Never Hunted the Queen Charlotte Islands before and I need some advice

J

JEHunt

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I have hunted for longer than I can remember and I have gotten a good friend of mine into the lifestyle 2 years ago. I have never been the the QCI before but from what I understand the word "wet" does not begin to describe the place. So I am look for some advice on places to try, places to avoid, gear to bring, which island to go to, when to go, and anything else you can think of.
I am a very ethical hunter and the integrity of the prey is paramount to me and anyone I hunt with, we always endevour to leave no trace. Here are the givens for the trip:
4 people: Me 11 years experience hunting in bc, 30-06 stainless synthetic stock
Josh 2 years experience hunting bc, .308 stainless synthetic
Jen (my girlfriend) 0 experience (less helping me clean rabits), .308 husqvarna ultralight blued
Michelle (Josh's girlfriend) 0 experience Ruger .243 blued
338 win mag sako stainless synthetic for camp gun/back up

We have a 15 foot duraboat with a 30 horse outboard
wall tent with wood stove
F250
we will be leaving from South Vancouver Island and plan on a 2 week trip next year some time between 1 Sept to 28 Feb for the mule deer season (open for any buck and antlerless)
Any Advice?
Thanks, Jesse.
 
I've hunted there a few times and did good each time...it's been 5 years since I've been there but Rennell sound on the north Island was the most enjoyable for me (although there are deer pretty much everywhere). There are some really nice camping sites in the sound and a lot of deer but you did have to hunt for them. oh, and don't forget to bring some halibut gear seeing as you have a boat. It can rain steady for weeks on end so good rain gear (gore-tex) is a given. The deer are small but I have shot some that field dressed at 110 lbs...as with all hunting you have to go a few time to get to know the area but getting deer isn't much of a problem....have fun!!
 
Ah, I think you will be hunting blacktail deer, not mule deer. There were plenty to hunt when I was there a couple years ago, good luck and have fun!
 
Found said:
Hopefully getting this post to the top again will have some fine people in the area give you some advice.
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Thanks a lot, I had given up on any CGNers having ever been to QCI

hawk-i said:
I've hunted there a few times and did good each time...it's been 5 years since I've been there but Rennell sound on the north Island was the most enjoyable for me (although there are deer pretty much everywhere). There are some really nice camping sites in the sound and a lot of deer but you did have to hunt for them. oh, and don't forget to bring some halibut gear seeing as you have a boat. It can rain steady for weeks on end so good rain gear (gore-tex) is a given. The deer are small but I have shot some that field dressed at 110 lbs...as with all hunting you have to go a few time to get to know the area but getting deer isn't much of a problem....have fun!!
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I've heard very good things about Rennell Sound and I will definately be heading out that way for at least the first week, then probably heading out towards Rose Spit for a change of scenery. Which brings me to my next question :) if you were to type "54.121315 -131.702943" into your search bar of your handy dandy google earth then look 10 m ENE you would see a road which seems to appear out of nowhere and leads N to the tip of Rose Spit. I want to get to this road but can't seem to see any way of getting there. Does anyone know this road at all or see anything I don't see? Also considering that I will be hunting with 2 people who have 0 experience and one who only has 2 trips under is belt, I have decided to bring the ATV instead of the boat, I figure that if something goes wrong we can always walk out from anywhere an ATV can take you, which is not the case with a boat.
Thanks for all of the help, Jesse.
 
Lots of deer this year. Any logging road will produce. If you hunt Rose Spit area watch for tourists. They are everywhere on the north end. I would concentrate on the road network between Charlotte city and port clements. Lots of access and lots of deer. QCI deer tags are 10.00 a piece and do not count towards your provincial deer limit. Yes tags in books of ten if you want that many
 
Now this may be a stupid question but I'll ask it anyway. There are 4 of us going we each want 5 dear tags. Can we just get 2 books of 10? I'm sure the answer will be no but everything else seems to be different for the Sitkas so why not this :)
 
I've been there twice, once in the spring (treeplanting) once in summer (ocean kayaking). Both times the weather was very nice, maybe I was lucky. All the deer we saw were small, but there were lots of them. It's a beautiful place and in my opinion better from the water. Bring lots of fishing gear.
Enjoy.
 
The locals 15 years ago went out at night with a spot light and found out where the deer hang out. With no guns of course. Then the next day beat the bush and shot some deer. They are small enough to fit in a ordinary garbage bag, butchered into 4 pieces.

On another note watch where you park with the big tides. A parking lot on the beach becomes an underwater wonderland. 12 feet of water flooded the gravel beach. Watch where you tie your boat too! The surprising thing is waiting 6 hours for enough water to float out of the inlet I was in.
Do buy good quality rain gear it can and will make your trip. Good boots that are broke in before the trip not during!!
Order nautical charts for the water around the island, ones that show rocks.
Bring more food than you need because a storm blows in and your stuck there for a few extra days.
Stay away from the mushrooms.
Have fun its a cool place.
 
tigrr said:
Stay away from the mushrooms.
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now how are we supposed to have fun with that kind of attitude?! Just kidding I think we'll stick to something barley brewed. I'm really thinking the boat will be more trouble then it is worth so we'll just be taking the ATV instead. I am still really curious about that road up at rose spit. I will be very careful of tourists and other hunters and anything else that may be behind the target, but fortunately november isnt exactly prime tourist season i'm sure. I've got several days worth of IMP's for emergency rations so we should be ok if we get stormed in.
 
A lot of great advice here.last time I hunted qci I found a large cutblock on the east side of the hiway around 2km north of port clements.I have never seen that many deer tracks before or since.the old road literally had NO bare spots, tracks on tracks.deer everywhere.my advice-the bush is thick-find comfy spot to perch overlooking the beach at first or last light or a cutblock or crossing,and let the animals move around you.and buy a bear tag,cause you never know.rennell sound is a great spot as well.
 
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Get yourself a fawn bleat and blow that sucker the second you step out of your vehicle you will be amazed at how the Sitka blacktail respond to the call.

I have had them on the road in front of us we stopped I would blow on my call the deer would run towards us it was absolutely amazing or I'd stop on a landing and not see any deer blow on the call a few times and deer were explodingout of the cut.

Oh to be back there Sitka blacktail is some of the very best deer meat I have ever eaten I have shot appr 30 -40 deer in the QCI one buck was so big that I couldn't drag him myself.
 
Be cautious of the ample supply of bears. Bring good raingear, long underwear made from wool, because the raingear will get soaked, and the doe bleat other than that you will be killing deer everyday.
 
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