct that water to the front yard away from the house too. Now we brace for round 2 this evening.
Incredible that we can be living in a 20 year old house and these issues were never a problem or dealt with earlier.
Any how, glad you made it back safely.

[Sofa King]

I would definitely make sure I'm a couple km's deep back in region 2-17 before I consider anyone less than a 4 point... probably take some pictures as well. I wonder what happens if someone shoots a 2/3 point deer in 2-17 and it runs into 3-14 then flops there. Wouldn't want to be in that situation.

theyd have to prove you shot it there. but theyd have to actually be there and witness you with the deer to even question it in the first place. i hunt an area like that alot up the connector. regon 3and 8 border meanders all along it. different situation though, as the seasons are very similar. its more an issue of being careful if ive already bagged a mulie in one of the regions.

[Sasqman]

Glad to hear you made it back OK! Sounds like a good day exploring in a new area. Sounds nice and close too, I may have to venture up that way one day.

Paul

[Sofa King]

did u encounter any snow at all?

[caddisguy]

did u encounter any snow at all?

Some of the peaks were getting dusted. I was never up quite that high, but the stuff coming down on us seemed to be a pretty gross mix of rain and freezing rain, maybe some very wet snow.

[Big Lew]

I don't hunt in there anymore, but years ago, before the slashes were too thick and high, and before the wolves cleaned out all the fawns, there were a lot of deer in the upper areas along Anderson Creek above the clay slide. There were also moose and black bear. I would say that 95% were mule deer, although I did take an old gnarly blacktail once above Siwash creek and a blacktail doe off Spider Peak.