WMU 511 update

[FearNoFish]

We just finished a great 5 day hunt in WMU 511. Definitely some mixed reviews about this zone over the last decade on this forum, but all signs were positive this trip. The Martin Hills are truely one of the hidden Gems in Alberta in my opinion. Anecdotally speaking from our group, WT deer numbers appeared significantly higher this year. Probably the best we have seen them in over a decade. Much higher numbers of bucks seen this year than in previous as well. Both of our game cameras had over 1000 pictures of deer. No clue how many were repeats obviously, but there was 1-2 deer captured almost every day. The rut absolutely took off on Thursday night when the warm air started blowing in. Grouse numbers were fantastis, with everybody limiting out on roadside birds. Rabbit numbers also seemed through the roof this year. Moose and bear sign was low and we didn't spot any on this trip. Only one bear on camera, which is much lower than previous years.

Happy Hunting All

[walking buffalo]

Ok....

Why would you advertise a hidden gem?

Are you lonely?

[bezzola]

I know where im headed this weekend 😂😂

[Positrac]

Nice to hear FNF.

For those of us who don’t want to put any effort in to scout a new spot could you be as so kind to mark your hidden gem on the below map. Thanks.

[marky_mark]

I know the wolves are incredibly thick through there so not sure if your trying to mislead people on here or what?

[Pixel Shooter]

That’s the way to take heat off your wmu 😂

[Positrac]

Somebody, somewhere, would like nothing better than to choke the life out of Mr. Fear right about now....lol.

In all honesty, you could put your finger on any spot on the Alberta map and you would be pointing at someone’s honey hole...

I shot a 4by Whitetail up here over a month ago in the least likely of spots. Walked an older cutblock and there was not one track in it and that was Oct 10th and our first snowfall of the year. I wandered off into the timber and lucked into a trail that had fresh tracks on it. 20 minutes later it was lights-out for a nice younger buck. Never would have guessed it was a good deer spot and for the casual hunter that never leaves the road or site of a road you would have left thinking the place was void of life...

[Drewski Canuck]

FYI, 511 is NOT crawling with game sitting by the road, waiting to be shot. From the East side of the zone, there is alot and I mean ALOT of FN hunting pressure. On top of that the season has been on since mid September, day and NIGHT.

The amount of road traffic is crazy due to Spur Resources, Delta, and Cenovus having active drilling and oil / fluid hauling going on. Lots of new roads, with lots of tank farms with lots of Gibsons tank truck trains running around.

On top of that, there has been alot of logging so you are looking at areas as big as a mile with scrub poplar coming back thinly. No chance at something across such large cut blocks.

Then there are the wolves ...

But anyways, I can say that the numerous slash piles are great for getting firewood, and when you call the Athabasca - Slave Lake Forestry offices on where to go, they will be happy to direct you to some slash piles if you want, so there is always that.

Drewski

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

FYI, 511 is NOT crawling with game sitting by the road, waiting to be shot. From the East side of the zone, there is alot and I mean ALOT of FN hunting pressure. On top of that the season has been on since mid September, day and NIGHT.

The amount of road traffic is crazy due to Spur Resources, Delta, and Cenovus having active drilling and oil / fluid hauling going on. Lots of new roads, with lots of tank farms with lots of Gibsons tank truck trains running around.

On top of that, there has been alot of logging so you are looking at areas as big as a mile with scrub poplar coming back thinly. No chance at something across such large cut blocks.

Then there are the wolves ...

But anyways, I can say that the numerous slash piles are great for getting firewood, and when you call the Athabasca - Slave Lake Forestry offices on where to go, they will be happy to direct you to some slash piles if you want, so there is always that.

Drewski

Just a heads up too
Those nice clearings with the really flat snow and no trees
Dont drive on those
Youll have a bad day

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

Ok....

Why would you advertise a hidden gem?

Are you lonely?

No need to worry, this hidden gem is not so hidden lol. Lots of people who need tags and don't need tags hunt this zone. I am glad to hear the deer numbers are looking better. Might be time to check on my old stomping grounds in 516 and see if the deer sign has picked up there.

[338Bluff]

Originally Posted by Pixel Shooter

That’s the way to take heat off your wmu 😂

It's not 1/2 the WMU 330 is.

[savageguy model 111]

Originally Posted by FearNoFish

We just finished a great 5 day hunt in WMU 511. Definitely some mixed reviews about this zone over the last decade on this forum, but all signs were positive this trip. The Martin Hills are truely one of the hidden Gems in Alberta in my opinion. Anecdotally speaking from our group, WT deer numbers appeared significantly higher this year. Probably the best we have seen them in over a decade. Much higher numbers of bucks seen this year than in previous as well. Both of our game cameras had over 1000 pictures of deer. No clue how many were repeats obviously, but there was 1-2 deer captured almost every day. The rut absolutely took off on Thursday night when the warm air started blowing in. Grouse numbers were fantastis, with everybody limiting out on roadside birds. Rabbit numbers also seemed through the roof this year. Moose and bear sign was low and we didn't spot any on this trip. Only one bear on camera, which is much lower than previous years.

