WMU 328,429 and 330 Changes

[338Bluff]

Did anyone catch that in the draw book? These WMUs will be archery only until NOV 1. Is that an NDP hangover? Mixed feelings on this one. I bowhunted 332 west of 22 for years until it got annexed into 330 and then totally destroyed. It will be nice to go enjoy the area again. However, all that area west of the river? Big early season opportunity loss for rifle.
Maybe I'm missing something??

[fatboyz]

Do you have a link to the new draw booklet, it's not on the my wild Alberta site yet?

[bluetick]

Originally Posted by 338Bluff

Did anyone catch that in the draw book? These WMUs will be archery only until NOV 1. Is that an NDP hangover? Mixed feelings on this one. I bowhunted 332 west of 22 for years until it got annexed into 330 and then totally destroyed. It will be nice to go enjoy the area again. However, all that area west of the river? Big early season opportunity loss for rifle.
Maybe I'm missing something??

You are slightly confused < there only thing i see different will be no antlerless until nov 1st other than that its open Sept 17 for rifle in 330.

[Nyksta]

The month of November will have better opportunity now in the area. For years during September and October every back road in the area had convoys of road hunters for 'early opportunity' rifle hunting. It will be a good hunting zone again when the season has equal dates with all the other wmus nearby.

[elkoholik]

Originally Posted by bluetick

You are slightly confused < there only thing i see different will be no antlerless until nov 1st other than that its open Sept 17 for rifle in 330.

The Antlered elk is also closed for general until Nov. 1, I hope people look at the draw book and regs as I think there will be quite a few illegal elk killed this fall.

[sheep]

From what I'm seeing, the antlered whitetail season is not affected, meaning it will open Sept.17..... which will make these zones even worse. I hope thats a mistake, if elk and antlerless whitetail are closed for rifle till Nov.1 so should antlered whitetail.

[bluetick]

Closing the season until November only makes the zone ready for war , Now your cramming 1000 guys into 3 weekends and a few days that once took 2.5 months of hunting pressure .
Not a good scenario ,. Accidents will happen .

[sheep]

I feel like the reason it always got an unbelievable amount of hunting pressure was because it opened early for rifle. If it changes to no rifle till november for anything it should distribute people out with the same opportunity in 324, 332, 337, 318 etc. Virtually all the surrounding zones didn't open for rifle till Nov.1 anyway.

[bluetick]

Originally Posted by sheep

I feel like the reason it always got an unbelievable amount of hunting pressure was because it opened early for rifle. If it changes to no rifle till november for anything it should distribute people out with the same opportunity in 324, 332, 337, 318 etc. Virtually all the surrounding zones didn't open for rifle till Nov.1 anyway.

The biggest difference is 330 is mostly crown land and forestry as the others are a majority of habitated farmland I am assuming .

[tonnage]

Originally Posted by fatboyz

Do you have a link to the new draw booklet, it's not on the my wild Alberta site yet?

It's on http://albertaregulations.ca/

[Nyksta]

Originally Posted by bluetick

Closing the season until November only makes the zone ready for war , Now your cramming 1000 guys into 3 weekends and a few days that once took 2.5 months of hunting pressure .
Not a good scenario ,. Accidents will happen .

People drove long distance to get to 330 for the early season because the wmu closer to their home is closed for rifle during September and October time. Shutting down the early season is going to do exactly the opposite of 'ready for war'

Originally Posted by sheep

I feel like the reason it always got an unbelievable amount of hunting pressure was because it opened early for rifle. If it changes to no rifle till november for anything it should distribute people out with the same opportunity in 324, 332, 337, 318 etc. Virtually all the surrounding zones didn't open for rifle till Nov.1 anyway.

+1 the antlered whitetail season should get pushed to November as well.

[slough shark]

Can’t speak to all the zones but I’ve hunted 326 for a number of years, the number of deer is a fraction of what it used to be, hopefully this leads to more deer going forward in future years. It was a good move to shut down the supplemental tag in those zones a year or 2 ago and this helps even more. Want to get those seasons back up kill some wolves there boys.

[338Bluff]

Originally Posted by bluetick

You are slightly confused < there only thing i see different will be no antlerless until nov 1st other than that its open Sept 17 for rifle in 330.

If you read the changes at the the front it says GENERAL season November 1. Look at the tables at the back and it shows the early General season. They could have been a little clearer.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

The month of November will have better opportunity now in the area. For years during September and October every back road in the area had convoys of road hunters for 'early opportunity' rifle hunting. It will be a good hunting zone again when the season has equal dates with all the other wmus nearby.

Agreed 100%. I often used to take freezer deer from 330 in days gone by. Where I hunted was crawling with deer. Now it only crawls with convoys of hunters, wolves and cougars. IMO, they got this call right. Time for a reboot.

[338Bluff]

Originally Posted by 338Bluff

If you read the changes at the the front it says GENERAL season November 1. Look at the tables at the back and it shows the early General season. They could have been a little clearer.

Never mind. I'm wrong. Put on my glasses and read the full size version. The late elk opener is a head scratcher. Who wants to be out bow hunting, wearing camouflage in that early deer season gong show??