BC Mule Deer

My best pal is a vet here in Germany and he did a guided sheep hunt and then again on another trip did a moose hunt both were in BC 15 years ago, his guide/German BC resident mate has since died and now he wants me to organise as I am an English speaker either a DIY or guided antelope hunt somewhere in the USA for him with me as a come along for his company as I had worked for 8 years over there but that was way back in the 80-90s. I am back in Dover Kent so not very far away from you as of 13th Nov. My main trudge effort at the moment is getting my right to Canadian citizenship verified due to father getting his naturalization in the 1930s.
I'm in Lyminge Bavarianbrit, just down the road, so maybe we should organise a chat over a cuppa or a stein of something appropriate!
 
I lived in BC for 8 years,but got residency so could apply for tags myself.As I recall a griz tag (if you won the BC limited entry draw) was 80 bucks, for a non resident it was 800 so get all your prices in advance.
Bear hunting well worth doing along with anything else offered.
Definitely use the guides rifle first time as a pain traveling with guns.
Sounds great fun.Good luck
 
I lived in BC for 8 years,but got residency so could apply for tags myself.As I recall a griz tag (if you won the BC limited entry draw) was 80 bucks, for a non resident it was 800 so get all your prices in advance.
Bear hunting well worth doing along with anything else offered.
Definitely use the guides rifle first time as a pain traveling with guns.
Sounds great fun.Good luck
Thanks for the advice Julian.
 
If I was going abroad to hunt, I would want to take my own rifle. No practical reason. Just because. I think it would be a significant part of the overall experience and add to the memories in years to come.
 
If I was going abroad to hunt, I would want to take my own rifle. No practical reason. Just because. I think it would be a significant part of the overall experience and add to the memories in years to come.
I don't disagree with that one bit VSS, but as I'm hoping this is the first of multiple trips my thoughts are I'll use it to inform rifle choice, and it'll be a lot less hassle on this initial trip. Originally I was going to combine the trip with a big holiday with wife and kids, take them to BC for two weeks, then I go hunting for a week. Not that I can really afford to do that but this is probably the last chance before they start to go their separate ways in life and hopefully pay for their own holidays! Thing is that is unlikely due to school holidays for my youngest child....... but still a possible, and on that score I do not want a rifle under my hotel bed for two weeks on the 'holiday' part of the trip. I've thought long and hard about it..... in the long run I'll have my rifle for sure 👍
 
  • Like
Reactions: VSS
If not already sugested why not buy your caliber of choice on a switch barrel system? Canada trip. Boar trips whatever, still have your Kent shooting caliber to hand?

BC.
 
If not already sugested why not buy your caliber of choice on a switch barrel system? Canada trip. Boar trips whatever, still have your Kent shooting caliber to hand?

BC.
That's a good suggestion BC. I did think about a take-down option to reduce travel bulk, I think Merkel and others do such systems. I think once Canada is under my belt it is time for me to get a very sad spreadsheet going (yes I am a QS for a living so Excel spreadsheets is what I do) and compare all my options. That's an exciting prospect.... how sad I am :lol:
 
I was born and raised in BC and it's still close to my heart even though I moved to the Yukon years ago. If you want any indepth info on the area you're hunting, etc feel free to shoot me a message or post your questions here. As far as calibre... pick your poison. :) I've shot mule deer with a 7-30 Waters and .30-06. My wife shot a moose about 2 weeks ago here in the YT with her 7-08. You won't need a hammer just something you can shoot well. Any deer calibre will work fine for bear, shot my first bear with a 6.5 MS. Black bear that is, as grizz went off limits a few years ago when the provincial government changed. Importing a rifle into Canada is not that difficult and airport hassle are minimal especially if you fly directly into a western province.

Which part of BC are you planning on hunting?
 
I was born and raised in BC and it's still close to my heart even though I moved to the Yukon years ago. If you want any indepth info on the area you're hunting, etc feel free to shoot me a message or post your questions here. As far as calibre... pick your poison. :) I've shot mule deer with a 7-30 Waters and .30-06. My wife shot a moose about 2 weeks ago here in the YT with her 7-08. You won't need a hammer just something you can shoot well. Any deer calibre will work fine for bear, shot my first bear with a 6.5 MS. Black bear that is, as grizz went off limits a few years ago when the provincial government changed. Importing a rifle into Canada is not that difficult and airport hassle are minimal especially if you fly directly into a western province.

Which part of BC are you planning on hunting?
Hi, thanks for the message. I am awaiting confirmation from the Outfitter as to dates and exact area as they are negotiating another lease somewhere further north, so hopefully should have more detail in a few weeks. When I find out I will fire a message to you if that is ok, see if you can give me some better insight. I think I'll wait to get this trip under my belt and then apply for calibre variation on my FAC her in the UK. I've got a few varying hunting trips I'd like to do both in Europe and North America / Canada so it's something I want to do when I have a bit more experience. Luckily the Outfitter will hire me a rifle for the BC trip fot $150 so makes a bit of sense to go for that option on this trip. From what I hear the airport hassle is more this end, getting out of the UK, than at your end!
 
I was born and raised in BC and it's still close to my heart even though I moved to the Yukon years ago. If you want any indepth info on the area you're hunting, etc feel free to shoot me a message or post your questions here. As far as calibre... pick your poison. :) I've shot mule deer with a 7-30 Waters and .30-06. My wife shot a moose about 2 weeks ago here in the YT with her 7-08. You won't need a hammer just something you can shoot well. Any deer calibre will work fine for bear, shot my first bear with a 6.5 MS. Black bear that is, as grizz went off limits a few years ago when the provincial government changed. Importing a rifle into Canada is not that difficult and airport hassle are minimal especially if you fly directly into a western province.

Which part of BC are you planning on hunting?
I was going to suggest the OP send you a PM , you beat me to it . Also really good advice . I used to guide in Alberta before the earth's crust cooled , I used to give the same advice . Do your research , use a reputable outfitter and take a rifle you're familiar with . I remember being filled with dread when a client used to show up with a brand new rifle chambered in a hard kicking , magnum cartridge , they usually couldn't shoot them very well . Mule deer aren't hard to kill , any cartridge suitable for UK deer will work perfectly , the same applies to Black Bear . Most outfitters , including myself and all the guys I worked for , will have a rifle for you to use . I always had a bolt action 30/06 and a 270 ( for the guys who were scared sh*tless of their brand new hard kicking magnums ) available just in case of mechanical failures , scopes mostly . We never charged for use of the rifle , that may have changed however . If you do decide to bring your own rifle , an overseas hunt is a great reason to buy a new rifle by the way lol , it's fairly simple to bring it into Canada . You can go on the Government of Canada's website and it will show you what you need to do , it's very straight forward . BC is a beautiful place and has great hunting opportunities , you will have a great time . Post some pics of your hunt when you do it .

Good luck , AB
 
I was going to suggest the OP send you a PM , you beat me to it . Also really good advice . I used to guide in Alberta before the earth's crust cooled , I used to give the same advice . Do your research , use a reputable outfitter and take a rifle you're familiar with . I remember being filled with dread when a client used to show up with a brand new rifle chambered in a hard kicking , magnum cartridge , they usually couldn't shoot them very well . Mule deer aren't hard to kill , any cartridge suitable for UK deer will work perfectly , the same applies to Black Bear . Most outfitters , including myself and all the guys I worked for , will have a rifle for you to use . I always had a bolt action 30/06 and a 270 ( for the guys who were scared sh*tless of their brand new hard kicking magnums ) available just in case of mechanical failures , scopes mostly . We never charged for use of the rifle , that may have changed however . If you do decide to bring your own rifle , an overseas hunt is a great reason to buy a new rifle by the way lol , it's fairly simple to bring it into Canada . You can go on the Government of Canada's website and it will show you what you need to do , it's very straight forward . BC is a beautiful place and has great hunting opportunities , you will have a great time . Post some pics of your hunt when you do it .

Good luck , AB
Thanks AB, the Outfitter is a reputable one and I have had a lot of dialogue so far and am very confident in their abilities. So I'll use their rifle on this first one, then go rifle shopping after that I think, use the experience to inform my choice. I am very much looking forward to is and will post some pics here when I get back :)
 
BC Boy here, resident in the UK for 20 years but still a BC boy. Enjoy your hunt. Where in BC? Central valley or further up North?
 
Hi BC Boy, thanks for the message. Meet point with the outfitter is Lillooet, so not too far from that area. It's a little under a year away but I cannot wait, really looking forward to it. :)
Where are you based in the UK?
 
I'm in Reading, and here I stalk in Savernake Forest near Marlborough. Lillooet is pretty out back! Is your guide outfit from the First Nations reserve there?

The town on Lytton, 60km south of Lillooet, was totally wiped off the map in a wildfire 2 years ago.
 
I'm in Reading, and here I stalk in Savernake Forest near Marlborough. Lillooet is pretty out back! Is your guide outfit from the First Nations reserve there?

The town on Lytton, 60km south of Lillooet, was totally wiped off the map in a wildfire 2 years ago.
I hope the stalking is good in Savernake! There's no deer where I am in the far reaches of East Kent. I'm in Lyminge, a village near Folkestone. Me and my dad do vermin control for a couple of local farms, although my dad is 84 now so he's getting long in the tooth. He was still out with my yesterday though knocking grey tree rats out of branches, but I'm going to need to find some shooting buddies in the future I think.
Yep, Lillooet is out back from what I understand, but then the hunt I've gone for is the 8 Day Back Country Mule Deer Hunt, so spike camp type stuff rather than lodges. I'm not 100% sure what to expect as I've only stalked in the UK once, and that was just a taster, this is a bit of an adventure of a lifetime thing mixed with an intro to larger game. I would like to progress to stalking here in the fullness of time. BC is just somewhere I've always wanted to go, and if I'm going then I might was well experience the real out back. I'm hoping to get to the sorts of places you're more likely to run into a sasquatch than another human 😄
Hopefully the wildfire season next year doesn't affect my trip, fingers crossed.
 
Back
Top