Bc 2018

[HankBC]

Started a scouting/ hunting trip with my father last week up a few different rivers in BC. We purchased a small jet boat to use as an access tool for our smaller northern rivers and creeks. Many of the places we run the depth is 2’- less than 6” in spots. Turns out the boat runs in around 3-4” of water and bounces/ skids off rocks really well!

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[HankBC]

The first area we went to was actually open for any bull moose. We were up early and running the river at first light to a few places we had scouted on our apps. Set off and after jumping a few logs, rocks and gravel bars we made it to our first hiking area. What we were classifying these as are large slopes beside the river that burned years ago. There’s benches of fairly thick timber at the bottom, and a bench of poplar forest at the top.

Hiking the first area showed a lack of sign, there were game trails and deer sized scat. But no fresh rubs, moose crap, and few tracks. Moved to the next burned slope up river to assess that next. Found a set of moose tracks and a trail through the brush, seemed to be around 2-3 days old, but tough to tell. Hiked the slope to get a view but couldn’t locate any animals, still no rubs. Due to the fog and smoke from fires my Scope was only useful out to 750 yards.

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[HankBC]

Stayed there and hiked through the thick crap on the bottom bench. Still mainly old sign and only the one set of good tracks earlier. Slowly made my way up, under, and through branches and brush on my way to get picked up on the river.

Ran the river a bit more and wrapped up this day, the next consisted of much of the same and checking a couple slopes and benches with the same results. Was looking like the majority of animals haven’t moved into the area as of yet. The moose stay up higher until the weather starts to drop temperature. This hunt is in August on the 24th.

On our way back we seen tracks along the shoreline and stopped to check it out. One set of moose tracks and guess what’s following? The big bad wolf.

Not the type of sign most hunters want to see, and given the lack of actual game sign we figured to chalk it up as a scouting trip, and go check out another area. Here in BC our moose tag is $25 and good for all MU’s as long as you check regulations and restrictions. Up north it’s usually any bull until September 1st. Then it moves to spike bulls and tri palm/10 point.

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[HankBC]

We picked our next river and headed out, would have preferred to continue north but we were only planning on a quick 5 day run around, and the first area was a 12 hour drive. Headed a little ways south and parked at the confluence of the rivers. Launched and noticed the rivers are certainly all rock and very little sand or gravel was present. This can mean trouble.

Headed up a smaller river and only made it a kilometer. Simply too shallow with too many boulders, so cut a 180 and sent the firefish back down stream. Cut into the larger of the rivers and drove for a while. Unfortunately the only places to hike were farmers fields, as the banks everywhere else are closer to cliffs and slides that had caved away over time. Drove down 45 minutes and checked a couple areas, but the Bush was much to dense to see more than 50 yards at most times. After getting hit in the face with willow boughs for a while we headed back to the boat. Checked the shoreline adjacent to the farm fields and seen a virtual highway of deer tracks going for the easy feed. Deer were not open so we moved on, and of course seen a mix of Mule and white tails hanging out having a good time.

45 minutes down river we turned around for the trip home, and got there just before dark.

Ran it again the opposite way the next morning heading towards yet another river branch upstream. Seen a cow and calf elk leaving their feeding ground from the farmers field on one side of the river. Appeared as though they simply walk across the expanse of the river, being as its so shallow.

Seen a couple boats come from upriver direction the day of arrival, so we felt it would be alright. We were wrong! A couple KM up river we were jumping back and forth trying to follow the channel that was 1.5’ deep, the rest of the river was 0-6” most places, with rocks all over the area.

This worked well until we hit a smaller section of river, where rocks literally encompassed the entire width. After going another .5km we realized that I was aiming to bounce over ‘the smooth rocks’ and that was a sign to turn around in the closest area around a foot deep. Cut a nut and bounced our way back down, and then hit the fog. I’ll tell you in advance, if you’re going through the fog in a jet boat.. pull over. Not a good plan! But us being partial rednecks we were on full send and too excited to be in a new area. Ended up bouncing on rocks since I couldn’t see them far enough off, and skimming 2 gravel bars on the way down. This was following the GPS line halfway close, but it was just too tough to see everything. On the way back we noticed the trailers parked in a farmers boat launch we hadn’t seen on the way up, explaining the boats coming down. Great trap they set up!

