High priority Mule deer

[H380]

Originally Posted by J.B.

The guys who know where to go, are not going to say so on here. That being said, there are surprises in every zone. Personally I would hunt the zones nobody is talking about.

Thats not what peolpe want to know , they want to know where YOU hunt J.B. !! Congrats again on a screamer muley , from the pics , you're well on your way to a second .

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by H380

Thats not what peolpe want to know , they want to know where YOU hunt J.B. !! Congrats again on a screamer muley , from the pics , you're well on your way to a second .

Thanks Cam! You have a pretty nice collection yourself!
And if I told people where that came from I would get called a liar

[H380]

nough said ..lol..

Originally Posted by J.B.

Thanks Cam! You have a pretty nice collection yourself!
And if I told people where that came from I would get called a liar

[Hydro1]

If i could shoot one anywhere.
If it were legal for a day, i would shoot one of the monsters that walk around the city...
One in particular was pushing 180"... Havent found his sheds.

More realistically i would like to be drawn for one of the 100 wmu's.

[husky7mm]

The demand for mule deer opportunities are high, many are treated like a general unit in that people are harvesting the first mature mulie they see even if it takes 4 plus years to draw. Those 160-170 class bucks are the following years 180-190 class deer. Recruitment of that age of bucks is deminishing as the popularity grows. I have ate tag soup two times in the last 10 years in 305. Once on a priority 4 and once with a 6. I permission on a beautiful ranch, just have not turned up a wall hanger. Its very hard walk away from bucks in the 170s on the last day and know it will be 4-7 years before getting to have a chance at a wall hanger. The priority seems to keep growing regardless of the quaility of bucks. It doesnt help that people sneek onto private land to shoot bucks that have been given a pass in hopes that they will grow into something special but it seems that is how desperate some are to have a "mature" mulie.

[Esox]

Im in the same boat as a few of the guys here, have enough points for anywhere in Alberta, think im finally going to draw it this year in a zone in 100's we fish and upland hunt quite a bit. See quite a few real nice bucks. I grew up in one of the border zones and that's where I use to draw my tags until the whole cWD fiasco. This is the third year now they have cut tags way back in that zone, so maybe with a couple nice winters and a few more years of cut back tags that zone will be good again.

[blackmamba]

I have high priority aswell , been watching some zones the past few years and well the buck im intrested in hasn t shown up yet .. but am hopeful that ,with a mild winter that some of those bigger deer will turn into something really big .. here s hopin ..

[Buckhunter123]

Big deer were I am and way to many farmers want them out if anyone's interested let me know

[Buckhunter123]

Moreee

[Buckhunter123]

Here's more

[Buckhunter123]

They are all different groups and there's even more then that. But u won't see a whitetail for ten miles. Seems like wt should be on draw. And mule deer in that zone shouldn't have to take 8 + years I see only mule deer.

[fish_e_o]

Originally Posted by Buckhunter123

Here's more

Australia is a little far for myself


i hope your inbox is clear! i suspect you'll get some messages

[Buckhunter123]

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by Buckhunter123

Big deer were I am and way to many farmers want them out if anyone's interested let me know

Some farmers think the have a deer epidemic cause 5 deer hung around their unprotected bails for a few weeks..... This time of year you will see every deer in the entire area concentrated where ever has good feed.

I am glad there are lots of deer some places. Deer are a part of the landscape they belong in this province and country. Not to mention they are delicious and good organic protien. Farmers should just learn to protect their harvested crops and put up with the wildlife. IMO its a small price to pay for taking up all that habitat. If there are too many at times give out some extra permission and make someones day.

[saskwildlife]

I dont know what you guys are talking about. since when does a few herds of deer effect a few million acres of cropland and why do your local farmers want them out?
from what i remember Buckhunter, you hunt on land that is posted and the "owner had too many problems with hunters in the past and wont let anyone on".

"farmers should learn to protect their crops and put up with wildlife. IMO its a small price to pay for taking up all that habitat..."

good thinking genius. everone will be thrilled with your idea when the entire bread basket is deer fenced. (due to the deer problems we have eating on dem crops)

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by saskwildlife

I dont know what you guys are talking about. since when does a few herds of deer effect a few million acres of cropland and why do your local farmers want them out?
from what i remember Buckhunter, you hunt on land that is posted and the "owner had too many problems with hunters in the past and wont let anyone on".

