Green hunter, Vancouer Island anyone wanna help?
- Thread starter oceanlab84
- Start date
like the guide says. dont put hunting on a pedestal. i have a friend that does this. hes to scared to go outside and walk around because he "doesnt know what to do". im convinced he just likes the idea of hunting and putting his own meat on the table. But doesnt actually want to put the time in. Hunting is far more rewarding and a lot more fun by yourself. no one asking stupid questions. talking too much. and the much hated whispering convo. whispering is the most annoying tone on the planet. like ppl chewing too loud. get out there.
A guy who has darted a rhino.
I noticed no one bothered to mention a good knife......... For spring bear all you really need is appropriate weather clothing a good sighted in rifle and a good sharp knife that holds it's edge. I know nothing about the Island but I do know a bit about bears, get away from centers of population and look for late afternoon sunny hillsides that are greening up nicely and there will be bears.
One more bit of advice no one has mentioned.....before skinning or even touching a downed bear, approach with your rifle loaded and safety off, if he's not still breathing move around to where you can touch the eye with the muzzle of the rifle, with your finger on the trigger. Any animal will react to touching the eye if there is even a spark of life left, if he reacts move back and give him another either through the shoulders or the spine between the shoulder blades...IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SKIN LIVE BEARS !!!!!!!!
One more bit of advice no one has mentioned.....before skinning or even touching a downed bear, approach with your rifle loaded and safety off, if he's not still breathing move around to where you can touch the eye with the muzzle of the rifle, with your finger on the trigger. Any animal will react to touching the eye if there is even a spark of life left, if he reacts move back and give him another either through the shoulders or the spine between the shoulder blades...IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SKIN LIVE BEARS !!!!!!!!
Well at least this way he can't say no one warned him..........whatever he decides after is up to him.
Some may laugh at this advice, but I know 2 different guys that tried this unwittingly.......neither was hurt but there were several more shots in both cases and some significant use of adjectives.........I also know a guy that thought a moose was dead until he stuck a knife in to gut it.........now he got hurt !!!
I think it's only fair to tell newbies this information........if for no other reason than to see, in the adrenaline rush after the shot and the animal is down, whether or not they remember it..........
DL...That reminds me of the scene in "Jeremiah Johnson"............."You skin that one pilgrim, and I'll fetch ya another"
welcome to the game oceanlab, i myself have been hunting the south island for 3 years now with little success other than grouse which are a "hoot". the lower island is saturated with hunters and locating that buck on the south west side of the island has been tough with gates up the wazoo and tons of other weekend warriors on dirt bikes and quads along with the occasional mushroom picker. its tough to find an animal within range that's not a doe. i picked up my first bear tag this year, so here is hoping. all I've heard of success from other guys is loggers and prospectors with keys to everything, i don't have that perk, so I've been walking in, done almost all my hunts solo and had to learn lots on the way, so let me share.
as was stated before, Cuts are the place to be, not the fresh ones like this years but the ones from last year or the year after had the most deer, greener pastures.
early morning was good but i found evenings before dark much more active, less people too.
backroads is a must the hard copy is good but i found the chip and gps great too.
get good rain gear, good boots and merino base layers good ones like the medium weight minus33's from capital iron, keeps you way more comfortable.
get good bino's 10x42 vortex is what i have they're great for clarity and field of view.
a good knife is a good thing too, nothing fancy, i have the outdoor edge swing blade its decent.
get comfortable for watching for long periods and watch the edges of the cut's
take food and water, just in case, not a full dinner just something.
keep a field journal on what you see and where, everything. bear, elk, grouse etc. it comes in handy later when your looking over google maps at home. it helps you remember what likes what, where and when.
and last find a partner that does the same, you don't have to be in the same cut but it will help you build and idea of whats out there.
and when going alone always tell someone where your going and when you should be back!
hope it helps and i may be wrong, but its helping me learn.
hit me up in PM if you want, i have some good outdoors skills other than hunting.
also don't be discouraged to go alone, thats what i did, its been great!
as was stated before, Cuts are the place to be, not the fresh ones like this years but the ones from last year or the year after had the most deer, greener pastures.
early morning was good but i found evenings before dark much more active, less people too.
backroads is a must the hard copy is good but i found the chip and gps great too.
get good rain gear, good boots and merino base layers good ones like the medium weight minus33's from capital iron, keeps you way more comfortable.
get good bino's 10x42 vortex is what i have they're great for clarity and field of view.
a good knife is a good thing too, nothing fancy, i have the outdoor edge swing blade its decent.
get comfortable for watching for long periods and watch the edges of the cut's
take food and water, just in case, not a full dinner just something.
keep a field journal on what you see and where, everything. bear, elk, grouse etc. it comes in handy later when your looking over google maps at home. it helps you remember what likes what, where and when.
and last find a partner that does the same, you don't have to be in the same cut but it will help you build and idea of whats out there.
and when going alone always tell someone where your going and when you should be back!
hope it helps and i may be wrong, but its helping me learn.
hit me up in PM if you want, i have some good outdoors skills other than hunting.
also don't be discouraged to go alone, thats what i did, its been great!
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Meat bag correction:
I realized I described my meat bags incorrectly. They are made out of old but still serviceable sheets folded over and sewn on two sides with one end open.
I can put the back legs and lower back of one average sized bear in one, the chest in another and the two front legs in another. They are also adequate for quarters of moose or elk.
I should mention also, that my wife has a standing order for a tender two to four-year-old bear for the freezer. No monster mature hogs of boars please is the request.
I realized I described my meat bags incorrectly. They are made out of old but still serviceable sheets folded over and sewn on two sides with one end open.
I can put the back legs and lower back of one average sized bear in one, the chest in another and the two front legs in another. They are also adequate for quarters of moose or elk.
I should mention also, that my wife has a standing order for a tender two to four-year-old bear for the freezer. No monster mature hogs of boars please is the request.
I would recommend camping bear are curious animals mite aswell take a vantage of it and have them com to you
You can't bait bears in BC but you can eat foods that a hungry bear would love like a big breakfast with lots of Bacon or fish for lunch the smell will bring in bears from a long ways there is more then one way to get bears
Low tide on the beach is a productive time as lots of easy food around
I find low tide near creeks or rivers is good ,tide has a big part of hunting on BC coast more then the time of day forget hunting beach at high tide as the bears will not be there
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6UStZGs2U7s
You can't bait bears in BC but you can eat foods that a hungry bear would love like a big breakfast with lots of Bacon or fish for lunch the smell will bring in bears from a long ways there is more then one way to get bears
Low tide on the beach is a productive time as lots of easy food around
I find low tide near creeks or rivers is good ,tide has a big part of hunting on BC coast more then the time of day forget hunting beach at high tide as the bears will not be there
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6UStZGs2U7s
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Why do I get the feeling there is a story here?
You are very perceptive Ganderite.............
The easiest and best meat bags we have found is whatever plain cotton pillow cases Value Village will sell for 99 cents. They are brand new, Just wash before using. We will buy them 20 or thirty at a time, and for
the that price it's not worth the mess or divorce to wash them after they have been used.
