cow elk help
 

seeing that bull moose tags are getting harder and harder to get I will have to try something else. I have 999 my cow elk for 11 years now because I have no clue where to start. I do not want to waste my tag. Any help

where are u planning to hunt ? Lots of cows up north here.

Depending where you live, 312 is great. Especially right now late season tags. Have to do some work for permission but is well worth it. My wife has January tag. 250 head in herd have been in the fields where we hunt the pas 2 weeks bedded all day and feeding all night. Of course not there past 2 days but always are back. Ranchers are going nuts because they get in hay bales and eat out swoths. 250 do alot of damage in one night. They are usually very willing to let guys in. Tags are undersubscribed and she gets a tag every year. Guarenteed good meat and allows me to be a little more picky on my bull in september.

Wow, 11 years priority on cow elk.

Where are you located? What kind of terrain do you want to hunt? When do you want to hunt? You have enough priority to get any cow elk tag in the province, so you need to narrow down your "wants" a bit. Then maybe we can give you some helpful advice.

Maybe you should try a prairie zone it would increase your odds ten fold for a cow and the meat would be delicious (grain fed)!!!

would like to do a mixed hunt. Would be nice to hunt the rut and be able to hunt a bull as well. I have a high priority but does that mean you have a better chance in a high priority zone or that there is less cow elk. Never figured that one out

You can only hold one or the other tag but not both the same year!!

I did not just move to alberta. I hunt with my dad alot. Good to get the time in before the time is up.

you can hold more than one tag in alberta and i would try in western alberta or up north

More than one elk tag?:thinking-006:

212 Antlerless Elk is allowed in addition to another elk tag. However, in general you can not possess more then on elk tag per season.

I see in the regulations is 212 archery or 212 youth for cow elk. I did not realize that. Thanks.

I think he was talking about draw code 19 Antlerless Elk and a general Bull tag it can't be possible to have both in the same year!!!

so any answers on the priority levels. If you need higher priority to hunt a zone does that mean less elk, better chances, or more elk and easy hunt.

It means more applicants. The draw system "in theory" only allows so many hunters depending on animal populations.

The reasons more people would apply in a certain zone could have very little to do with elk population. My advice is to pick an area you know well as elk are never easy to find and will take some effort.

Elk are a lot easier to find on the prairies that is why I suggested this!! You should be able to find a Cow Elk in a couple of days.

I have never hunted prairie elk. I like in forestry land and actually wish I could see a little farther as I am chaseing a late cow as well.

I would check the draw stats and put in for the zone thats drawing the highest priority.
Why?
Because your priority allows it.
I wouldn't use an 11 priority for a zone that is undersubscribed :sign0161:

Yes I would believe that the higher priority would be a better hunt. Means everyone else wants to hunt there. Must mean more elk or a easier hunt. I will look into the highest priority zones in alberta.

I agree.
You may as well use your priority to the max.
Good chance that it'll be somewhere where you'll have to work on permission, but you have lots of time to work on that.
Don't wait till the first ''report'' of a gun shot though, because landowners generally get ornary at that time :thinking-006:

There are still WMU's you could get drawn for with 0 priority and get a cow elk, so just because a WMU has a high priority to get drawn for doesn't mean a guaranteed elk!!!!