Foot Hills Deer Quality & Winter Severity
 

I am looking to do some deer hunting near Red Deer/RMH this fall and am curious as to how bad the winter loss has been for deer and what the general consensus on quality is. I would have access to private(farm) land and some river bottom as well as public by the sounds of it. Thanks in advance for the input!

Saw large number of deer last time out to trapline by Edson. However the late spring is very hard on deer, they should be fattening up on new grass by now but still pawing through frozen snow.

March/april are hard on deer and the heavy snow forecasts this week won't help. You best bet is boots on ground and some trail cams at your farm permission locations later early summer to see what made it thru. If you go to your hunt locations as soon as snow melts and before green up you will be able to see all the rutting sign left last fall. That will give you idea that bucks were in area, won't tell you if they made it thru winter or if they winter elsewhere. Observations in mid summer will confirm that. Recommend staying out of bush late May early June when fawning

I am seeing quite a few Mule Deer and White Tails between High River and Okotoks.

A couple days ago we drove from Nanton to Chain Lakes then to Longview. We saw both species of deer and a few elk. I think there is more snow east of the #2 than west. Lots of open fields west.