What do the resident hunters say about the buck prospects for this season, after that terrible winter? Particularly in the non resident forest fringe areas?

Its brutal. The deer aren't completely wiped out of course, but in some areas I'm seeing one tenth of the deer as a couple years ago. I've got a fair amount of land in the forest fringe, and only see a fraction of before.

The big old bucks are the first to die in a hard winter, since they are already stressed by the rut.

What Model70Guy said pretty much sums it up. Sorry about that! Of course there will be pockets of survivors, and the West side of the province wasn't as hard hit as the East side, but our forest fringe areas have been getting hard winters for the last three years, and last winter was harder than the rest.

Beware, I'm coming anyway.

Have fun! I'm sure there will still be enough deer to make it an interesting hunt.

It still will be fun.

We didnt put in for a licence this year to hunt back on our farm since the winter was so bad...we will give them another year before venturing out

It's bad. I've had 3 cams out now for 5 weeks and the numbers are very low. Haven't seen a mature buck yet. I'm sure a few lucky ones made it but it's looking like the annual trip will be more of a camping/wolf killing trip than a deer killing trip. This is in central forest fringe region.
Going up to the bush to check the cams this weekend. But like always, the rut seems to bring out deer a person never knew were there.
Good luck all.

I'll be remembering this to help keep my mind positive.
Happy Hunting

Hope I get lucky. I'll be out west near St Walburg

All you need is 1 nice'en to show up! I'll be there also.

make sure youre texting from your stand stoney and one will show up, just like that doe last night

Unfortunately no service where I hunt in Sask. I'll have to text you from camp & hope your good luck will deliver in the field.

It will take lots of luck to see a bigun this years boys. The biguns are the first to winter kill. Snow started in October and stayed until late April. Here it is on March 19. For those who don't know SK is in the middle of the picture. "Worst winter in memory" is what I hear.

Bzik...great map of snow depth....Skane..keep your chin up.."anything" can happen up there!!

Yes u never know....they all didnt winter kill. There will be some biguns there just fewer is all....good luck!!!

Indeed. And while it might be a longish way to go when the herd is down, it still beats working that week.

I agree! Wish I was going but I wanted to save the $$$ for a trip to the Caribbean for the month of January.

Next year I will back hunting our farm and hope this winter is an easy one...

From the snow accumulation map it looks just as bad in the neighboring provinces to me.
May be some pockets of bucks where the wolves are not very numerous, or where there was food plots.

Just got back from a trip to the bush to visit my deer stands. I've had cams up for about 6 weeks now. The hunting season looks grim in my area. I had a total of about 1000 pics on 3 cams in 3 weeks. Not normal and not good. I hunt in an area not far from Prince Albert. Not one buck over 120 in. Yikes. Granted this stretch of time in early to late Oct usually shows slow deer movement. Not exactly sure why yet.
But time will tell.
Good luck all.

i heard western side of province wasnt as bad as east

If one goes to SK expecting to shoot a monster, even in the best of times, many alien non-residents come home disappointed.

You go with the expectation of a good hunt, freezing your arse, hearing nothing but ravens and jays (my personal favorite) and, finally, being in a spot where the potential for a real jaw-dropper to step out without nary another human ever laying eyes on him.

If one obsesses on the deer population and how bad it's going to be, you're defeated before you even get there and that disposition will make for an ugly vacation. Go with an open mind, and, have fun. Chance favors the prepared mind.

I love hearing ravens or crows they're the non-city sound. Living in a large city I never hear them until I'm out of there.

+1 about the mind set.

Mike,

One pays a rather hefty stipend for the eery silence.
Still worth it in my book.

Just think of all the other exciting things that go with the hunt. Like trying to figure out how your going to pee through 10" of clothing when you only have a 9" dick , the smell of your own farts creeping out of your turtleneck and then getting caught in your face mask and staying there. Figuring out how the hell can I keep my sandwich and cookies from freezing before I want to eat them. Praying that the urge to have to drop a deuce doesn't hit you while on stand from the 15 Swedish meatballs you had as an appetizer the night before. Better yet figuring out how your gonna keep from crapping in your coveralls with all these dam thermals on . How about wondering why the [bleep] did I bring this big azz backpack full of chit that I didn't use all week. Last but not least this dam propane heater doesn't do chit !

wildone:


Thanks for the belly laugh here on a Friday before Thanksgiving sir!