"farmers should learn to protect their crops and put up with wildlife. IMO its a small price to pay for taking up all that habitat..."

good thinking genius. everone will be thrilled with your idea when the entire bread basket is deer fenced. (due to the deer problems we have eating on dem crops)

Thats " harvested crops" if your gonna quote me. Game fence everything that funny.... Maybe they should put a dome over it to to keep all those dam birds out too.... My point is that nature is natural and its all around us. It should be excepted and included. You can protect your bales and grain without fencing thousands of acres. Hunting is a great tool for managing game numbers.

[saskwildlife]

What Im trying to say is that +90% of farmers are more in tune and accepting of nature, weather, the land and all varieties of wildlife than most ppl will be. making your living off the land and being there in the country 365, nature is everything. i didnt like to see the farmers lumped into a category of ppl who 'should learn to put up with wildlife'. its just absurd. if the bins are full and you got grain on the ground that is a good problem to have!

sorry for hijacking!

[Buckhunter123]

I suppose but i got a lot o land to hunt over 25 quarters but this chunk is so bad that there out of control, just be nice to see some people with a draw get some deer and control this a bit. It's out of control cause of this priority bull#%^*. And ya they can put a good dent on the crops especially 200 +

[Berta]

Originally Posted by saskwildlife

What Im trying to say is that +90% of farmers are more in tune and accepting of nature, weather, the land and all varieties of wildlife than most ppl will be. making your living off the land and being there in the country 365, nature is everything. i didnt like to see the farmers lumped into a category of ppl who 'should learn to put up with wildlife'. its just absurd. if the bins are full and you got grain on the ground that is a good problem to have!

sorry for hijacking!

Ummm... Your somewhat right...except 90% of farmers that have elk in the yard think the world is coming to an end.... You obviously have no clue what's going on. Maybe your a farmer??? Well so are most of my friends and family... And most don't have the slightest clue about game management and wildlife winter migration and population densitys. As It seems you don't...



Our province has gone down hill abruptly the past 10 years. Even 5 years ago I could go for a drive in the evening and see 4-6 bucks around 180 and at least one 190-200+

Then the winters hit... And the "bow hunter craze" seems like everyone North of Calgary got the hint and headed north. Hunter pressure played a MASSIVE role in the decrease of trophy deer. Winters will always happen and the strong survive. But no one can survive a 300% increase in hunters.



So just for clarification, the peace country has been beaten and bruised beyond repair....


Though it is looking better since the archery draw "thank god!"

[saskwildlife]

I would have to disagree with you saying that I dont have the slightest clue about game management. I guess you do though, which is why you were condescending. I speak from my own experiences from where i am from and its not suprising they differ from yours.
what is the success rate of said bowhunters?

[Berta]

Originally Posted by saskwildlife

I would have to disagree with you saying that I dont have the slightest clue about game management. I guess you do though, which is why you were condescending. I speak from my own experiences from where i am from and its not suprising they differ from yours.
what is the success rate of said bowhunters?

Lol, sorry. That's the issues lots of the time. We are all talking about specific areas and things we witness. The % I do not know. I do know if one year you have say 200 bow hunters you will kill X amount of deer. And next year you have 2000 bow hunters you will kill Z amount of deer.... Z will always be greater than X

[H380]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

Some farmers think the have a deer epidemic cause 5 deer hung around their unprotected bails for a few weeks..... This time of year you will see every deer in the entire area concentrated where ever has good feed.

I am glad there are lots of deer some places. Deer are a part of the landscape they belong in this province and country. Not to mention they are delicious and good organic protien. Farmers should just learn to protect their harvested crops and put up with the wildlife. IMO its a small price to pay for taking up all that habitat. If there are too many at times give out some extra permission and make someones day.

You say it's a small price to pay for taking up the habitat ? Sorry , but the land is where the farmer is making a living . Maybe share this attitude with a land owner when you ask permission next year .

[The Spruce]

Originally Posted by Berta

Ummm... Your somewhat right...except 90% of farmers that have elk in the yard think the world is coming to an end.... You obviously have no clue what's going on. Maybe your a farmer??? Well so are most of my friends and family... And most don't have the slightest clue about game management and wildlife winter migration and population densitys. As It seems you don't...



