Suffield Update

[albertadeer]

Hahaha. What a joke!

No way would EVER be caught dead "hunting" suffield...


It's NOT hunting.... Hahaha, a perfect example what "not" to do about wildlife management.

[crownb]

Originally Posted by Sledhead71

This was to be kept quiet, residents of the area were pooled into a "local" draw for 200 bull tags. Season was August prior to the actual draw for all participants...

So is this fact or fiction?

[Bobbydee]

Originally Posted by crownb

So is this fact or fiction?

I would find it hard to beleive!

[SBE2]

Originally Posted by crownb

So is this fact or fiction?

The poster of said draw mentioned earlier it was sarcasm. Can you imagine the ****show if this were true, too funny/

[Sledhead71]

Originally Posted by crownb

So is this fact or fiction?

With all the pressure from locals last year when ESRD handed out cow tags to military for the inside, they actually bowed to the pressure and raffled off bull tags for locals... Thought it was a joke at first, taxation notice and bam you were in the lottery !

[madatter]

I'm on 884 about a mile north of tp184(right before correction line curve).
Herd of 30 elk on west side off of block.
Looks like cows and one spiker bull.
Not really going anywhere but wandering west.

[madatter]

Truck came from west with a bull on back.
Didn't get good look but probably 300 or under

[bullgetter]

Still who said I can't take pictures? I am drawn and no one has told me anything. I think I want my priority back.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by bullgetter

Still who said I can't take pictures? I am drawn and no one has told me anything. I think I want my priority back.

Department of National Defence states no pics. In work on the base and I can't take my cell phone with a camera on site.

LC

[hal53]

Originally Posted by bullgetter

Still who said I can't take pictures? I am drawn and no one has told me anything. I think I want my priority back.

The fact that they don't allow pics on the base has been all over here last year and this year, doesn't make sense to me but....their house, their rules

[Bobbydee]

Originally Posted by bullgetter

Still who said I can't take pictures? I am drawn and no one has told me anything. I think I want my priority back.

hahah good luck with that. I dont think they do refunds.

Thsi info might help. Does not mention Cameras though. This is from the Draw Booklet.

I dont think they want people taking pictures of our military training grounds.

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/pdf.../Elk-Draws.pdf

[abhunter8]

Originally Posted by iceburg

Have you contacted F&W about this?

Yes. Actually we were hunting in WMU 352 in the mid 90's, there were a group of natives camped at a gravel pit that we drove by on the way in and out. They had a 5 ton freezer truck parked there with Saskatchewan plates and a good sized camp. We were driving back to camp right at the end of legal hunting time and 2 truck loads were pulling out, It looked like there was a guy in the box with a rifle. Not even 100 yards down the road after passing the natives a fish and wildlife truck turns his lights on and pulls us over to check our licenses. We told him what we saw and he said ya he knows but their is not a damn thing he can do about it. I told him yes there is and that is your job! I got his name and info and I called the local office as well as the Edmonton office to report this and nothing ever came of it. I was very upset and disheartened!

[shedcrazy]

Still who said I can't take pictures? I am drawn and no one has told me anything..

Same info that was posted last year...it's on My Wild Alberta.

http://mywildalberta.com/Hunting/Hun...15_Oct2015.pdf

[JonC]

This may be a dumb question but do you gut elk where it lies or do they have specific rules around that?

[elkhunter1234]

Originally Posted by JonC

This may be a dumb question but do you gut elk where it lies or do they have specific rules around that?

Gut them where they die..

[BuckMaster101]

Originally Posted by Bobbydee

If your hunting on the base you will need to submit any animal for CWD testing You are usually allowed to keep the skull plate and antlers. And you are NOT allowed pictures on the base that is true.

If your hunting on the base then the BASE Rules apply. Off the base only the rules stated in the Hunting regulation apply..

The cutting of the skull plate is not required any where in alberta but was said as a way to deal with "Trophy hunting".(a suggestion only)

I was told 2 weeks ago by a fish cop out of the Hat it is voluntary head submission on the base, so they are expecting mostly cows.

[Bobbydee]

Originally Posted by BuckMaster101

I was told 2 weeks ago by a fish cop out of the Hat it is voluntary head submission on the base, so they are expecting mostly cows.

Maybe i am wrong but the Draw book said MUST be submitted as if it is a no question. But maybe something changed and i do not know.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by Bobbydee

Maybe i am wrong but the Draw book said MUST be submitted as if it is a no question. But maybe something changed and i do not know.

Could maybe be a judgement call?, last time I hunted Wainwright, by about noon on the second day they weren't wanting the heads anymore. We were told they had enough for study purposes?

[Bobbydee]

Originally Posted by hal53

Could maybe be a judgement call?, last time I hunted Wainwright, by about noon on the second day they weren't wanting the heads anymore. We were told they had enough for study purposes?

Yeah that makes sense.

Out of all they elk they tested from the base last year none had CWD.

[Don K]

Home for a couple days now to rest and regroup. Going back out for Thursday and then all of next week if needed...

After putting on 60-70 miles in the Sandhills on foot, jet on the river, hunting farmland and a big of driving we managed to get Jay a good bull! He's a real pretty 6x7 and we definitely had to work for him and there was nothing easy! But that makes it more rewarding to say the least!

We did see a giant bull on the river Sunday, but not much you an do on a Sunday!! If the weather was a bit warmer and dryer it will be on the radar. If it's cold and wet then it's not the best.

