Likely or McLeese Lake

Likely and Mcleese Lk.

I have hunted around McLeese lake and a friend just moved up to Horsefly which is just south of Likely; lots of muleys and a fair number of moose (all on draw). Muley doe tags are easy to get through LEH, I heard a rumour they were doubling the # of tags this year. If those A-hole's in Victoria would lower the non-resident fees for Canadians to something lower than those for aliens (not the green ones), I would be back hunting in BC every year. I won't even fish west of the rockies anymore :mad: !

Try Blue Lake area North of Williams Lake. Cheers.
 
I would hunt mor ein the Likely/Horsefly country. I lived out there for a few years and there's a gighillion deer out there. And of that country between McLeese Lake at Hwy 97 through Likely and over to Horsefly should produce well.
 
BigUglyMan said:
I would hunt mor ein the Likely/Horsefly country. I lived out there for a few years and there's a gighillion deer out there. And of that country between McLeese Lake at Hwy 97 through Likely and over to Horsefly should produce well.


disgusting amount of dear in that area. +1
 
What are you planning on hunting?

If it is bear or moose the Likely - Horsefly area would be the place to target.

If all you are looking for is deer than the McLeese lake - Blue Lake area is better. Be aware however that most of the deer in the McLeese Lake area are found on the various Ranches. Also most ranchers are reluctant to let people they don't know onto their property to hunt deer. Even though you may be the greatest guy around they don't know you from Adam and as such probably will not grant you access.

Personally if I was driving up from the coast to hunt deer I would look at the West side of the Fraser in Zone 5-14. The number of LEH doe tags is far greater there than on the East - Mcleese Lake - side. Also as the crop damage is heavier there ranchers are a little more willing to grant hunters access.


49soda_creek.JPG
 
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Kinda flat there Boo, say what's the name of that creek ;)

Glad to hear there's some deer left around there. I've swilled a few in McLeese and lived in Likely for a short while in about 1980. I'm thinking your pic was taken a bit north of McLeese and possibley off of the highway?
 
Salty said:
Kinda flat there Boo, say what's the name of that creek ;)

Glad to hear there's some deer left around there. I've swilled a few in McLeese and lived in Likely for a short while in about 1980. I'm thinking your pic was taken a bit north of McLeese and possibley off of the highway?


Just a little South actually near Soda Creek and it was taken from the Blue Lake fsr where it crests the ridge on the east side of the highway.

Yes, The Fraser does look a bit smaller here in the interior. :D

And yes there is no shortage of deer in the region thanks to 6 mild winters back to back. This area is also one of the largest wintering areas for mule deer in the province and in the early winter the local deer are joined by migrants who push up densities to unbelievable levels. (Have you ever seen over 800 mule deer in a single 60 acre field?)

For you history buffs this bend in the Fraser is where the navigable waters start in the upper Fraser. The town-site at Soda Creek was the southern terminus of the Paddle-Wheelers that steamed up and down the upper Fraser starting in the 1860's The ranch visible on the right hand side of the river is the Dunleavy ranch and it has been in continuous operation since the 1860s when it was started to supply the Cariboo gold miners.
 
Also when you have that many deer in one area you sometimes run across some odd-balls.LoL

Here is a buck I "guided" my buddy Rich to a couple of years ago. It was taken within a half-mile of where I was standing where I took that picture of the river posted above. We were stalking a 180-185 class typical when we bumped this atypical. Rich took one look at him and said: " I can always find another big-racked deer but weird doesn't happen often!"

rich6%20copy.jpg
 
And yes there is no shortage of deer in the region thanks to 6 mild winters back to back. This area is also one of the largest wintering areas for mule deer in the province and in the early winter the local deer are joined by migrants who push up densities to unbelievable levels. (Have you ever seen over 800 mule deer in a single 60 acre field?)

Ya, your area has always had lots of Muleys. :) I'm guessing a lot of whitetail now too? What's the percentage split would you say Boo?..
 
While there are now enought flag-tails around that I always carry a tag I would 'questimate" them to be well less than 1% of the deer population. Last fall I saw 3 white-tail bucks, one a spike, another was a small-racked "8" point while the last - seen 2 days after the season closed - was a 180 class "12" point. There was some speculation that Rich's odd-ball may have been a hybrid but without DNA testing it is only speculation.
 
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