How and where do you hunt in BC???(super noob be kind plz :p)

hawk-i said:
The best advise i can give to new hunters is to read as much about hunting and animal behavior as you can. Read every article you see, old or new makes no difference! Learn the life cycles and habits of your intended quarry....once you know how they act and react and daily habits then you can start to hunt for a place to hunt. Once you've found that place to hunt you can now start to hunt for your chosen game animal.
There's more to hunting than buying a tag and shooting an animal. It's in the gained knowledge, and the application of that knowledge, that lies the enjoyment of the sport.
Learn and enjoy!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that!
 
Drift 1122 It is hard to start out hunting, you will find that if you can latch onto a mentor you will be very lucky as the important stuff to learn is after you pull the trigger like caring for your meat such as gutting skinning and how to tack it up then cover with cheeze cloth or some other breathable fabric. Even before you get to that a lot of guys won't want to show you the area because once you know it then your friends might end up there as well and the pressure and competition would then be on the person who showed you his favourite area. I have heard conversations like " Where did you get him ?" and the reply was "Zipper lip ridge!" I am lucky as I started out with my father when I was a small boy way back in 1950, I was 10 then and got my first deer about 4 years latter when they had what I recall as a parents permit. I already had a pretty good idea about the sequence of gutting and caring for the meat. I am now going to be 65 in about 30 days and am reluctant to show certain people my area as I have seen a drastic increase in the amount of hunters in my neighborhood some good some not so good. I had two idiots from the mainland shooting at tin cans on a burn pile with high powered rifles and they had no back stop, the round almost hit me and my brother-inlaw. We have 10 acres in a very productive spot and when we go to the cabin I have seen people tresspass on our property with no regard for the laws pertaining to tresspass and by breaking this law have already showed me their bad unlawful intentions to which I have had to be rude and demand that they leave with the knowledge things could get ugly quick. Some ruin it for others. I wish you good luck in your new venture and hope that you will be one of the ethical ones and if you knock on my door to ask if you would be allowed to hunt on my property or if I knew where you might have a good chance I am the sort who will tell you where that might be and whish you well. If I were you I would travel at least 4-5 hours from Delta -Noth and East or North and West I kind of like semi arid areas with good populations of both Mulies and Whitetails the time to go would be in about a week from now as in my area any size bucks of both species are open. You need a vehicle, plan on more than a weekend it gets better in the woods once every one has gone back to work. Early in the morning latter in the afternoon is the ticket. Be deliberate you don't want to chase it, don't get discouraged go knock on some doors ask permission you will be a rareity don't give up, you might end up at my door.. Good luck kid.
 
Drift1122 - early in the morning in a cut block scan the treelines same in the evening so your shots might be 200+ Take a (Rifle) rest as often as you can don't shoot off hand thats a long shot for a newbie ( even the old timers like me will rest the rifle every chance we get) one shot should do it then, they will stick close to the treeline for cover if they see danger they will duck into the cover, if you see them and they take off check it out (same place) latter in the late afternoon that day they might come back out. Don't expect to see the whole animal all the time look for movement. They blend in real good so take your time and use binoculars (not your scope to scan because people do not like it if you scope them) Their white asses are a tip off lol !!!Go on you tube to view if someone has a video for cleaning game it is very important that you don't taint your meat with stomach contents it is the waste of a life as the meat will be ruined.
Hope this is a help.
 
