Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer hunt available in Nov.

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Rick

I hunted near that area last year...I think a little bit North and east of there...not exactly sure...but with a different Outfitter.

We hunted in what they call up there the "Bush". Large stands of timber with cut lanes and some clear cuts. It is one of the most majestic areas in the world... absolutely amazing place.

Three of my friends and I hunted went up there. The Outfitter was first rate and the camps were more than adequate..Our Outfitter runs a first class operation.

The hunting up there can be the most "mentally challenging" you will face...You are up there all day for a week..in stands and because there are not the numbers of deer (we hunt in the MS delta...you see a number of deer there) it can work on you...it did on me...I was up there to hunt "big deer" and I passed on two deer that any where else, I would have pulled the trigger...Those two deer I judged in the 160's...I have taken three deer in the 160's and I am after a 170+ (B&C gross scores). I ended up not taking a deer...my friends all took deer in the high 140's to high 150's gross...The body size of these deer are amazing all 260+ to 300+ lbs.

One of my friends has taken some very large deer (gross low 190, best nets 168 B&C)...He saw the most and the largest deer among the 4 of us...However, I knew he was going to have a difficult time judging the deer up there ....because he was use to seeing MS delta deer (which are not small by any measure...but they are noticeably smaller than the deer up there) the "racks" on the deer up there just plain look smaller than deer most are use to seeing because of the body size in relation to the "rack" and a lot of people just have a hard time judging vs what they are use to seeing.

Anyway, he also made the mistake of taking his Video camera to the stand...good for us we could actually see what he saw ...bad for him because he will never live down what happened!

He came in on a Thursday from hunting that day and told me he may have "messed up"....This was his experience...He had seen a large 8 point come down the cut lane...which he said was a good deer 150's...did not have great mass and looked to be a younger deer..not fully mature...He watched the 8 point go into the Bush...about 10 minutes later another deer...which he thought was the same 8 point came out in the same spot...He immediately grabed his video camera and started filming...That deer came out 50 yds from him and he has the deer on film walking down that cut lane....Any way, I am watching the video with him and another friend...and I am looking at a Monster walk down the cut lane turn broad side to go into the timber...By the time my friend put down actually threw down the camera... to grab his rifle but the deer was gone....I did not have the heart to tell him anything but that was a big deer...my other friend was "speechless"...my friends brother walks into the room and sees the video and says to his brother "what the hell did you come up here for...that is a net book deer you fool! That is what you came up here for...We showed the Video to the Outfitter who has seen many hunter and taken on his own several book deer...At the end of all that we all came to the same conclusion that he passed on a net 180+ deer...a hugh typical 10 with it all...mass, beams, tine length, etc...My friend now has nightmares about that deer and we all think about it...weekly...at least!

When we returned home we saw the rest of his videos...We think we passed on two other deer that would have made book! and the bigest one..he says...he never got video on...amazing!

I did get to see two book deer a local took up there that were locked up...he shot both of them...the smallest "rack" was a hugh 10 point the guide and I roughly scored in the high 170's the other was a non typical that was amazing we both roughly scored in the 220+ range.

Yes, I am going back with my friends this year...but it is the most grueling hunt sitting up in those stands and not seeing very much...but the chance to take a truely magnificant whitetail is what brings us back...I am willing to invest 5 years up there to get one...In my opinion...given that area the chances of taking a 150 class is in the 70-80 percent range...if you know what you are looking at and are with an Outfitter who knows what he is doing...but that is not what I am after...I am looking for what they call up there a real "cranker" and hopefully I will have a chance at one this year!

It's probably the best area in Alberta for both Mule Deer and Whitetail. The area boasts agricultural and bush. The peace river valley is very majestic, it'sa long way form the mountains. If just whitetail is your bag, the Lac La Biche/ Cold lake area is excellent as well. I hunt the lac la biche area as a resident, but if I had my choice it would be the GRande Prairie/ peace river country.

that area is on my list, but not that outfitter. he was on probation from the alberta pro hunter society.

Alberta White Tails are surprisingly large in body and rack,
and the country is simply enormous!

What more can I say? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Catnthehat

Cat,
Are the local hunters staying in stands all day? Do you guys sometimes put together a deer push or some other tactics?

I noticed in the Alberta regulations a photo of a contest winning whitetail taken norhtwest of Edmonton. From Edmonton, where is the best Alberta whitetail hunting?
Boreal, Agricultural fringe, eastern prairie?

Agree with you totally! The areas my friends and I hunted in were 509, 511, and 516 in think? Where is that in relation to the areas you hunt?