I just read your response to my co-manager - you know to illustrate an example of what I can learn on a hunting forum.

Reminds me of the old Saskatchewan addage, "never fart in your insulated coveralls....."

All the best to you in your hunts and Happy Canuck Thanksgiving to you.

Dwayne

All true.

Wildone...[quote=wildone]. Like trying to figure out how your going to pee through 10" of clothing when you only have a 9" dickquote] Damn...9" of dick...Im feeling pretty inadequate...I usually have to tie a piece of string to the end of my dick so I can reach in find the string and then remove it

Bravado and crude language won't help boys. Facts are facts. The big ones will be really scarce, and you won't hear that from your outfitter. You'll get the big picture when you compare notes with other hunters in the airport on the way home. Good luck boys.

that bad huh?

Let's put it this way. The winter of 06 & 07 just about wiped out the big bucks in non resident areas for a few years. This past winter was much worse. You'll probably see some in the 120 and 130 class gross but those 150 + will be few and far between. No one travels to SK for a 120-130 buck.

Wow
Do you live in sask?
Was one side of sask hit harder than another? East vs west?

I hunted Alberta mule deer in November 2007 and most of the hunters on the plane from Edmonton had actually hunted whitetail in Saskatchewan, and they were showing some pictures of great bucks, some 170 - 185 class.
That is when I decided I had to hunt whitetail at least once in Sask. which is this year.

The built in problem is the good outfitters are booked full by late January of the hunt year with 50% deposit. Which is way to early to know what kind of bucks will be available in November.

So it's sort of like playing stud poker, by the time half the cards have been turned over, you already have too much in the game to just drop out.

Enjoy your StrayDog, its always fun hunting there. Not all the big guys will have died over the winter....I would have still hunted Sask myself if I wasnt going on a vacation in January...always that dream buck running out there.

We have land in SE Sask and the deer were hit very hard there...not many seen this summer and fall around there.

I'm all in this year as I have been the last 8-9 years I'm a canadian resident. So I go there and put my own bait piles up with cameras and wait to see whats hitting them. If nothing really nice is on pics, I walk, drive and post on the fields and forest areas and wait. Last year we had our best year as all our group had chances on big deer, only 3 of us connected all great bucks above the 160 class, the rest of us didnt shoot. Its been like that for all the years at least one of us will see something great even in the worst of years when we lost over 80% of the deer in our zone. Theres always some big deer left and in that short period we have to hunt and with no advanced scouting makes it even harder, but some of those deer I've seen and not had a chance to shoot are worth going to Sask every year!!
Elmer

Down near my parents' place in 21 there deer have been decimated. I spent a month there and there were so few deer around (and almost no sign of them - tracks in the mud on back roads, etc) I couldn't believe it. But the winter kill in that area was horrific so it's no big surprise that the numbers are down. I won't be going there to hunt this year out of deference to letting the population rebound. Hopefully the winter treats them well and we see numbers like we have in years past.

I just got back from hunting elk for a week at our bush camp on the edge of the Porcupine provincial forest, East Central Sask. Lowest amount of deer sign I've ever seen in 15 years. But, when I got home to our farm in central Sask, my brother informed me that he has been seeing a really nice 6x6 buck that has main beams way out past the ears, best buck ever seen on our farm. So you never know, I'm wishing good luck to all our visiting hunters.

I have some e mails from a friend hunting in north west Sask now. Bad news confirmed. It ain't looking good.

awesome thats where im headed!!

All We need is one good buck To make his appearance.
But I really hope its not as bad as what everyone is saying.
Elmer

Nate, if it looks bad there's a casino in Regina. Alcohol & reasonable girls!

Dude, you've got a short period of time to switch to "glass-half-full" mode. If you don't, you're going to have a miserable trip.

Exactly A guy does not go to Central Canada to see bunches of deer or piles of runts....I can stay at home and do that.

