Lower mainland hunting newb

Ardent said:
Prospective new deer hunters should consider looking to the islands.
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why would you say that Ardent?
In reality , there is abundant game for the new hunter to pursue on the mainland. I've hunted the island for elk and deer and chased steelhead and salmon over there for decades. Many fond memories but the cost now is kind of prohibitive if I was just going there to hunt deer.

I do think we are in a time when hunters need to go back to the old ways before ATV's and forest service roads opened things up to the modern hunter. We do well each year deer hunting in the various regions we foray in but we get in where the deer are and spend time in the off season getting to know particular areas. I'm sure you would agree that "most" hunters these days don't venture too far from the comforts of thier atv, truck, camp, ect.

Where I'm parked right now in 5-02D , I've been here for 3 days now and seen 7 bears, 4 moose and 1 cow I've seen almost every day...... and 17 deer. The deer have all been mulies and of the 17, 6 were bucks and 2 were "of size" and 4pt or better. I've seen several hunters every day I've been here, driving the road network that leads into this area. I can see them doing the whole tour through the place as I sit high above them where there trucks and atv's can't go. Not one shot has been fired in this pocket despite the road hunters cruising around in desperation for that "any buck tag" . I left my grizzly 550 at home and decided this trip would be solo and on foot. Daypack, glass , my rifle and a pad for my azz. :)

the fellow here that states he takes 4 blacktail out of harrison each season..... I absolutely don't doubt that for a second. It also sounds to me like he knows the black tail deer better than most and I'd bet getting to that knowledge wasn't easy and didn not involve and atv or a truck save for the getting there.

Here in region 5-1 and 5-2 , some of the heaviest hunted turf in the province, it is also taking the extra effort to get in where the deer are. Sure, some guys are getting them cruising around in thier trucks and on thier atv's but most folks I know this season are having a tough time. I found the deer I hunted locally back in june a couple years ago after a hike in trip for some float tube flyfishing action. So far I've taken a decent buck every year and so have the couple friends I've shown the spot to. In september I went in and did more scouting and clearing the "trail" so I could slip thru the treeline easier.

anyhow, there's plenty of deer on the mainland, despite the wildfires and all the doom and gloom.
 
Wish I'd have seen this thread earlier... I've done a bit of hunting for the past... 5 years? Maybe? I'm definitely no expert, and I've got a grand total of 1 white tail buck to my name (Rock Creek, first year out). I've been out to East Harrison a handful of times this year, and put a few grouse in the freezer. I spent a day investigating some interesting spots and found some buck rubs and droppings, gonna head up there maybe next weekend and see if I can't see some movement around dawn. But as has been stated earlier in this thread, finding people to go with has been extremely difficult, and I have hunted solo since that first year.
 
Lexthedestroyer said:
Wish I'd have seen this thread earlier... I've done a bit of hunting for the past... 5 years? Maybe? I'm definitely no expert, and I've got a grand total of 1 white tail buck to my name (Rock Creek, first year out). I've been out to East Harrison a handful of times this year, and put a few grouse in the freezer. I spent a day investigating some interesting spots and found some buck rubs and droppings, gonna head up there maybe next weekend and see if I can't see some movement around dawn. But as has been stated earlier in this thread, finding people to go with has been extremely difficult, and I have hunted solo since that first year.
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Lexth, drop me a message, we can set something up. I found a hunting Buddy in lowermainlad we made our first trip last weekend. We are planning to go again, you can join us if you wish!
 
Really interested in joining up with you....I pm’d you. I have a lot of bush/survival experience from work. But I’m brand new to hunting and dying to get out.
 
Yeah, that area has got real bad, even worse now after the shooting ban IMO.

I saw your other post, sucks when it happens, especially out in the bush.
 