Jack Brock said:
Drift 1122 It is hard to start out hunting, you will find that if you can latch onto a mentor you will be very lucky as the important stuff to learn is after you pull the trigger like caring for your meat such as gutting skinning and how to tack it up then cover with cheeze cloth or some other breathable fabric. Even before you get to that a lot of guys won't want to show you the area because once you know it then your friends might end up there as well and the pressure and competition would then be on the person who showed you his favourite area. I have heard conversations like " Where did you get him ?" and the reply was "Zipper lip ridge!" I am lucky as I started out with my father when I was a small boy way back in 1950, I was 10 then and got my first deer about 4 years latter when they had what I recall as a parents permit. I already had a pretty good idea about the sequence of gutting and caring for the meat. I am now going to be 65 in about 30 days and am reluctant to show certain people my area as I have seen a drastic increase in the amount of hunters in my neighborhood some good some not so good. I had two idiots from the mainland shooting at tin cans on a burn pile with high powered rifles and they had no back stop, the round almost hit me and my brother-inlaw. We have 10 acres in a very productive spot and when we go to the cabin I have seen people tresspass on our property with no regard for the laws pertaining to tresspass and by breaking this law have already showed me their bad unlawful intentions to which I have had to be rude and demand that they leave with the knowledge things could get ugly quick. Some ruin it for others. I wish you good luck in your new venture and hope that you will be one of the ethical ones and if you knock on my door to ask if you would be allowed to hunt on my property or if I knew where you might have a good chance I am the sort who will tell you where that might be and whish you well. If I were you I would travel at least 4-5 hours from Delta -Noth and East or North and West I kind of like semi arid areas with good populations of both Mulies and Whitetails the time to go would be in about a week from now as in my area any size bucks of both species are open. You need a vehicle, plan on more than a weekend it gets better in the woods once every one has gone back to work. Early in the morning latter in the afternoon is the ticket. Be deliberate you don't want to chase it, don't get discouraged go knock on some doors ask permission you will be a rareity don't give up, you might end up at my door.. Good luck kid.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all your invaluable advice. I still need to do some more research on the gutting, cleaning etc but right now I feel I have a good grasp on it, of course Hands on experience beats research and reading. I will spend some time in the next week going over how to care for the meat, I need all the help I can get in that topic. I definitely want to be one of the good guys so I will heed your advice, Ive heard some bad stories myself. I cant imagine what it would be like to get shot at like and I dont want to find out! Thanks again!
 
Jack Brock said:
Drift1122 - early in the morning in a cut block scan the treelines same in the evening so your shots might be 200+ Take a (Rifle) rest as often as you can don't shoot off hand thats a long shot for a newbie ( even the old timers like me will rest the rifle every chance we get) one shot should do it then, they will stick close to the treeline for cover if they see danger they will duck into the cover, if you see them and they take off check it out (same place) latter in the late afternoon that day they might come back out. Don't expect to see the whole animal all the time look for movement. They blend in real good so take your time and use binoculars (not your scope to scan because people do not like it if you scope them) Their white asses are a tip off lol !!!Go on you tube to view if someone has a video for cleaning game it is very important that you don't taint your meat with stomach contents it is the waste of a life as the meat will be ruined.
Hope this is a help.
Click to expand...

Awsome tips. Im curious how does the stomach contents ruin the meat? If even a little bit splashes out cant you just give it a whip? I will look at some more videos thanks!
 
Start out by finding one area and getting to know it newer Logging slash is great , it is fairly easy to walk in and you can see a long ways . Go in early, my son and I start before first light we usually recon an area a little a few days beforehand find a good area that we can get to in the dark which gives us a good range of view to spot when it gets light .When you get into the spot walk quietly but don't worry about making a bit of noise or using a headlamp as long as you are 30 minutes or so from daybreak the area will calm down by the time it is light enough to shoot. SIT STILL and listen often you will start to hear the critters moving around you .Once it gets light enough to shoot scan the areas where you heard movement really well deer are pretty good at staying invisible . Make sure you have more than a basic idea about field dressing because this will directly affect the quality of your meat . Stomach contents urine and feces will all contaminate the inside of the carcass (so will hair ) so take your time and do a good job . There is a lot to know about deer and hunting so again the best advise is to find a mentor who will take you out and show you the basics . Lastly if you go into an area and find good sign Buck rubs, torn up ground, trails, fresh poop seeing deer etc. Keep hunting that area and you will get to know it over a season or two . There is no point in looking all over hells half acre trying to find deer if you already know where some are . Good luck .
 
Another thing, If you find someone who will show you what to do make sure you have an agreement with them as to who shoots what ... rookie takes the second buck of the day or smaller etc . And if someone shows you a good spot respect them and don't go telling all your buddies where they can find _______ 's monster buck thicket. Hunt with them for a few seasons maybe more, split the gas and do your share plus a little more whenever you can or if it is an old guy and he has a lot of knowledge and less strength than he used to, do a few extra shares plus yours .The main thing is a hunting Buddy is putting his life in your hands. Don't let him down.
 
