Supplemental deer tags
 

Sent e-mail off to the Alberta Government regarding supplemental deer tags in forested WMU's like 342 and 344 in early December. Still no reply.
Waiting?

What's the question?

Supplemental Whitetail Tags
 

Our whitetail deer population out west has basically disappeared, no deer.
The numbers won't improve as long as the Government continue to provide supplemental tags. We have so many praetors, cougars, wolves, coyotes and bears that adding supplemental tags to the mix has been a disaster here.

Who did you send the email to?

And more importantly, what question did you ask them to reply to.

If you just told them stuff without asking a question, I wouldn't expect a reply.

Another approach
 

... what if you called the wildlife biologist for the area. might be faster.

What's the success rate on supplemental tags? how has this changed over time?

just a suggestion.

If you do call a Bio, ask him how many WMU's are experiencing Whitetail populations that at or above their healthy range capacity.
As with any other commodity we should be harvesting our excess, not our breeding stock. Most of our WMU's ,especially in the Northern areas, do not have anywhere near excessive Deer populations yet we continue to hammer the Does. If a Cattle Rancher did that he would soon be out of business.

Well let's see, we had a hunting tech thread, now a doe thread, next should be another castle thread or dogs caught in snares thread...

Do you guys not get bored of this??


They want to maintain the populations BELOW carrying capacity. At or above = high wolf numbers, disease and winter kill. If you don't want to kill a doe, don't. Just that easy.

Lol, I surprised no one has mentioned FN hunting in this thread yet

There was the same thread just over a month ago:
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=334749

Edit: the thread was created by the same person too. I guess the intent of this one was perhaps different.

Less deer = less wolves = more caribou (or atleast that is the bios theory).

Surely you Jest !
Wolves are well established in most of the Northern WMU's due to the presence of other Game species, disease is primarily due to over-population and winter kill can happen to a population of any size.
We have far more predators at the moment than are required to keep the Game populations in check, not including the hunting component.
The goal is to maintain a viable and sustainable carrying capacity for any given range, not just below the max. That goal is like a kaleidoscope that changes almost annually and depends a lot on population recruitment each year. Please tell me that those in charge of our Game management have a handle on that aspect - in every individual WMU.
With all the challenges facing our marginal WT and MD populations in many WMU's, it seems apparent that we have to seriously address the issue of what is pretty much a blanket policy (harvesting Does) - set in place to appease a few.
Last I heard, Alberta had a total WT population estimate of 250-275,000 animals. In comparison, the small heavily populated State of Pennsylvania had a herd of over 1,000,000 head with most of their available range at over capacity. Of course, we don't want to be in that situation but I'll bet the Ranch that we have room for a least twice as many Deer as we have today and more than enough hunters ready and waiting should our Deer populations even come close to the term "too many".
Many of our WMU's that are currently subjected to a Doe harvest are a far cry from hitting the "too many" redline that has apparently been established... wherever that may be. So yes, we are maintaining a "below' range capacity Deer population in many WMU's - far below, and possibly not even retainable for hunting purposes if we get another two or three bad winters and the Predator population doesn't get corrected, not to mention the advancing CWD issue. Harvesting females at this time just doesn't make sense where the Deer populations are far below where they could, and should be. Not really bored,but that's my take anyway.

Well I don't know about other areas but 5 or 6 deer were taken of my land in the fall of 2017 and there was still 24 left that were out there when I last counted. My other two neighbors have about the same numbers. More deer I've seen this year it seems. Nothing like the numbers we had 10-12 years ago but the last few winters have sure helped the numbers.

Forgot to add that in my zone you can use one of the supplemental tags.

Some of you guys sure have a lot of faith in Bios's. Good luck with that in Alberta!

Nube and Salavee: Never said I agreed with it. I'm the one that suggested they should fire everyone and start over because AEP has lost all credibility.

Like I said, do or don't. You won't change their minds, there will be a supp season in the foothills and northern zones. Arguing about it (again) is like yelling at a fence post, it ain't moving.

Have you tried a 'post pounder'?

Ok, on second thought I can see how my first comment could have been taken as agreeing with the current situation. I assure everyone I don't, it was a tongue-in-cheek snipe at the complete disaster that is game management in Alberta.

The current batch of "bios" is moving grizzys into caribou habitat and sheep lambing range, has point blank refused to institute predator control to manage excessive predator populations, completely ignores the effects of unregulated hunting, still subscribes to the long debunked genetic harm theory, and -on the current subject- believes whitetails to be an "invasive species". Yes, that's right, they are still of the opinion that we should only have mule deer in Alberta.

DO YOU REALLY THINK THEY CARE ABOUT HUNTERS????

I could keep going for days with examples of their incompetence, but the reality is (and I kinda thought everyone knew this) our current batch of provincial idiots would just as happily have licensed hunters off the land altogether. So forgive me if I don't see the point debating the merits of the supplemental season, because it kinda resembles rearranging deck chairs on the titanic.

Have a nice thread :love0025:

LOL! That is an impressive rant!!^^^

I’m of the opinion if one wants more deer in there area one needs to do there own predator control. Far more effective for increasing deer numbers than reducing supplemental tags.

Use the theory issue more tags get rid of all the moose and deer and then the preadators will all starv to death. Or maybe we should go out hunting the preadators for 2 years and buy beef instead. Hmmmm. Wolf tastes better the deer when slow cooked

Honest question. Have you cooked wolf? I've thought of slow cooking one and trying a "pulled wolf" type sandwhich type thing.

^ I have been thinking about it too. Just never got a wolf yet :sHa_sarcasticlol:

If you do, let me know how it goes haha

:lol:
Will have to be a really nice looking wolf. If you make that sandwich first, you keep me posted as well.

Sorry for the derailment OP and everyone else.

Yes slow cook till well done due to worms, or cut up into little cube’s and add to stir fry with soy sauce. Just like they do in China But be warned you will not eat deer anymore and will be hunting wolf from now on. They are more of a challenge to hunt anyways. And a lot of fun too call in Close to get with bow. And best of all no tags need and longer season. And nobody asks you where your honey hole is.

I have actually tried wolf (unknowingly). Wasn't that bad. It was a backstrap steak.

Whats the internal temp requirement? Similar to bears?

I don’t know how a guy could eat something that smells that bad when you skin it.

uhm....err....jeepers....nevermind.

My zone southwest of Edmonton is down to 1 sup tag, and I certainly see less deer in the zone then 5 or so years ago, but always have a chance at a deer.

This year I filled 1 tag only.

On the subject of wolf, it's all protein and if the meat is treated properly, then why not?

Good time to key Bloodhound Gang’s..., “A lap dance is so much better when the stripper is crying.”

Several years ago i had a conversation with a couple of head bios in Edmonton
Their response was that white tail deer were not native to Alberta historically and that were considered a invasive species to our province. Mule deer were native and that the government would continue to issue lots of tags for white tails and would not stop. There are very low on the priority list to keep numbers up.
Now this is info i recived but am unsure if the rest of the government thinks the same way. But it does seam to corilate to what is happening out there.