We lost the alternator in truck (bearings) on Saturday afternoon and that turned into a gong show! No one from Brooks to the Hat had a replacement and the rental places were either closed or didn't have trucks... A Prius with an elk strapped on too would have been a pretty cool pic though!! Them on the tow to Medicine Hat the idiots towing my truck lost it on the highway. There's a flat spot on the tire where the truck came down, but they are saying it's 'not that bad'. No front end damage I guess, at least that's the word. I'm gonna drive it and see, then have our guy look at it. Not much faith in Dodge and Willys right now. The driver was going a bit fast and had the truck hooked up wrong on the truck... Nice...
Thanks to a buddy in town that was good enough to set us up in his truck that's not being used a bunch. Thanks J!! Really appreciate it!!!

[Don K]

Originally Posted by Bobbydee

Yeah that makes sense.

Out of all they elk they tested from the base last year none had CWD.

Spoke to a bio down there and he said they were shocked... They expected positive heads. The way it sounded was it would have given them a bit of muscle to take care of the animals a bit more 'aggressively'... Good thing they haven't had any positives.

[rednuck]

Glad to hear you were successful! Hopefully this rain will let up and the sun gets them moving again when you are back. The river is still probably the best chance, because there are no roads beside it. Good Luck on thursday and the rest of the week!

[Deer Hunter]

Wow quite the adventure. Way to stay positive. Most guys would have probably given up hunting altogether after the rodeo you've been through.
Good luck Don

[Z7fulldraw]

Originally Posted by abhunter8

Yes. Actually we were hunting in WMU 352 in the mid 90's, there were a group of natives camped at a gravel pit that we drove by on the way in and out. They had a 5 ton freezer truck parked there with Saskatchewan plates and a good sized camp. We were driving back to camp right at the end of legal hunting time and 2 truck loads were pulling out, It looked like there was a guy in the box with a rifle. Not even 100 yards down the road after passing the natives a fish and wildlife truck turns his lights on and pulls us over to check our licenses. We told him what we saw and he said ya he knows but their is not a damn thing he can do about it. I told him yes there is and that is your job! I got his name and info and I called the local office as well as the Edmonton office to report this and nothing ever came of it. I was very upset and disheartened!

A few years back I worked in an area with a similar camp to the one you described. On a call out I became unnerved as I pulled into lease with them spotlighting animals in the area and actively hunting at 1 in the morning. I did call fish and wildlife and he informed me that there was nothing he could do about it and gave me an explanation why? Apparently, no where does it say in their treaty rights they can't hunt at night. Secondly they aren't allowed to discharge a firearm as anyone in and UNSAFE manner ie. blindly at night or from a vehicle etc. these are Hunting Safety Laws. But with the use of a light they are able to prove this is a safe manner for them to exercise their traditional right to hunt at anytime of day. Our laws for the general non native population were established for us to abide by which include not hunting at night or spotlighting. I left the conversation with the thoughts of things are what they are and that was that.

[abhunter8]

Originally Posted by Z7fulldraw

A few years back I worked in an area with a similar camp to the one you described. On a call out I became unnerved as I pulled into lease with them spotlighting animals in the area and actively hunting at 1 in the morning. I did call fish and wildlife and he informed me that there was nothing he could do about it and gave me an explanation why? Apparently, no where does it say in their treaty rights they can't hunt at night. Secondly they aren't allowed to discharge a firearm as anyone in and UNSAFE manner ie. blindly at night or from a vehicle etc. these are Hunting Safety Laws. But with the use of a light they are able to prove this is a safe manner for them to exercise their traditional right to hunt at anytime of day. Our laws for the general non native population were established for us to abide by which include not hunting at night or spotlighting. I left the conversation with the thoughts of things are what they are and that was that.

Well they are what they are... a Joke! My understanding is that No one, including Status Indians, are allowed to discharge a firearm between one half hour after sunset until one half hour before sunrise. Fish and wildlife and RCMP have told me that they could get them on that and that it is illegal but such a hassle it's not really worth it. Really, somedays things in my job are a hassle too but it is my job to do the best I can and not only what is convenient for me!!!

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Don K

Spoke to a bio down there and he said they were shocked... They expected positive heads. The way it sounded was it would have given them a bit of muscle to take care of the animals a bit more 'aggressively'... Good thing they haven't had any positives.

With any luck all results will be negative again this year and transplanting may be an option in the future.

[huntwat]

[QUOTE=Don K;2965974]...

[Xbolthunter]

If you can hunt Sunday it will be in the regulations. I don't get why everyone goes up in arms about the natives helping cull the elk of suffield it's not a hunt they want the elk gone. When you talk to the guys from ochiese and that the base and srd calls them to go down there and why wouldn't they easy filling truck up

[Drewski Canuck]

NO CWD on the base is a good thing!

There is plenty of areas on the Athabasca drainage which could use a transplant to get elk numbers going. North of Slave Lake, and the Martin Hills would also be ideal.

All it would take is about 100 head in any of these locations, and a few years we could have new or restored opportunities.

I was in the Hand Hills near Consort and came across a nice bull with one side broken off, a couple of years ago. These elk apparently came down from the Wainwright base transplant, and are spreading out across the area.

The elk that came from Banff to south of Slave Lake where to habituated to town life, and did not take very well. They were quickly freezered by FNs and locals alike to my information. The Suffield elk are pretty wild, and would do well on a transplant.

Drewski

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

With any luck all results will be negative again this year and transplanting may be an option in the future.

Due to CWD being confirmed in the surrounding area transplanting simply will not be an option in the future unless there is a breakthrough in neutralizing the disease.


The Alberta and Federal government have completed a Suffield Elk management plan, which should be available at the AEP Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Management webpage in short order.

It appears that the population goal for Suffield will be around 2500-3000 elk.
Projections estimate that if hunting success rates continue at current levels that the pop goal will be reached by 2018.
From there on in the hunt will continue in order to maintain this level.