The scum in the Vedder River area have been breaking into cars for many years...sometimes I think it would be safer to park my vehicle at or near Pigeon Park than up on Vedder Mountain.
To the OP go and get the hunting regulations and the Fraser Valley Migratory Map and study it for open areas and then cross refrence areas you maybe interested in.
Then get one of those back road map books and study it some as well.
Eventually you will find some areas of interest to you and your buddies.
Thats how I started, but had many years of Scouting as in Scouts Canada that helped me in the outdoors.
Rob
 
wai762 said:
Rats as in those "two legged" type ? Car broken into or stolen ?
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Yeah some douche broke my window and stole whatever they could reach last weekend. After the fact I noticed two other piles of broken glass on the side of the road within 20feet of my car, so it's clearly a common thing up that way.
 
Suther said:
Yeah some douche broke my window and stole whatever they could reach last weekend. After the fact I noticed two other piles of broken glass on the side of the road within 20feet of my car, so it's clearly a common thing up that way.
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just past the road to lindeman parking lot is a road on the right that goes into an old trailer park and private residences. Lots of riff raff live in that little community and no doubt is where your thief came from. It's too bad they phased out the prisons up that way as there were more LEO on patrol right up to the lake back a few years. I lived on elwood road in sardis for a bunch of years in the 90's. Chilliwack cops were pretty bad ass and rollin hard back then in the valley..... seems not so much these days. I have spent thousands of days fishing the river and hiking the mountains of the chilliwack river valley..... it is a total shame that our society has no crimminalized public drug use and have allowed these people to make thier druggie camps and polute the environment all along the river with thier feces, garbage and drug garbage...... fuggen disgusting what our governments are allowing to happen while they make going after gun owners thier political priority.

I love the river and mountains in the chilliwack valley, so many memories made over so many years. Last time I was there was on a steelhead adventure in middle of february and the lower river was just den after den of junkie towns....... don't think I'll ever go back.

p.s. there is a network of backroads behind ford mountain prison....... have any of you checked that area out? Been year since i've been back there but there is/was a bridge on the west side of the prison property...... might be grown in pretty good but will get the vehicle well out of sight from any riff raff.
 
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45ACPKING said:
just past the road to lindeman parking lot is a road on the right that goes into an old trailer park and private residences. Lots of riff raff live in that little community and no doubt is where your thief came from. It's too bad they phased out the prisons up that way as there were more LEO on patrol right up to the lake back a few years. I lived on elwood road in sardis for a bunch of years in the 90's. Chilliwack cops were pretty bad ass and rollin hard back then in the valley..... seems not so much these days. I have spent thousands of days fishing the river and hiking the mountains of the chilliwack river valley..... it is a total shame that our society has no crimminalized public drug use and have allowed these people to make thier druggie camps and polute the environment all along the river with thier feces, garbage and drug garbage...... fuggen disgusting what our governments are allowing to happen while they make going after gun owners thier political priority.

I love the river and mountains in the chilliwack valley, so many memories made over so many years. Last time I was there was on a steelhead adventure in middle of february and the lower river was just den after den of junkie towns....... don't think I'll ever go back.

p.s. there is a network of backroads behind ford mountain prison....... have any of you checked that area out? Been year since i've been back there but there is/was a bridge on the west side of the prison property...... might be grown in pretty good but will get the vehicle well out of sight from any riff raff.
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There are enough other areas to spend my time that I'll leave chilliwack lake area for camping in the park with my kids and do my hunting elsewhere. It's not worth the stress of worrying about my car all day...

When I have a truck again and can get off the main road I might be back, I'd like to explore the roads north of the river more and I've got a friend who's got two bad knees so he is basically stuck with truck hunting or sitting in a cut right off the road, maybe him and I will spend some time up there next year... But I will not be leaving my car unattended on the main road ever again...
 
I'll drop you lower mainland guys another tip from my past life adventures ;)
nesaskewatch forest service road..... cross the bridge and take the fork to the right to head up in between the two mountains. Been a few years but alpine is achievable. Not sure the condition of the the roads but last time i was there we drove a long ways before we had to get out and walk. The left fork goes thru the old gravel pit behind the prison and there might be some shooting restrictions around there. The left fork carries on along the river for a long ways and unless something drastic has happened to the road, it was all 2 wheel drive. The landings along the river can be quite good for bunnies, black tails and black bears.
google earth is your friend.
 
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