You go looking for a toad....the buck of this or several lifetimes.If you go home dry, TS. Do it again!

do they take Amex?

im not as bad as I sound. Just being sarcastic

Good! It'll be fun, and, it'll be an experience for you.
Take all in stride.

Not sure, I always negotiate with cash.

Yeah that better
Not traceable

Sako, if you're headed to North west SK you'll be closer to Stoon than Regina. I got another e mail this morning from my friend. He saw one buck about 120 BC on his first day and not much since then. 5 days and running right now.

SKane, you're right, go and have a great trip. Enjoy all that you see and experience.
I grew up in the heart of this great deer factory we have here. The reason we have these giant deer is because of our climate. I too am going ahead with our annual deer hunt. That is tenting it for a week and half in the bush. It's a blast and can't wait.
But the reality is there will be far fewer wall hangers shot or seen this year than normal due to the devastating winter we experienced last year. Yes, there will be some giants shot, but make no mistake, far fewer than in recent memory.
But in the back of my mind, I still hope and think I will see a giant. Good luck everyone.

I checked the websites of a couple of Sask outfitters "Buck Paradise" is showing some bucks from their trail cameras that could range in score up to the 150's. "Pierceland" is showing some trail camera bucks and a couple of them may actually be shooters. But of course the rut isn't in gear yet.

My father in law just went out yesterday and set up his bait piles and cameras so I will update with what he gets on them.

Forget about the trail cam pix on outfitter web sites. Very EZ to post pix from years past. Big snow storm in north central and west SK last night and today. First rain and then 8 to 10 inches of snow, and miserable conditions cuz the ground on bike trails is hardly frozen.

Its still way to early

Way too early to get this much snow. 15 inches in some places, windy and blown down trees on bike trails. This is how the 2012 season started.

Some suggestions for first time non res deer hunters in SK. If you are hunting this week or next wk your outfitter may try to put you near by roads where access is easiest and outfitter doesn't have to work to get the truck or bike back in, to more remote stands. Try to push your outfitter to get you back in so you're not sitting with many other hunters closely nearby. Second suggestion is not to re book for next year until you see how the winter snow fall goes from here. You don't want to have your money tied up for 2014 if SK has two extreme bad winters in a row. Good luck everyone.

Yes agreed, but this is the big mystery. I can look at snow accumulation maps, but how much equals a bad winter?

In my extremely southern perception, Saskatchewan has snow from November through April, so what do we look for how much is too much?

3 to 6 inches more snow in western SK between today and tonight. There is no mystery. That area usually gets no more than 6 inches over the whole winter. Frigid cold yes, lots of snow no. That will make up to 20 inches in parts of western area, just over the past week. Doesn't take a genius to know the deer will be in trouble again especially the large breeder bucks that survived last winter. US hunters committed to a trip this year, don't expect much.

No snow so far down on our farm....

Bzik

It's a good thing this guy from the US went anyway to west SK.
Opening day of rifle....

Great clear pic!

Nice deer but opening day...short trip. I did that once and had to drive around in the truck for the rest of the week while everyone else hunted. Really sucked actually....

quote=SAKO75]Bzik

It's a good thing this guy from the US went anyway to west SK.
Opening day of rifle....

[/quote]

Good mass, beams aren't too long, and weak forward G's. Mid 140's gross at the most. Too bad the hunter is so far behind the deer, trying to make the rack look larger than it is.

Well I'm going and hope to get one that nice. Course y'all are much more accomplished hunters than I

I wonder what the climate difference would feel like, Georgia, to Saskatchewan .

I don't think he is that bad at all...think ur under estimating him Joe. Not that he is a book buck but he is respectable. Just that first day....I like the trip to last somewhat longer....

I stand by my assessment. Well I suppose if the guy was happy that's all that matters. I've hunted whitetails in SK for 15 years in a row and know how to measure them up on the hoof and in the skinning shack. You're not going to shoot a Booner on the last day if you shoot a small one early on. I wish I had a dime for every deer that was "scored" by someone, only to find out it was 20 BC or so less when the tape went on the rack. Best learning experience was on my first hunt to Hudsons Bay area of SK when the guide looked at what I thought was a good buck on the ground and asked me "is this what you came here for"? My advice to serious guys going to SK for the first time is to study the BC measuring system for whitetails so you can rough measure him thru the scope before pulling the trigger. Fellows coming from US states are often overwhelmed by small SK bucks. But with all that said it's tough this year boys and with heavy snow up in NW SK now many outfitter guys will have you right off the road holding hands with other hunters. Second wk coming up.

