CTC
10-16-2007, 04:04 PM
Well I was working in the area so I decided to drag the dog and pony along for an extra long weekend of hunting on the Bonaparte Plateau. I heard it was a great country to hunt and ride so I took the opportunity to see it for myself.
On my way up the hill, I saw this little doe and I figured that this was a good sign for what might be a productive few days.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6368&ppuser=4890
I arrived at my chosen campsite and got setup just before dark on the Thursday.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6371&ppuser=4890
The first thing I noticed was the traffic. I often hunt in the lower mainland, so I'm used to running into other hunters in the woods but this was unreal. I thought I was parked next to a highway. I guess I'm not the only one who heard about the beauty of the area. After speaking to a local rancher I found out that it is a bit of a highway because the road I was camped near makes a convenient loop from Kamloops so you get a lot of truck-seat hunters.
The first morning out was mostly scouting. No signs of deer but I found a couple places I wanted to sit on during the hours around dusk and dawn. I did flush a couple grouse while I was wandering around.
A couple days slipped by, hunting at dawn, riding in the late morning/early afternoon and hunting again in the late afternoon/evening without seeing a sign of a buck. I spoke to some of the other hunters in the area and they were in the same boat. A couple guys with an LEH tag had a moose hanging but that was it.
Second-to-last afternoon I said screw it, I'm not going home empty handed and took a couple grouse while I was out on a ride (that's one of them tied to the saddle).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6369&ppuser=4890
The next afternoon I gave the horse a break and went out on foot, just looking for grouse. It really is a great area to go grouse hunting. It seemed like every overgrown road I walked up, yielded at least one bird. I took five more that afternoon (including one blue).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6367&ppuser=4890
Drove home on Monday afternoon. All-in-all not a exactly what I had planned but it was beautiful country, I had super weather and I didn't come home totally empty handed.
On my way up the hill, I saw this little doe and I figured that this was a good sign for what might be a productive few days.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6368&ppuser=4890
I arrived at my chosen campsite and got setup just before dark on the Thursday.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6371&ppuser=4890
The first thing I noticed was the traffic. I often hunt in the lower mainland, so I'm used to running into other hunters in the woods but this was unreal. I thought I was parked next to a highway. I guess I'm not the only one who heard about the beauty of the area. After speaking to a local rancher I found out that it is a bit of a highway because the road I was camped near makes a convenient loop from Kamloops so you get a lot of truck-seat hunters.
The first morning out was mostly scouting. No signs of deer but I found a couple places I wanted to sit on during the hours around dusk and dawn. I did flush a couple grouse while I was wandering around.
A couple days slipped by, hunting at dawn, riding in the late morning/early afternoon and hunting again in the late afternoon/evening without seeing a sign of a buck. I spoke to some of the other hunters in the area and they were in the same boat. A couple guys with an LEH tag had a moose hanging but that was it.
Second-to-last afternoon I said screw it, I'm not going home empty handed and took a couple grouse while I was out on a ride (that's one of them tied to the saddle).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6369&ppuser=4890
The next afternoon I gave the horse a break and went out on foot, just looking for grouse. It really is a great area to go grouse hunting. It seemed like every overgrown road I walked up, yielded at least one bird. I took five more that afternoon (including one blue).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6367&ppuser=4890
Drove home on Monday afternoon. All-in-all not a exactly what I had planned but it was beautiful country, I had super weather and I didn't come home totally empty handed.