Our province has gone down hill abruptly the past 10 years. Even 5 years ago I could go for a drive in the evening and see 4-6 bucks around 180 and at least one 190-200+

Then the winters hit... And the "bow hunter craze" seems like everyone North of Calgary got the hint and headed north. Hunter pressure played a MASSIVE role in the decrease of trophy deer. Winters will always happen and the strong survive. But no one can survive a 300% increase in hunters.



So just for clarification, the peace country has been beaten and bruised beyond repair....


Though it is looking better since the archery draw "thank god!"

I 100% agree with this. I have hunted the peace for a lot of years now. The quality has tanked. Very few bucks get a chance to mature now. It is almost as bad as it was before the draw system was in place. The bow hunting draw will help immensely...with a couple mild winters, 2017-18 would be the time to draw again.

Spruce

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by H380

You say it's a small price to pay for taking up the habitat ? Sorry , but the land is where the farmer is making a living . Maybe share this attitude with a land owner when you ask permission next year .

Are you a farmer?
Not suggesting to let wildlife populations get out control and cause a farmer not to make a living. The land is where the deer ( the publics deer) make their living to though, and i dont know any farmers standing in a bread line cause some deer are making their living on his farm land. Urban sprawl is not the only reason for habitat loss. In much of Alberta thousand of acres of bush is converted to farmland every year and that land becomes very attractive to ungulates, are they just supposed to flock off now cause its farmland? I know a few farmers that are always complaining about deer and elk but dont let anyone or very few hunt their land btw. Also know farmers that shoot deer and elk whenever they are fed up with them, and dont eat them either. Thats a waste ( and illegal) and could have really made some hunters year to have shot legally.
There is also compensation programs for depredation.

[H380]

Yes I am a farmer , as if that should make a difference . In your original post you make it sound like wildlife should come first over people . Some farmers do indeed have the idea that wildlife has no place in the scheme of things and truly hold them in contempt , so much so that all available ground is tilled and roads and ditchs are cultivated right up to the edge of the pavement .I disagree with those practices as do many of Albertas other farmers . These are often times large scale farmers , here in the south it is largely colonies that are the culprit and I will agree with you that these things should be stopped . As for the rest of us , show a little respect when lumping all landowners into the same pot because we aren't all like that and do provide spots for critters to live and grow . So that is why I take offense when I am told to " live with the problem " . ..do you report those who supposedly shoot deer and elk and leave them to waste ? I would . sorry for being a part of the major de-rail .. Where do you think is best for a giant muley ?

[pchunter]

Best place for a chance at a big mule deer will not be the same for all hunters. For me the zone has to meet some criteria.
- Must have decent deer population
- Must be within a reasonable driving distance so I can afford to scout and hunt said zone
- Must have decent land access, It is a lot easier when you already have some limited access private land to begin with.
- Hunting season must fit well with work schedule.

It will always be a gamble when choosing what year or zone to apply. If we were to see a major drought this year, a lot of deers will not be able to reach the potential no matter what the genetics.

[purgatory.sv]

Originally Posted by Predator

If you had enough priority to get drawn anywhere in the province, where would you want to draw. Why?

I believe your question.

Have you gotten information?

I am at 4 but I am only looking for fun not mass??

I have been looking in the 300 and 400.

[Buck_Hunter]

If any of you folks with high priority are serious about big mule deer down south (south of calgary) send me a pm as I would be open to share my knowledge with anyone from the north or that hunts the north (north and east/southeast of edmonton) as I am looking to hunt antlered moose and whitetail this upcoming season. I am a priority 6 for moose so am hopeful of being able to get drawn in a descent zone for a mature bull, just not sure where yet and have very little experience or knowledge of anywhere north of Calgary but I know thats where I need to go. The whitetail down south are pretty dismal to say the least, im not going to even waste my time down here anymore on them. Where their are whitetail in the south they are majorilly protected, in my expierence. I've put hundreds of km on my boots this spring looking for muley sheds and have found several bucks that will be big mature deer this season. I am also a priority 7 for mule deer and may pull the trigger on drawing for a couple zones down here. For the guy that commented on mule deer being stupid I dont think he's ever purused a truly mature muley buck, not as easy as some make it out to be, at least where my boots take me. Also, I don't bother with any of the zones that are still general for archery. Thanks

[BorealBucks]

All the big mule deer will be shot by farmers on posted land where there is leftover grain.

[bb356]

Originally Posted by BorealBucks

All the big mule deer will be shot by farmers on posted land where there is leftover grain.