Any reports from U.S. hunters who've been in Sask for deer this year ?

I'm drinking coffee in SASK now....
saw lots of chasing and many deer monday
yesterday was snowy and windy and none of the group saw as much activity as monday
Some nice deer have been killed here but the outfitter said it was a below average year
another US hunter i met here has been coming to sask for 58 years in a row! this year he dropped a 180 something inch buck
they are still here, just less than normal is my guess

Lots of hunters were b!tching up a storm in the airport about little deer and low sightings...some big ones were killed but numbers seemed alot lower than normal according to the people that go alot

I spent the week hunting of Mon 18th through Sat 23rd near Chitek Lake, SK
The typical day was viewing half a dozen does and two or three young bucks. The young bucks ranged from fork horns to 8 or 10 point bucks with antler widths less than ear widths. These would probably score smaller than 120.

The exception was seeing three bucks that were probably 3 1/2 year olds that had a bit more mass to their racks and with taller tines, but widths were within the ears, probably less than 140, so I didn't stop my hunt by shooting anything.

I'm not terribly disappointed that I made the trip other than feeling sad such a great big buck area has undergone such devastation for the older bucks.
I had a good time but don't feel a need to go back for at least three more years.
Happy Hunting

I talked to a lot of hunters at the airport...seemed the NY'orkers & N.East Yankees did well. They shot the sh*t outta 100" bucks all week.

I guess the Hansen buck probably did a lot to attract US hunters to Sask. We also had a bad thing happen up in my home area. And American hunter poached a deer that was pretty nice, and the publicity that it generated has our woods swelled with guys from Vermont, Connecticutt, Alabama, Wisconsin etc.

Worst thing they ever did was publicize that deer. It was shot after dark. Hard to find a decent area that is not full of "southern neighbours."

Same here, Mike. I got home about 10 minutes ago from my trip. I knew what I was in for and it didn't disappoint.

I still had a great hunt- 7 straight days - dark to dark. Saw a lot of bucks - lots of forkies and small baskets. Saw a handful 3.5 y/o. deer too. This was the best one of the group and I'm glad I wasn't just judging him based on his girth - he's a portly fellow.


I hunted the same camp as slg888, and his comments about our fellow Americans is spot-on. Many are certainly doing their part in ruining Saskatchewan hunting by needing to fill every friggin' tag with a dink.

Scott, I was hoping to see your luck and skill bring in a big one.

I was hoping the same from you.

Seriously though, I was appalled at the number of guys knocking down 1.5 and 2.5 y/o bucks. With the bad winter a year ago taking out the upper class and our fellow Americans taking out the younger class, it's going to take a long time to recover from this.

Canada, be it Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba is my very favorite place on earth to hunt whitetails. This flat-out sucks for everyone.

It is really bad that hunters are harvesting younger bucks....its going to suck for years to come for hunters in search of mature bucks.

My father in law had several chances to shoot the buck in the pic i posted on pg 1 but passed him up...a young deer with lots of potential

Sad to hear that some of the guys just had to fill their tags , that really pisses me off. Why go through all of that to shoot a dink and screw things up long term. I have always thought that the outfitters that had fines in place for substandard deer were helping the overall cause.

Glad to see a lot of guys from here still went though. Its always been about the experience of hunting a new and exciting place and the thrill of the hunt for me. A big buck was a bonus. If tag sandwiches had calories I'd be a fat guy, but I could care less about that on a distant trip with the potential for a booner. I can meat hunt at home.

This, issue is one of a number in western-northern Canadian hunting that MUST be addressed and soon, given the severe declines in population numbers of some of our most sought-after game animals and one or two other major aspects of the entire situation.

I think that the province should immediately institute much stricter limits on SIZE, numbers available to "NR-A" hunters and also perhaps close hunting to all but Sask. residents in certain areas for a few years.