Happy Hunting All

man I haven't been up to Martin Hills since early 90s good to know for next year there was a air strip deer loved to hang around up there good memories.

[walleye guy]

I think deer numbers are up almost everywhere this year.

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by walleye guy

I think deer numbers are up almost everywhere this year.

Fort McMurray way must be the exception then. Whether it be hunting for moose or deer I’ve been out 15 days this season and I’ve seen maybe 20 deer total. I’ve seen as many wolves this year as deer.

Zero birds this year and I mean almost nothing for grouse too. I understand it’s cyclical but how can we go from birds everywhere 2 years ago to nothing this year?

[Smoky buck]

Most WMU have good pockets if you can find them. I stopped chasing “great WMU’s” long ago and spend my efforts learning WMU’s close to home so I can invest time to find truly great pockets

Thanks for the tip on 511 but I am a firm believer when it comes to whitetail it’s better to stay close to home and learn what is hiding under your nose

[Tronneroi]

Been hunting the Marten hills for 15 years now, my old man for the past 30. We see more and more wolves every year. Haven't seen a moose track in 2 years when we used to shoot one every year between the four of us. Glad to hear that you're seeing lots of whitetail. I can't say that we've shared the same experience on the north end of the WMU.

[NewGuard84]

511 is hosting this year's annual province-wide truck hunting party!

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Most WMU have good pockets if you can find them. I stopped chasing “great WMU’s” long ago and spend my efforts learning WMU’s close to home so I can invest time to find truly great pockets

Thanks for the tip on 511 but I am a firm believer when it comes to whitetail it’s better to stay close to home and learn what is hiding under your nose

Sage advice, thank you for this reminder.

Originally Posted by Sooner

No need to worry, this hidden gem is not so hidden lol. Lots of people who need tags and don't need tags hunt this zone. I am glad to hear the deer numbers are looking better. Might be time to check on my old stomping grounds in 516 and see if the deer sign has picked up there.

I may have stumbled across some of your 516-related comments previously, when I was first familiarizing myself with this zone. I am sad to report that my high hopes for this zone were dashed over the last 2-3 years of exploring periodically... it feels like a bit of a ghost town to me, even compared to other relatively quiet WMUs.

[kanny90]

Wmu 511 was a good zone i still stroll into it time to time. But way to many road hunters in this zone. Because u can use tag 1 and 2 . This zone is good for big bucks. You gotta get out and walk or take ur quad deep into cutlines now. Lots of elk in this zone in certain areas. Moose numbers are really low but in September you see black bears on every corner.

[RACKER]

A guy gives a great report on the success he had and what he observed and people jump all over him.I seriously doubt any forum members are gonna drop the areas where they hunt and rush out there to hunt.Now that the "honey hole" has been advertised better stay off the roads for fear of getting run over by the wave of anxious hunters.Now if he said he spotted 5-50 inch bulls in the nw corner of the town it would be different.You still need to do alot of work to find the game.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by RACKER

A guy gives a great report on the success he had and what he observed and people jump all over him.I seriously doubt any forum members are gonna drop the areas where they hunt and rush out there to hunt.Now that the "honey hole" has been advertised better stay off the roads for fear of getting run over by the wave of anxious hunters.Now if he said he spotted 5-50 inch bulls in the nw corner of the town it would be different.You still need to do alot of work to find the game.

You want to bet?
I used to hunt this area, but as I said it was loaded with wolves the last 3-4 I was there and the ungulate numbers were down. This area gets absolutely pounded with road hunters. Its disgusting. Saying that your seeing lots of deer and there is 2 supplemental tags available. I would be you a lot of money that there is at least 100 new guys thinking about going there this weekend. As mentioned there is elk in the zone, and if you want to see a rodeo... Go here. Id hate to be a land owner around where the elk are. I thought I had it bad in my zone, We counted 9 trucks hunting within eye sight one day as we were heading out of camp! Im glad to hear there is a large fish and wildlife presence since there is limited ways in and out of the zone! With all the logging and construction out there, Id honestly rather go to work instead of going hunting to this zone. I have buddys there right now, and they are giving a far different report than the OP

[pikeman06]

bahaha. Should be alberta outwarsmen instead of outdoorsman. Shame on you for posting your observations out hunting or fishing on this forum. It's just for whining about the government and the covid, and arguing about Donald trump versus Joe Biden. Good lord. Its hunting season and there's deer everywhere I go all the time. Find one you like a shoot the dang thing., then eat it.