Had breakfast and lunch on the river and packed up for the next place. The boat launch was also exciting, since it involved placing the trailer in a hole, and bouncing the boat over a shallow bar, or being on plane (fast enough so there’s only a few inches of boat in the water) to get over the shallow rocky portion and bumping it up onto the trailer. After the day we had it was closer to a piece of cake in comparison.

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[HankBC]

Headed out to our next area that afternoon, another four hour drive this time in the proper direction. Towards home! This is an area we were planning on trying closer to the rut in October. There’s a river for my dad and I to run and hike the sides into swamps and channels. There’s also side roads and logging roads for the older guys with our group to go on their quads and walk the shorter distances into swamps, clearings and creeks.

This area is going to be open for Spike moose (bulls with not more than 2 tines on one side, known as immature) and calves. So it’s a small population of the animals, and sometimes stressful when counting the tines, or lack there of.

Again, google is not as accurate as real world experience, and we found our campground/ boat launch was rather grown in and nearly inaccessible for our large unit.

Soft ground and no room ended up with us getting stuck, and trying to figure out how to turn around in the woods. Ended up unhooking trailer and turning truck around. Used our small portable capstin winch we keep in the boat and hooked it to a tree, tied a bowline knot around the trailer frame and pulled her back so we could get the truck by.

After pulling the trailer back, we drove the truck by and I tied another knot in a rope to the hitch of the truck and hitch of trailer to pull it around the right direction by driving. Then since we forgot the jack all at home while making box space available for the camper. We had a real good time lifting the trailer hitch up to reconnect with all the ruts. Ended up blocking tires, and backing the truck up within a couple inches and lifting it up and onto the ball.

Hooked up and headed out of hell and into the next possible launch/ campsite


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[HankBC]

Turns out the campsite we found was the one we wanted. Nicer road down and camped on a large expanse of gravel bar with hanging poles set up on the shore line from previous hunters.

Didn’t launch the boat since it was getting dark and we’re heading home the next day. We were very confident in running this river as it looked dreamy compared to the northern BS we bounced around in earlier this trip. Also didn’t want to launch and get stuck without another vehicle to winch to so we could get out. The downside of the camper and duelly is a lot of weight and is terrible in sand/loose gravel.

Loaded up and drove for Quesnel to our favorite hunting store (precision optics) in the morning, then home to Kamloops.
All in all a pretty fun scouting trip to the north and a good test of the boat. Leaving for another true northern jet boat hunt on Sunday with members BrockVD and Josh. More fun and updates to come


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[NorthCountryAB]

Great post, thanks a lot.

 

[wyosteve]

Like the write up. I have a buddy that lives in Quesnel and they hunt similar to what you did.

 

[BCsteve]

Glad to see your area hasn’t been affected by the fires.

 

[Beni]

Sounds like a good trip!

Interesting to see the Sikanni Chief from water level haha! I lived in FSJ for two years, sure do miss that place. Hoping I can make it back up there later on this season

 

[HankBC]

Sounds like a good trip!

Interesting to see the Sikanni Chief from water level haha! I lived in FSJ for two years, sure do miss that place. Hoping I can make it back up there later on this season

The ‘river’ looked like a fast moving creek. Almost got stuck launching the boat, had to dump the throttle before she even warmed up! Skinny channels made for a lot of fun. I was wondering if someone would recognize the falls!

Glad to see you BC / AB members on here!


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[FLAK]

Heck yeah, looks like an awesome trip.!!!
Living like men were intended.

 

[realunlucky]

Enjoyed your write up. That jet looks like a lot of fun impressive where it'll go