Bison Hunt

[RobynDanielle]

Hey everyone...Just checked my limited entry online and I got a BISON!!!! So excited, anyways its Nov. 5-19th for region 7-57 zone B just south of the Sikanna river. I live in Kelowna BC so ive never hunted anywhere near there before. Does anyone have any advice or know what the chances are of seeing one are? Any little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by RobynDanielle

Hey everyone...Just checked my limited entry online and I got a BISON!!!! So excited, anyways its Nov. 5-19th for region 7-57 zone B just south of the Sikanna river. I live in Kelowna BC so ive never hunted anywhere near there before. Does anyone have any advice or know what the chances are of seeing one are? Any little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

There is a road closure in there so you will need a quad or a snowmobile. Quads are limited to basically the two roads in there (also 400m off the roads). Snowmobiles can go anywhere but you need snow for that to happen and at that time of year it can be hit or miss of what you get. Some people take a quad and a snowmobile so they are prepared.

There are a few places to stay along the highway but I stayed at the Sikanni River Lodge/Outfitters. They are right in the heart of the bison area and they rent out cabins and rooms with your meals included. When I stayed there a few year ago it was $125 a night for a room with awesome meals included.

The weather and the bison can be hit or miss.

One thing that I would do is not go up for the opener. There will be a ton of guys with sleds or quads going up and down the roads, chasing the bison into the timber. Go about a week into the hunt and you will probably have the place to yourself. Also if you plan on staying at the outfitters you can phone them regularly with weather updates and see if guys are getting bison or not.

When I got drawn (same time as you) I was there for the opener and the weather was inbetweener (not enough snow for sleds and all the river crossing were still open, but enough snow to make quads finicky and water from the water crossing made your quad look like a big ice cube by the end. Lots of guys everywhere and the bison in the timber with only a few being seen all week. I talked to the outfitter later on and she said about a week after most people went home the bison started appearing in the meadows again.

Hope this helps you out.

Alex

[dakoda62]

At some point the ministry will send you a package including road closures, area restrictions and phone #s of outfitters guides etc. Pack for cold eather. If for some reason you choose not to go the tag can be returned and it will be reissued. only one they do this for is Buffalo. Had to turn mine in last year couldn,t do the moose hunt and buffalo together. Good luck.

[Turbo Al]

Hunting Bison is more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Go to the hunting stories section and read the story I wrote. The BEST advice I can give you is NOT to hunt them in the timber, it is very hard to judge the size of them unless you have a number of them in sight at the same time. For the best meat shoot a small young cow.

Good luck

Alan

[RobynDanielle]

Have a quad and sled so thats not a problem.
Thanks so much for the replys! This is my first LEH ive gotten, Guys around here have been trying for years and have never gotten a bison draw, I lucked out big!! We are doing alot of research on the area and whatnot but we have never hunted anywhere but around here. I guess we will keep up the research and like I said any little bit helps if anyone has been up there and has any advice. Thanks again guys

[RobynDanielle]

Also does anyone know off the top of their head if anything else is open there in Nov? Can you hunt moose? Can you get a big bull without LE if open?

[Rock Doctor]

Originally Posted by RobynDanielle

Also does anyone know off the top of their head if anything else is open there in Nov? Can you hunt moose? Can you get a big bull without LE if open?

Moose, Elk, ect are not open, but Wolves, Coyotes, ect are open. I'm not looking at regs, so I can't give you exactly what will be open for you. I THINK Deer might be open, but don't take my word for it (I don't hunt Deer).
Don't need LEH for much of anything around here, just open seasons with some restrictions. Mostly though, if you're hunting Bison, then you're just hunting Bison.

Temps can range from mid 20's to -30's, but 30 below is not likely in November. Make sure you are equiped for the cold. Couple pairs of dry, warm boots, good gloves, Sunglasses, Dress in layers.

I might be able to help you out a bit if you have specific questions, it is kinda in my backyard although I have not spent much time there in the last few yrs.

RD

[Dad and Son]

my son has got that draw two times but they were December draws and we used a snow mobile. there are lots of trails past the locked gate, the problem is most of them are horse, foot or snow mobile trails. few are legal quad trails.
The gate is about 25 km off the highway and the outfitters cabin is about a 30 minute drive from the locked gate.
I do not think you need to do a lot of research, you just need to go there and hunt the few trails there are. There are lots of bison around, you might even get yours at the abandoned airstrip at the very begingin of your hunt as they hang out there sometimes. The bison will be there, they sometimes are in the clearings beside the trail, sometimes on the hills or valleys you see from the trail.
If you see a herd but are not able to shoot one, go back to the same spot the next day, the herd will not be too far away.
Staying at the lodge is very nice but expensive, they are helpful friendly people and you will get to visit with other bison hunters.
I suggest you do not go on the opening day of your draw, go at least 7 days later, way less hunters.
I always took my son at the end of his draw and it worked out well with less hunting pressure.

[RobynDanielle]

Thanks all for the advice, much appriciated. This is going to be the longest 5 month wait of my life, haha. We just got a 338...I cant wait to drop one of those big bastards FINGERS CROSSED!!