Harrison East or West?

[Bpower]

My wife has decided she would like to have a short close to home get away in Harrison Hot Springs Resort. I don't think I'm into sitting around soaking in the hot tubs for too much time so I was thinking about checking out the area for hunting. I'm a little familiar with Harrison West FSR but have never been on the East side of the lake.

Does anybody have any recommendations as to what side would be better? I'm looking for Deer and Bear.

[FLHTCUI]

If the heavy rains and winds continue you may see the deer move down from the high ground and onto(near) the roads.
Last time I went up the east side, it was close to 16:30 and we where at the logging companies gate and office.They claimed the gates would close and be locked up for the weekend.
Be prepared.
Rob

[Steeleco]

If your already at the Hot springs, the east is the only real choice. The drive from the town to the west side will take you near and hour. If you go up through Sasquatch prov park your hunting in 15 min. Go above Bear creek and check some of the side roads. The real hunting is on the tops, but that something that's hard to do and long in learning.

[Bpower]

If the heavy rains and winds continue you may see the deer move down from the high ground and onto(near) the roads.
Last time I went up the east side, it was close to 16:30 and we where at the logging companies gate and office.They claimed the gates would close and be locked up for the weekend.
Be prepared.
Rob

Where abouts are these gates? I'm not familiar with the area.

[bsa30-06]

East side, and if your going over the long weekend stay home.

[Allen50]

and most importain you might think of spending sometime with the wife if you ever want to go hunting again,, lol lol, some rest is good you know,, oh yea good luck,, have fun,,,, lol lol......

[sneg]

Bear creak FSR is quite reasonable, but there is gate abt 10-15 km up and no access allowed . Good hunting along Silver creek itself and you do not have to drive up higher. Shot bear and deer last year there.Good kuck.

[1899]

I shot a nice buck on the east side but he stank so bad we could barely eat him. Maybe it was just bad luck. I also saw a cougar in there.

[MichelD]

Nice walking past the gate at Bear Creek. At least i think it was Bear Creek. Coulda been Talc.

Lots of sign there. Could be awesome right at daybreak if you're prepared to drag or backpack a deer out.

Like BSA 30-06 said on the weekend it is not nice. All 4x4 yahoos up and down the road.

[Old Boar]

The Bear Creek Logging Camp is actually at the mouth of Cogburn Creek. No gate there last year.

We've taken Black Bear up Cogburn and seen them frequently. Dense vegatation for Deer.

Many years ago we had some fun with a young Black Bear. My brother and I had hiked into the then end of the logged area as Cogburn fork flows north. On the way out we spotted a Black Bear across Cogburn and I lent my scoped 308 Norma Mag to ny brother for his shot. Bear went down behind a deadfall.

We stripped our boots to keep our socks and insoles dry, laced the boots on and crossed the spring freshet with one packboard and one rifle, roped together and using stout poles.

After recrossing the creek with the bear - to drain the ice water from our boots and put on the dry socks etc., we started packing out and spotted a second Black Bear. The young male thought he could hide by standing behind a lone alder with a 3" trunk. He faced no threat from me and it was hilarious to see him stand stock still with his nose behind the little alder.

Well, there nothing for it but to try and see how close we could get to the bear before he spooked. Taking one rifle and the movie camera (yes, long before digital cameras in cell phones) we headed across the cut, directly towards the bear. At 50 yards or so he spooked and raced from the tree towards Cogburn Creek.

Somewhere in my brother's film archive including catching trout from the canoe on every pass of Gladys Creek on Cold Fish Lake is some 8mm film of that Black Bear from 35 years ago.

Getting up to the ridge country north of Slolicum Creek/Lake - which is readily visible from Harrison Hot Springs is probably impossible today - we got our last bear up there after the road was reopened for tree planting decades after the 1958 logging. However, one weekend 40 years ago we saw 9 Black Bears in two days, including a gorgeous sow with two cubs that came upslope to our bacon & eggs and which we shooed over the edge before sme twits showed up to shoot anything that moved. Blueberry heaven for the bears in the late summer.