While we hunted mostly from stands a couple of days in 509 section we over looked some fields early in the morning to break up the day. I think we are going to hunt 511 or 509 this comming year, not sure yet. The Outfitter we hunt with is Ron Nemecheck (I think that is correct spelling) North River Outfitters. Ron is a great guy..to the point..with a good dry sense of humor....seems to have a good reputation.

There are no guarantees with any true hunting experience, however, based upon what my friends and I saw your chance of taking a 150 are 70% or so....I passed a couple of good 160's up and did not kill a deer...but I am after one of those "cranckers"....a 170+ gross....

Most of the "big deer" activity we saw was from 9:00 a.m. until about 2:00 p.m. and if we wanted to move the Outfitter and Guides were more than willing to do what we asked.

While it is cold up there with today's equipment that is not a problem (the stands had smaller heaters as well)...It is after a couple of days (when you are so use to seeing alot of deer, as in the South where I hunt) it can get to you....however I know of no other place where I would prefer to go to hunt "hugh Whitetails". They are there!

Some of those cut lines are very narrow and that adds to the difficulty as you are trying to see deer as they are moving. I had a couple of large deer cut across the lanes so fast that there is no way I could have judged them and shot...but they were hugh body and had great mass...I think this year if I see great mass, in similar environment I am going to shoot the S.O.B and not worry about it...Also be prepared to take a long shot ....the cut lanes, clear cuts, and fields can present long-range opportunities. I saw one hugh "Monster" at 500 yards (by range finder)...this deer was what I was after...by the time I new the "holdover" the deer was gone. Yes, I would have shot at him and given the rest I had...I believe I could have taken him....This is one of the reasons I use a 30-378 or 338-378 wby's up there....I changed the scopes on those two rifles to Swarovski TDS PH 4-16x50mm and have them calibrated out to extreme ranges ...I no longer have to judge hold over ....will just use range finder to mark yardages before hand while in the stand....We have been shooting long range over this year to prepare for hunting up there....It has greatly improve our confidence it shooting long range 300 to 500 yards....however...I hope my shot is less...JJS

Yep, I just bought a VXIII with the B&C reticles similar to the TDS. To me, using the horizontals is so much quicker than dialing a turret and keeping track of clicking and maybe needing to take your eyes off of the deer etc. Big bucks are restless active critters even when browsing.
But bullet drop is not my biggest problem. Right now I am trying to develop a load that will shoot tight groups consistently way out. My 1"@ 100 yard groups have grown to about 7" to 8" @ 400 yards. So that is about my limit maybe 450.
I had a conversation with a gunsmith who said he had hunted all of his life without ever needing to shoot at something beyond 300 yards.
But it is where, what, and how your hunting that brings in the demands.
When your up in a stand, you can't hunt closer, there is no way a buck would not detect you trying to get down out of one of those things.
I bet if the same gunsmith I was talking with was stuck in a stand, and saw a massive Alberta 170+ whitetail at 450, he would either be kicking himself for not preparing, or making a big guessing shot! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yea, you are right on! I spent a good bit of time January through March upgrading my reloading equipment, dies, processes, etc as well as testing components to develop a very consistent load working with four different rifles.

We tested loads initially at 100 yds when we were getting sub 1/2 moa (3 shot groups) we started testing out to 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 yards. What has worked for us has been Barnes TSX 168 grain, Retumbo, Fed. Match Grade Primers with very consistent assembled rounds ie wt, runout, etc. We have had some great results with sub moa out 700yds. I shot a three shot group at 700 yds that was approx. 3.5".

We put the big guns up for the year and have taken up shooting "F" class with 308 win. .... Bought two of the Remington 700SS 5R mil spec barrels...They are amazingly accurate rifles out of the box....much easier and cheaper to shoot than the big stuff!

What are you shooting?

I am tinkering around with a , 6.5/06 (the most accurate at longer ranges at this time), a .270Win & .270WSM.
The 6.5/06 is a carry rifle I am taking on a Mule Deer hunt west of Cody Wyo. in November.
Alberta will probably have to be in 2005. The .270WSM is a 26" barrel that I have worked with the least. But it would probably be the best candidate for Alberta with some load work.

Trophy wise the best area for whitetails and mules would probably be the Wainright ,Hardisty area which is southeast of Edmonton in the agricultural area.Hunting from treestands is done by a few locals but many locals use other methods such as pushing bush or sitting on the ground at the edges of fields so they can move quickly to stalk deer that have been spotted.