We need to do this here in BC, with sheep in some areas, Moose in the entire Kootenay Region and some other local situations.

However, I doubt that such enlightened game management will happen, the herds will be hunted to well-nigh extinction to grab that last $$$$ and, as always, there will never be sufficient staff on the management agencies to really enforce the regs. now in effect.

It is a bloody sad thing, as good management can and, IMO, would ensure some good hunting for many people for decades to come, but, the "quick buck" and the other major issue of "hunting" will probably wreck it for everyone.

It is almost impossible to get FACTS from BC Wildlife Branch staffers by phone or e-mails, they are in fear of their jobs, but, just the CBH sheep in "The Chilcotin" alone, show what is happening and how badly the resource has been dealt with.

I do not trust "outfitters" to manage game, I know of too many situations where an outfitter pulled off some slimy deals on clients and also knowingly broke the law for a quick buck, so, I support proper government agency management.

Yap, and I don't like judging other hunters, but when you get those guys that swear they'd never kill anything less than a 130" in camp, then during the last couple days they kill a 110" dink is what irritates me.

John Doe from New Hampshire.... "I'll go home empty handed before I shoot less than a 140 inch" (shoots a 100" dinker).

I understand deer quality/size is all relative to where you hunt, it's the bullsh*t talk I don't like.

I think that you and some other guys here, (NR-As) certainly HAVE the "right" idea, and I WISH we hunters WERE all so responsible and also willing to just shoot ONLY what is ready for harvest....but, I spent decades in resource work, am still somewhat active here in conservation and I do NOT believe that such will happen, anytime soon.

John Doe, comes to Canada, he spends $$$$ that he can BARELT afford, he WILL be mocked relentlessly on forums, his club and his wife will ask, "Could you NOT have at least shot SOMETHING",all of this IF he actually chooses to let the younger bucks live and grow.

So, I tend to favour limits to the size of the legally-shootable bucks, as we have for Mule Deer, here in BC and then, if ANYONE breaks these laws, wellll, tie em up "nekkid" at the kill scene in Dec. and leave them there......

Lol, your absolutely right.

+1 Kutenay comes through again with the right phrase.

Problem is lots of guys come to Canada to shoot a "big one"; have never seen anything that will gross 140 at home despite years of trying,and to them a 120-130 looks "big"....cause they have never seen one at home.

So the 120 gets killed...until they get slapped up side the head by the outfitter.

I am guilty myself but it depends where you are....I killed one in Alberta that grossed 160 and the outfitter asked....why the hell did you shoot THAT (Skane has seen a picture of that rack)....I could only respond that it looked BIG to me cause I don't see 160's every day........but Alberta is a very freaky place to chase whitetails. Your perspective gets thrown all out of whack.

The outfitter I hunted with had a simple rule. 140" or one grand fine. This was when a hunt only cost 2K.

Bob, I find such an attitude on the part of an outfitter to be highly offensive and arrogant beyond tolerance; I bet that guy did NOT tell you to accept a $500.00 REFUND because the deer was "too small"!

I dunno, but, it seems to me that the GUIDE should be responsible to make certain that the hunter ONLY shoots what is legal and acceptable in terms of serious conservation concerns. I have zero interest in shooting stinking big, rutting bucks as they usually taste like crap and I want to shoot spikes and dry does...I kill game to eat it and always have done.

Soooo, WITH a system such as BC's "points" with Mulies, IF, well administered, ONLY the older, larger bucks WILL be targeted/shot in the rut and that, to me, is how it SHOULD be. In fact, this past month, more such retrictions were implemented in the "Kootenay-Boundary" region, once a fabulous Mulie hunting area that drew US guys, like the late Jack Slack, of Leupold, to hunt the very numerous deer we used to have...and, COULD have, again, if the gawdamm government actually gave a ratz azz about environmental issues.....

I suspect that SASK. is much the same, the problem of shooting "dinks" COULD be solved, but, I doubt that it will be.

One other point, at $5-8K, for a single deer, it is kinda hard to blame some poor bugger from the over-populated and urbanized USA, for shooting what IS, after all, LEGAL, as we all want to kill SOMETHING,once in awhile, else why go hunting?