I started hunting in my late 20's. I bumbled around in the mountains surrounding vancouver for 5 years before I dropped my first buck in clinton. Saw animals in those 4 unsuccessfull years but never got a shot.
There are loads of deer in and surrounding the lowermainland. But they are blacktails and not easily hunted by novice hunters. Ambush tactics work well. Clear cuts, natural meadows, ect. Find a vantage point and sit on it.

I'm up in 100 mile area and am tagged out for my region. I "might" have time to take a new hunter out between oct 8 and 15. Any buck mule deer and it would pay to carry a white tail tag.
I have access to some amazing terrain that is prime habitat for teaching a new hunter. A quad or dirt bike is kinda needed to access the area as there are no roads in ;)

My best advice to a new deer hunter is to learn all you can about the animal, the areas they are found and how they behave.
Finding an area where deer are present then study the terrain.
Hike around in the off season. Look for sign around water sources and potential feeding areas. Look for game trails and see where they go. Take a gps, mark these trails, mark deer sightings.
Narrow down the variables, control your scent, control pottential sounds. Choose silent clothing, get rid of all velcro LOL and learn to be patient. Most of the deer I've killed have been when I was sitting quietly, just blending in with the scenery ;)

Right now, the does are grouping up, the big bucks are starting to mark out their rut territory and the deer are feeding heavy for the coming rut and winter. Prime food sources should be watched hard.
In BC lowermainland, If you are hunting high elevations like upper harrison, pemberton ect, watch for migration trails on the southern slopes. Those alpine deer will be movin down below 2000 ft any time now ;)
 
Last edited:
drift1122 said:
Awsome tips. Im curious how does the stomach contents ruin the meat? If even a little bit splashes out cant you just give it a whip? I will look at some more videos thanks!
Click to expand...

The digestive enzymes and bacteria, if left on the meat, can cause problems.

In my experience, less problems than it is usually made out to be.

Between a couple bad shots and a few experiences with helping others in similar circumstances, I can say that the general handling of your meat will affect the flavor a lot more than if it was gut shot.

Wash the body cavity as son as possible with clean water. I usually carry a 2 liter pop bottle or two in my truck or car, along with at least a wad of paper towels or better, the blue shop towels from a roll.

When I field dress a deer, I try to get them on their back, head uphill. I basically unzip the deer, cutting through only skin. Usually, then, I do the rib cage, then the pelvic bone (and crack it by opening the legs as wide as they will go to open the cut).

Then I cut the windpipe free, use it as a handle, and start pulling towards the tail end. The contents of the chest cavity will usually come free, then cut around the diaphragm. It's the separating membrane between the guts and the 'important' organs, the heart,lungs, liver, etc., which should be a puddle of blood about this point, if you hit it well).

Then carry on rolling the whole lot out and over the crotch and tail.

If you follow this, by this point, you should have a deer with a empty body cavity, attached only at the rectum, which you can now cut free, sort out the bits of guts you are going to keep (usually liver and heart), and you can get on with wiping out or rinsing out the cavity.

If the deer was gut shot, there will be a bunch of bits of deer food floating around inside. Whatever. Rinse or wipe them out. If you propped the deer up on a slope, you should be able to start at the head end of the rib cage and clean your way to the back, with any water used to rinse, running ahead of you to drain over the tail and out.

I like the blue shop towels because they can be used to sop out any puddles, wrung out, and reused again and again, so you don't need to bring a whole roll.

Before it starts to dry, you should have a nice clean looking body cavity, use the last bit of water (after you feed yourself a slug or two to stay hydrated) to rinse the last of the blood out of the tail (just to keep it from getting crusty.
I have come out of the bush with a clean inside deer, with as little as two shop towels and a couple splashes of drinking water.

The inside of the body cavity will dry and the membrane that forms is essentially, not gonna end up on your plate.
It's really not too tough to do. A little bit gross, if you are squeamish, but, whatever.