Sounds like a good tip. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Good luck on your Mule Deer hunt!..sounds like a great trip... I will be up Alberta the third week of November as well.....I am so looking forward to it...even though I know I will have to deal with the "challenge" of sitting up in those stands...However, it is all worth...the country is magnificant ...Get a chance to see Moose, Elk, Wolves, and hopefully a 170+class or better Whitetail!....I know my friends are starting to get the fever as well....

When you go...and I think every serious Whitetail hunter should go up there...take the biggest and flatest shooting rifle you shoot accurately...Because you may get a long shot or a less than perfect angle to shoot.

The "Bush" up there is amazingly vast amouts of Timber....I had never seen "Dark/Black Timber" before but that area certainly has it....The deer up there probably do not see many hunters..At least that was my impression based upon the little reaction to my presence in the area...They may be more concerned about the Wolves up there....

Anyway, sounds like you are one to do your research before going somewhere....I do as well....if I can help you let me know...JJS

Are you from up in that area? or do you go to hunt there?

The Outfitter we go with has camps in farm country and bush...They take some big boys out of both areas....however...based on what I have seen out of the camps over the last few years and talking with the Guides and Outfitter the Bush seems the place to be?...Thanks JJS

JJS,
I have not looked into it as much as I need to yet, but it sort of makes sense that the bush may be better for a non resident alien. Probably few locals hire outfitters for themselves. But since we have a greater need to, the outfitters have the ways and means to get us far into the remote areas.

From what you were saying about your long range groups, you could give a tip on your case preparation. You mentioned runout, I probably need to get a concentricity guage, what else did you do for those results?
I am looking forward to my Mule Deer hunt also. I will be hunting the last 5 days of the season. Maybe I will benefit from the rut. The outfitter I will be with is Dean Johnson, he took over the business from Les Bowman, the outfitter whose area was often written about by Jack O'Connor.

For Whitetail it almost doesn't matter which direction you go from Edmonton. If you go towards the mountains, or northwest you get Elk and Muledeer, south and southeast you get Mulies, Northeast you get moose. The hunting is different here, very few locals own and use tree stands, our version of a tree stand is sitting on Cutlines or the edges of fields. That way if you spot something you can move. Some guys use drives, but less formal than an eastern deer drive, because the area's involved are too big, A guy will wlk down a cutline to a corner and then come back through the bush upwind and sometimes bump out a deer. The biggest factor that changes tactics from the east is the amount of space, lots of space, not that many hunters and relatively low deer density compared to more southern climates. We generally find an area that has lots of deer and sit and watch travel points. Shots can sometimes be longish, but most of the time less than 200 yards. The guys I hunt with use 2x30-06, 270,280,and 7mm mag, with the highest magnification scope being 4x12. No need for 30-378 or the like.

In the preliminary stages, two of the Alberta Whitetail outfitters have caught my interest.

One of them hunts in the northeastern part of the province about a 2 1/2 hour drive NE of Edmonton. He hunts northern agricultural, fringe ranch country and river basins. I noticed some woods in the photos.

The other hunts in (Parklands Region) about a 2 hour drive SE of Edmonton in Battle River Basin. From the photos it seems to be mostly treeless rolling plain.

Does either seem a better prospective region to the forum?

I live in the northern bush but I have hunted the agricultural areas of both alberta and saskatchewan for over 30 years.You will find big bucks in both the bush and agricultural areas but I see many more of them in the agricultural areas.



The Battle River basin is a great place to hunt both whitetails and mules.It runs right through the area that I described earlier.The deer live in the cover along the rivers and coulees and feed in the fields.

I hunt whenever and wherever I can in Alberta, I have no favorite area , but lots that I prefer.
Most anywhere throughout the Province you can find good places, with the central being primo, as stubblejumper, explained.

I don't use treestands too often, but the ones I do use are maintained by a freind on his land.

I prefer to spot and stalk, or rattle and call, being my main way.

When on the wainwright BP draw, we usually do a controlled push in the afternoons, and pick a spot to stand in the evenings.

Anyway you look at it, the hunting is great, and you will never get a clear answer from anyone of which caliber or rifle is best! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I use medium sized calibers (7x57, 308, 6.5X55, 6.5/284, etc)

But have a few big ones also,( .58 cal Hawken, 6.5WSM, 45/110 Sharps, etc.), and love 'em all, but don't feel handicapped by any of them.
Also long bow <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

catnthehat

Both of those areas would be a great place to hunt. It sounds like the first guy is in the valleyview/whietcourt are which is good and the Battle river are is also great. never hunted either one, but no people who do and they usually come home happy.