The same thing has happened with deer in NW Ontario albeit nr hunting pressure related rather than weather. The Dryden buck was killed and within a few years the place is overran.Of course the boreal forest isn't that productive and after 5 or so years of the onslaught the deer hunting isn't even close to what it was.

Alberta is much worse...at least Sask limits non residents to whitetail or bear.....and somewhat where they can hunt them...

If you like to fist fight,scream,flip finger f*ck you's and truck race other Hunters then hunt Alberta.

If you like to be in solitude all day with your hands on your crotch to keep them from freezing then hunt SK.

I've done both & thinking about heading more East like Manitoba or further East...any suggestions?

That is the Alberta way! This province is f*ck'd in so many ways and I can't wait to leave...money makes this province go round...ethics and sportsmanship seems to have gone down as money has gone up...

Stoney, where are did you hunt? Despite several trips to Alberta, I have never seen anything like that in Alberta..I have had miles to hunt mostly with no competition.Especially the bush units.

Mostly all north of Edmonton.

Manitoba has excellent potential...just don't expect to see as many deer from what I can tell. But it grows some awfully big bucks.I have been there.

Kutenay my outfitter was not being offensive; he's an old friend by now and was just trying to get me to hold out for a bigger buck....over the years they have killed a good number of larger deer.But by the time they gross around 160,they simply look very big to me, on the hoof. Hard to pass on those.

Keith,
I'm familiar with that buck. And the outfit the guy was hunting with that poached that deer has likely done more to screw up that entire area than any one single person.

Bobin, I hunted North of Calgary. Anti hunters follow outfitters around blowing there horns to scare game.... It's nuts there. We had a farmer yelling "no glassing my property" while my outfitter was yelling back GFY!

If I return to Alberta I'll contact you for reference. I enjoy hunting mature bucks & score is not important long as it's a respectable buck.

Stoney we don't see that sort of thin where I go...at least I have not run into it.But can understand how it can happen near places like Calgary, which I regard as "Aspen North".

Lots of solitude in Manitoba,again, near as I have experienced.

Contact anytime.

Bob, I think this is the picture you're referencing? (that's Bob holding the rack.. )
Damn fine buck.

I suspect this may be due to residents getting tired of outfitters tying up land to keep them out. Something that I believe is technically illegal and often locks up public land under grazing leases.
Been t here myself and it leaves you feeling violated.

I have experienced a few (very) of these unpleasant incidents here in BC, especially with "quad" jockies, most non-hunters, but, overall, we BC hunters usually treat each other very well while in the field.

Back in 2009, a hunting partner and I came out of Pass Creek and Ladybird Creek, close by Castlegar, BC, midday, after passing on two Mulies, that while legal in Oct., showed a lot of potential for becoming REAL busters. I won't kill bucks like this as I can only use a small amount of any meat for my wife and I and I do not need to "fill an ark" to supposedly be an "outdoorsman", as some 'net posters seem to feel the only mark of a "real" outdoorsman.

WE met four, younger guys, quads, 4x4s, local licence plates, ours showed Vancouver insignia and my buddy, an immigrant to Canada, was a bit concerned as he has a noticable accent and thought that these guys might well resent we "non locals" hunting in "their" region. The local Member of Parliament, a socialist and the provincial MLA, also a socialist and a feminist, had been recently speaking out publicly against "non local" hunters...that is, other BC people who happen to live 400 miles away......

But, I told him to stop and we got out and inspected the Mulie they had just shot, one that was the size that we had passed on. I walked up,smiled and said, "nice buck" or something and ALL of these young guys grinned, stuck oout their hands and the first question the shooter asked was, "it's too hot today for good hunting, just got lucky and would you guys care for a cold beer, we have a few left in my cooler"

We spent about 45 minutes yakking with them, VERY friendly, just all BC guys out hunting and then left for a valley close to my birthplace where there are LOTS of huge Elk...and, yeah, I DID tell these guys about a back road that gets you plus truck close to it.

