Region 2 Deer Hunting - Newbie!

[flyer]

Hi all,
New to the sport of hunting and to the forum - what an awesome source for information!
I'm 20 Years old and have done a little bit of duck hunting and am very excited to start deer hunting :)
Hoping i can find a blacktail somewhere in region two...
Not asking for anyones secret spot but what areas might you suggest?
Any tips for the novice deer hunter?
Thanks!

[Steeleco]

You won't be alone, but you can try anyone of the exits north of Hope on the Coq. Hunting Blacktails can be very frustrating, be patient, it will happen eventually if you try hard enough.

Get out there and pound some bush, it's all good experience!!

Welcome to the site!

[Th0r]

Its a tough go. Not for those in the know. Good luck. Been going at it 4 seasons now with no success. But this year I hope.

[warnniklz]

I'm not new to hunting... but new to hunting region 2... haven't got anything yet. Any info/knowledge I gain I'll share with you.

[flyer]

Thanks for all the responses so far guys!
I tried my luck last weekend with a friend of mine also new to hunting up on Thurston Mountain near bridal falls... Saw some tracks but that's about it...
(i guess it doesn't pay to go with someone even less experienced then you... haha)

The thing i seem to get reading other threads and posts says move east... so i'm going to try but i'm just a weekend warrior... one day trips are all i can do for now...
i'll be sure to share experiences etc. with the rest of the forum!

[Steeleco]

With the days getting shorter, a day trip up the Coq isn't out of the cards. It takes me 2 hours to get to the Cog lakes and I can be hunting 5 min after that. Sure it makes for a longish day, but with only 9 hours of daylight it's not too bad, hell I've worked longer shifts than that!!

Also with hunting Blacktails, if you find an area with lots of sign, keep going back and learn it some more. They don't move that far. Plus a day like today is perfect for Blacktails. The two BT's I've was involved in, were miserable days weather wise.

[4WDarren]

There's a few spots in 2-2 and 2-3 that I've been exploring since the summer. Went to one spot a couple weeks ago and there was fresh tracks & scat everywhere. Was up quite high though, and was over an hour hike into the bush from the main trail. I'd love to take something outta there!

[303Fan]

Blacktails are ghosts i love to hunt some how manage to get 1 or 2 a year as Steelco says the more miserable the weather the better.Look for them in the thick stuff Chilliwack has quite a few just hike and you will find that honey hole.
Good luck.

[elkhunter1]

Try hurley creek 2-11 north to carpenter lake.
Morning,s are better for BT 8 am and later.
Keep trying the more time you spend in the bush
the better Your luck.
Right place right time.

[NitwiT]

Flyer,

Being new myself, I only really have one large piece of advice. Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy the day..

To break this down, it can be frustrating to hunt all day and come home empty, so pick the best relaxed hunting buddy you can find, put some mud on your truck and boots, and make some tracks.

[GRIZZEZE]

Black tails around the valley are very tough to find. As my friends and I say, if you see nothing it is a average day. If you see a deer you had a decent day. If you see a buck you have a good day, and if you shoot one it is a great day.
Been at the local black tail thing for 6 years and only have one buck, all the frustrating days makes success so sweet.
Keep at it and make sure you get off the roads, they like it in the thick stuff. A little rain is a very good thing as well
Good luck

[proguide66]

Welcome to the beginning of your 'descent into madness':eek:

[2x4x16]

head for the fsr's get out of the truck and start walking, watching and listening, they are everywhere, get out and look and hunt,are there where all the road hunters drive by. Look at Squamish and Pemberton

[henderson]

Drive through Aldergrove! Had a 3 point buck almost hit my truck the other day!!

[flyer]

thanks for all the advice guys....!
from what i've read it's all about getting up high and getting out of the truck doing some good ol fashion hiking :)
Looking forward to it all - any day spent outside is better then studying.. or working..

[rollingrock]

thanks for all the advice guys....!
from what i've read it's all about getting up high and getting out of the truck doing some good ol fashion hiking :)
Looking forward to it all - any day spent outside is better then studying.. or working..

No no no...There is no fomula for bt hunting. R2 has a lot of decent spots.

[Taylor69]

Sounds like you are hunting in 2-8. Trythe Harrison road west or Harrison road east. Trying to remember where i got some.....try up by Davis lake and Salsbury lake and then hike up into Kenyon lake. These 3 take you on the east side of Stave lake. I think i only took 2 blacktails down here on the coast. Didn't care for the taste. They eat different food than interior deer. They all taste good as sausage though!
The guy from Hubs that took that thick 2 point got his up around Stave Lake.

[natebavis]

Buddy and I took a monster out of the skagit last year ...Nov 7, lots of snow...Was in full rut but TASTED amazing. We couldnt beleive it tasted so good. Had a huge neck and stunk when dead on the ground but like I said was very tasty.

[ruger#1]

Wait for mid Nov, We need a bit of snow on the hills to push them down. I use a rattle bag and a doe bleat. It is hit and miss with them. If you find Tracks keep hunting that area. You will eventually connect. I hunt them at the 1000' level but have shot them low in the valleys also. Have fun and good luck.

[brian]

thanks for all the advice guys....!
from what i've read it's all about getting up high and getting out of the truck doing some good ol fashion hiking :smile:
Looking forward to it all - any day spent outside is better then studying.. or working..Mostly people giving the advice to go high are looking for trophies or hoping to get something out that lives in less dense areas where they will be a little less wary. Truth is the bucks are all over the place. Some like it low and some like it high. You could be wasting your time hiking through some amazing BT country to get up to the top of some mountain where they simply aren't hanging out. You just gotta get out there look for sign and learn the country. I remember reading a notice from the ministry of environment about coastal blacktails. It read something like 'on the coast we can afford to have a very generous hunting season with plenty of tags because most hunters will not fill a tag'. This means that as a beginner, unless you've got a horse shoe planted firmly up your ass, expect to be in for a world of frustration. But you never know, you may just get lucky and have one trip in front of your cross hairs.

[835]

Flyer,

Being new myself, I only really have one large piece of advice. Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy the day..

To break this down, it can be frustrating to hunt all day and come home empty, so pick the best relaxed hunting buddy you can find, put some mud on your truck and boots, and make some tracks.


Best advice yet!
Just keep at it and eventually you will succeed. My biggest is a 3pt, And ive been hunting on the island for 20 years. Im not a super pro but i am no rookie either. Set your sites on having a good day out exploring and not one of PG66's monsters. It takes years to be that good. And in thoes years there are years of good days to be had!

Get out early, stay late, look for sign, pattern the deer in that area and hunt hard!