[RACKER]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

You want to bet?
I used to hunt this area, but as I said it was loaded with wolves the last 3-4 I was there and the ungulate numbers were down. This area gets absolutely pounded with road hunters. Its disgusting. Saying that your seeing lots of deer and there is 2 supplemental tags available. I would be you a lot of money that there is at least 100 new guys thinking about going there this weekend. As mentioned there is elk in the zone, and if you want to see a rodeo... Go here. Id hate to be a land owner around where the elk are. I thought I had it bad in my zone, We counted 9 trucks hunting within eye sight one day as we were heading out of camp! Im glad to hear there is a large fish and wildlife presence since there is limited ways in and out of the zone! With all the logging and construction out there, Id honestly rather go to work instead of going hunting to this zone. I have buddys there right now, and they are giving a far different report than the OP

If this area is so pounded with road hunters then why would anyone want to go hunt there.His version of the zone made it alot more enjoyable to read.As for the bet how about hearing back from at least 5 forum members that went out there after reading about the original post.With so many hunters out there now there would be no way to count the newbies filling their supplementals.

[Smoky buck]

Honestly I don’t see the big deal about reporting on an WMU. Most who chase an easy hunt rush out seeing posts like this because they have not put in the effort to learn the WMU

Most will show up drive around get frustrated and not return

[DJS]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

You want to bet?
I used to hunt this area, but as I said it was loaded with wolves the last 3-4 I was there and the ungulate numbers were down. This area gets absolutely pounded with road hunters. Its disgusting. Saying that your seeing lots of deer and there is 2 supplemental tags available. I would be you a lot of money that there is at least 100 new guys thinking about going there this weekend. As mentioned there is elk in the zone, and if you want to see a rodeo... Go here. Id hate to be a land owner around where the elk are. I thought I had it bad in my zone, We counted 9 trucks hunting within eye sight one day as we were heading out of camp! Im glad to hear there is a large fish and wildlife presence since there is limited ways in and out of the zone! With all the logging and construction out there, Id honestly rather go to work instead of going hunting to this zone. I have buddys there right now, and they are giving a far different report than the OP

Ive hunter 511 numerous times. If you can’t find Bush areas to hunt away from roads and all the road hunters you speak of you have issues. No offence but the places I’ve hunted in that WMU you can get out of the truck almost anywhere and hike for 20 minutes into the bush in any direction, sit for the day and never see another soul. Glad to hear deer numbers are coming back. This did used to be a unreal zone for big WT bucks.

[DJS]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

bahaha. Should be alberta outwarsmen instead of outdoorsman. Shame on you for posting your observations out hunting or fishing on this forum. It's just for whining about the government and the covid, and arguing about Donald trump versus Joe Biden. Good lord. Its hunting season and there's deer everywhere I go all the time. Find one you like a shoot the dang thing., then eat it.

Alberta Outwarsmen! 😂 That was good

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by DJS

Ive hunter 511 numerous times. If you can’t find Bush areas to hunt away from roads and all the road hunters you speak of you have issues. No offence but the places I’ve hunted in that WMU you can get out of the truck almost anywhere and hike for 20 minutes into the bush in any direction, sit for the day and never see another soul. Glad to hear deer numbers are coming back. This did used to be a unreal zone for big WT bucks.

I sure hope you can find bush areas
Vast majority of it is crown land
Op is talking about limiting out on road side grouse
Doesn’t sound like they are searching to far from them
Used to be good and you wouldn’t see anyone. Last time I was there, You would see camps every couple miles.
Like I said I would rather go to work then worry about that rodeo.
People can make their own decisions if they want

[savageguy model 111]

Like I said I would rather go to work then worry about that rodeo.
People can make their own decisions if they want

It's the internet people like to talk Have fun at work

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by savageguy model 111

It's the internet people like to talk Have fun at work

58 days til I’m back in Sonora for desert sheep, mule deer and Coues deer
Can’t wait

[RandyBoBandy]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

bahaha. Should be alberta outwarsmen instead of outdoorsman. Shame on you for posting your observations out hunting or fishing on this forum. It's just for whining about the government and the covid, and arguing about Donald trump versus Joe Biden. Good lord. Its hunting season and there's deer everywhere I go all the time. Find one you like a shoot the dang thing., then eat it.

Yep, we'll do ourselves IN here by in-fighting..I think Hungstuff has that in his signature line

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Just a heads up too
Those nice clearings with the really flat snow and no trees
Dont drive on those
Youll have a bad day

Hell, you'll have a bad day just trying to walk across them... The Firesmart cuts set a new low standard for cleanup, the logging companies followed suit. If you can make it across any cut in the Slave Lake area, made within the last 5-7 years, without having at least one bad fall you are having a good day.