MOST, of my hunting encounters have been like this, so, I just hope BC stays this way and the current campaign in our public schools, by, The BC Teacher's Federation. to vilify hunters and stop all "sports hunting" will fail....but, the slime are busy and we hunters NEED to realize that our basic traditions are under constant, highly skilled, ruthless and, all too often, foreign-funded attack...even in the schools OUR taxes pay for and by those we pay.....the REAL enemies of basic decency in BC/Canada!

There is an old saying...'go west old man'...BC has everything if you look in the right spots.

tango:...I have hunted the same land my outfitter has been on for years...some Crown, some private.

In the bush units I have hunted, I have seen absolutely no one.In the bush units, east and west of the Peace, I was surprised at the number of deer I have seen(both whitetails and mule deer, and the lack of hunters.

My guy has "permission" on some private ground, but hardly has it tied up,and it is not "exclusive". There are residents who have permission hunting some of the private ground, too....but I just have not seen what I consider to be a lot of hunting pressure.People seem to leave everyone a wide berth.
i can say I have never felt violated up there, nor seen any rodeos.

I have on a couple of occasions,seen some trespassing on private ground by other outfitters...but would not call it a chronic problem.

It is mind boggling how much of the land goes un hunted...especially if you are willing to get your ass out of the truck,which lots of people don't want to do.

Bob, much the same thing is the case here in BC and those roads legally open to motor vehicle use in hunting season are usually "dragstrips", especially on early season weekends and the long weekends of "Thanksgiving" and "Remembrance Day".

What I do and have for quite some years, is to just climb the ridges above some of these roads, SLOWLY, at my age and rather "gimped" condition. If, one can get up there and just WATCH, deer.etc. are often seen moving away from the "Hunter's Motor Brigade" and some good chances for shots can/do happen.

This, actually, is probably THE most productive method of hunting Elk, WT Deer and Mulies for older guys in much of BC and one DOES NOT NEED to wear all the $$$$ camo-G/T-stretchy clothing and matching pack, gaiters, hankies and even "gonch" that those "real"hunters in 4x4s and on ATVs always seem to wear......

Kutenay....laffin'!

The Canadian mixed farmland/bush is too much fun to hunt to waste a bunch of time zipping past it all at 60 mph.

I like to get dropped off and hunt by myself on foot,which is what they let me do mostly up there. Dunno if it's legal that way or not (I know it's not in Sask which is why I no longer go there),but tat's mostly how I hunt up there...either that or a stand with some poking around mixed in.

The Alberta bush is so much like our forest hunting in Maine or NH it's almost like I am at home.

Scott LMAO! That's the one!

Jennifer will appreciate that she was not splashed all over the CF! LOL! I will show her this.

Thanks for posting!

Funny thing is I have never gotten that buck mounted...it really should be,he's a nice deer.

One of my favourite areas to hunt locally is at the top of our old river valey.
it overlooks the busy highway, and has several trails running up from the highway to te top where the pipeline runs.
The quads and UTV's run up there and along the pipeline, but hunting inside the bush there is VERY productive, even when the traffic is all over the highway and quads are zpping along the pipeline.
I normally have no proboem gettigna deer there for the freezer, nor do any of the others that hunt it on foot.
Cat

I have some extra capes of Canadian-sized deer already tanned at the taxi if you're so inclined.

Kinda hard to manage a game poplation anywhere in Canada when one of the largest user groups, indians, has no seasons or bag limits. Add to that metis in AB, SK and MB having the same rights and I wonder what this "management" term you're referring to for licensed hunters can actually accomplish?

Wellll, I sorta suggested as much and now we will have "CSer" begin to whinge about all the usual BS.....

I won't say what I really think and I suspect most here feel very much as I do, but, prefer to keep this forum free of certain comments as it will not change anything and we also enjoy at least some of the hunting commentary here.

The solution, welll, I think it is going to end, badly.

They say, "You can only go to the well, so often."
Hunting, predators, weather, disease, and more perhaps thin a herd.
Consider the Great Plains Bison herd.

Scott OK I will call you on that. Thanks!

I went up to central sask saw a lot of deer and killed a 6:6 164" deer had some real good ones on camera. There were a couple rebels in camp by Tuesday they shot 100" deer no patience at all great hunt going back next year

Nice! How many days did you hunt?