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Old 05-23-2019, 05:04 PM
gophanator gophanator is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Calgary AB
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Default Question on Cypress Hills Draw

Hello,

I think this year I can probably get the first season draw for this tag so I figured I would post on here asking for any suggestions or help with the tag, places to look, any info really? I had 2 friends get the draw over the last 3 years and they only got 1 small 5x2 bull and that was the only elk they seen between the 2 tags.

I did some searching online and have a couple areas to look at down there. I read that there are maps of the area that you can get once you are down there and also maps that show where are previous elk have been harvested, can you only get those maps at the time of the check in or could I take a drive down there say over the summer once I know I got the tag and then get these maps?

Thanks for all the info and help and suggestions!!
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Old 05-23-2019, 10:29 PM
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astepanuk astepanuk is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: The North
Posts: 1,312
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I had a good friend hunt there last year I believe on the first hunt he burnt a priority 12 and they worked there tails off. Hiking and pounding miles every day and ended up taking a cow on the last day they seen 1 good bull but no opportunity to make a play on him.
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Old 05-25-2019, 10:00 AM
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Dean2 Dean2 is online now
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Near Edmonton
Posts: 14,971
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That is a REALLY tough hunt. Done it a few times, only about 60% success. You really need to go down a least week before the first hunt and scout hard. Unless you have your spot well picked out for opening day you are going to have a problem. The Elk completely change behaviour after the first day of the hunt once the shooting starts and there are pickups running all over the place. If you hunt inside the park, take a mountain bike to cover country. It is a hell of a long walk from any truck accessible road to get to where you want to be able to glass and check things out. If you down something a long ways from the road get hold of the local Warden and get help/permission to vehicle access the area for recovery.

We actually found more Elk outside the park than we ever found in the park, but these also were a long ways off any major road. Road hunting I am sure has killed a couple of Elk but it sure isn't the majority. Best of luck.
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Old 05-26-2019, 09:59 AM
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madatter madatter is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Medicine Hat
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Not a great hunt….
Opening day a complete crapshoot, elk in the park will adapt....and disappear once shooting/activity picks up.
Chances are any elk seen will be seen by multiple groups.
Ive seen lots of elk outside the park, some a long ways away and impossible to approach....prairie elk are not stupid.
Weather can be a deal breaker as well, being such a short hunt.
I spent a lot of time trying to get an elk in 2017 in the late season hunt(long hunt), and only opportunity I had was foiled by 2 ********s who deliberately wrecked my chance.
It is what it is....
There are locations outside the park that hold elk, being in the right spot at the right time....being lucky is the key
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Old 05-26-2019, 10:18 AM
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thumper thumper is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canmore
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If the fire hazard is high, it can be difficult to secure permission on private land and grazing leases outside of the park.
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