When opening up your first one, pay attention to the ### organs or teats. If you are going to quarter or halve your carcass for getting it out of the bush, the tag usually gets attached to the same bit that has evidence of species (the tail) and ### (the ### organs or parts thereof). The head may be required (evidence that you got enough, or few enough, points on the antlers)

I don't usually skin until they are home and hanging. The hide keeps the good bits clean until then.

Equipment to consider.

I like a cheap cargo tie-down to haul out with. Just a 1 inch wide one with two hooks and a quick release buckle, rather than a ratchet. One end to bundle head and front legs together, the other to form a loop to put around yer hips (not shoulders unless you really want to wreck yourself).
A decent knife. I like a small blade, it keeps the cutting in close to my hand. Long blades I find tiring to cut with and harder to control. I want a blade that I can hold and p[lace my index finger out along the top so I can feel exactly where the tip is, so when I an cutting blind, I can at least know exactly where the cutting edge is. YMMV.
A small sharpener. I like the Eze-Lap diamond files. Light and easy to use, a fine or medium. About $10 at various places.
A couple plastic bags. For the heart and liver, if you are taking them home (hey, a raven's gotta eat too!) Some folks don't, others do. I don't particularly like deer liver, but... Also for the used paper towels.
Some water.
Some paper towels.
A Head-light flashlight. Some spare batteries. Doesn't need to be fancy. I gutted a moose with a mini MagLite in my mouth. My jaw was sore for about three days. That sucked! :)
A folding saw. I carry(usually) a small Japanese Pruning saw, that I bought at Lee Valley, good for cutting bone (pelvis and ribs) easier than blowing through them with a knife (which can be done, too).

Cheers
Trev
 
Great description of the process from trev! I also prefer to use the trachea as a handle of sorts to pull everything from the top down. Such a clean, logical method!

The only thing I would do different is use a "Butt Out" (or Butt Out 2) before beginning the rest of the process. They work really well!!! The anal canal just slides out once you get to that point. No need to saw the pelvis in the field this way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zatFoVQb6xQ
 
Trev, good post man ;)
The two things I can't stress enough when I show new hunters my gutting and handling techniques is:
Pay close attention to the urine bladder and the scent glands on the rear legs. Urine, ruins the meat period. As does touching the hair below on or around the scent glands and then touching meat.

The only thing I do differnt than Trev is I split the pevlis , cut all around the pooper, and pull it and the #####/bladder parts forward, rolling everything from windpipe to pooper, out the side at the belly cavity. Doing it this way minimizes the chance of popping the bladder on the sharp bone of the split pelvis, and none of the innards will contact exposed meat as you roll it all out the side of the cavity.
I also skin my deer once hanging at camp or home, depending on length of trip and daytime temps
 
Yeah, lots of ways. All good.

I hunted with guys that used to carry extra knives used only to cut off the scent glands, or around the anus.

If you leave them (the glands) alone in the first place, the stuff does not get on your knife. Better plan all round, IMO.

Yeah, moving the rear end of the guts forward and out the side works too. I just sorta developed the style over the course of a bunch of deer, and it works for me.

Yeah, keeping an eye on the bladder is a good idea. I never treated it as if it were the end of the world, if a little urine hit the body cavity. Wash, rinse, repeat. Do so as soon as possible. Better avoided, but ... Gotta deal with it if it happens. Clean as well as possible in the field, garden hose or a bucket of water and rags when you get home.

With does, it's all right there at the drain, eh. So it all drains away from the cavity, if you leave it attached until the end.

Some guys just tie it off with string and cut the connection. That works too.

Most of the problems with off flavor meat are as a result of failure to cool off soon enough. Just don't plonk the carcass in the creek, or you will be picking sand out of every bite, eh.

Never bothered with a butt-out tool. Figured it was just one extra thing to carry, for a single purpose.

Cheers
Trev
 
I think it is an odd, urban yuppie kind of thing to do, but I know of two people who have paid money to take courses with this outfit.

http://www.eatwild.ca/



Go to huntingbc.ca and introduce yourself
 
trevj said:
Never bothered with a butt-out tool. Figured it was just one extra thing to carry, for a single purpose.

Cheers
Trev
Click to expand...

Yeah, my buddies laugh at me for using it because "you don't need that friggin' thing", but it is small, lightweight, reusable, and very effective. There's always room in my pack for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom