BC Winter Range

[ICMDEER]

Hey BC guys, what is the situation on the winter ranges in British Columbia? Are there places where the bucks come down low into a brush-type or more open ecosystem and winter? I know many of them stay in the forested areas, but are there spots where you can go and take some pictures of big bucks in the open country in the winter?

We see Rod and Cam send in pictures from Alberta and Saskatchewan from some winter country. Just wondering if there's a place in BC where a person can do some spotting in the winter.

 

[Kirby]

Are you from BC?? There are lots of areas that bucks winter in open areas, the peace, some of the Cariboo. Just depends on where you live and how far your willing to drive.

Kirby

When in doubt, floor it.

Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggy" until you find a big stick.

 

[ICMDEER]

Nope, I'm from good old Wyoming. I'm just curious. The country I saw in the Alberta side of the Peace was farmland and the deer were in the bush and fed in the farm fields. I didn't see much for brush up that way. I was thinking of a late December trip to look around and take some pics if there is an opportunity. Just looking for info on a possible adventure.

 

[BCBOY]

ICM,
Out of a landbase that is bigger than Texas, BC has less than 2% of that in grassland/sage ecotype. It primarily occurs along the Fraser River Breaks. And yes it is mule deer winter range but the majority of the deer prefer the Douglas Fir timber above the grasslands.
Steep Fir ridges are what the majority of the deer in the southern half of the province call winter range. With the high snow accumilations we are notorious for, the open country normally has too much snow. The Fir provides good snow interception and great thermal cover, which the deer love. If there is a good mix of birch and aspen, the deer are in heaven. Typically the only way to observe deer is from a long ways a way as they feed out in burns or aspen pockets. Photography is limited to a spotter and you get shitty pics like I take. It is possible to go into the timber and randomly still hunt with the camera. The lighting is poor and chances are you'll have a ton of brush and trees blocking your perfect shot.

 

[ICMDEER]

BCBOY,

Thanks for the help. That's exactly what I had assumed, but I thought there might be some open country in the Columbia (or other)drainage or somewhere else in the south end that had those open, south facing slopes that hold good numbers of deer. From all of your pics, the only open shots I've seen have been above timberline.

I looked on all of my maps and did some internet "surfing" and could not find my "typical Wyoming" winter range in BC. Thanks again. I still might come up there sometime just to take a look.