Elk advice

[1ba40]

I would like to do an Elk hunt this fall but have no idea where to go. I was thinking north of Calling Lake or Gran Prairie, but not sure. Any help would be appreciated.

[35 whelen]

IF I was you I would do some research on this form ,lots of old info on here on where to go SADDLE HILLS

[dalewig]

Highly unlikely someone is going to point you towards a good spot on the forum.

You can look up elk harvest statistics per WMU to give you a idea, also I use google earth a ton to try and find likely spots. Even better, try and find some time to get out this summer for a hike and look some areas over, look for rubs/wallows...

Good luck

[st99]

I will give you the same advice I give to everyone.

Hunt as close as possible to your home. Scout year round, every weekend if possible, keep a close eye on the herd. Get to know all their beds, travel routes and feeding areas. The more you know, the higher your success rate.

Or you can do like a lot of people, go far from home, wing it, and maybe kill and elk every 10 yrs.

[Sooner]

Elk are south of Calling Lake in the farm lands and on draw. I hunt 1 zone northeast of calling lake and even though I am told a herd was transplanted there 30 yrs back( and some swear they are there) but I have never seen one and I know this zone well. Don't recall a open season either NE of calling lake. Tough to get permission in the farm lands.


Elk can be found further west towards Fawcett Lake but in crown/farmland.


GP would be the better bet for crown land elk. More general tag wmu's. I have never hunted there but as mentioned, lots of info if you search the forum.

[YegFishing]

Originally Posted by Sooner

Elk are south of Calling Lake in the farm lands and on draw. I hunt 1 zone northeast of calling lake and even though I am told a herd was transplanted there 30 yrs back( and some swear they are there) but I have never seen one and I know this zone well. Don't recall a open season either NE of calling lake. Tough to get permission in the farm lands.


Elk can be found further west towards Fawcett Lake but in crown/farmland.


GP would be the better bet for crown land elk. More general tag wmu's. I have never hunted there but as mentioned, lots of info if you search the forum.

Are you talking about the lake Fawcett Lake or the village of Fawcett ? I hunt 511 and have only ever seen one elk track there. I assume they are there? I have found an elk herd half hour west of Spruce Grove, so they are there but they are on private land and getting permission there is tough.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Almost 50% of the elk shot each year in Alberta are in the Grande Prairie/Peace River area. If you want lots of elk and lots of hunters go North young man.

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by YegFishing

Are you talking about the lake Fawcett Lake or the village of Fawcett ? I hunt 511 and have only ever seen one elk track there. I assume they are there? I have found an elk herd half hour west of Spruce Grove, so they are there but they are on private land and getting permission there is tough.

The lake and back towards Smith, a friend hunts elk there but at the farm/crown edges as they know a bunch of land owners.

[1ba40]

Thanks for the response, I wasn't looking for someone's specific spot just some advice is all on the province. There was an Elk spotted north of Fort McMurray last fall which is interesting in itself. I'm going to try the Gr P area I think.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Sooner

The lake and back towards Smith, a friend hunts elk there but at the farm/crown edges as they know a bunch of land owners.

Ha it used to be ok up there
Now it’s the Indy 500 with all the road hunters
Land owners aren’t to fond of non locals

[rk4]

Boy does GP ever take a pounding during elk season, there must be other places to hunt elk out there no?

[IAMhunt]

Originally Posted by 1ba40

Thanks for the response, I wasn't looking for someone's specific spot just some advice is all on the province. There was an Elk spotted north of Fort McMurray last fall which is interesting in itself. I'm going to try the Gr P area I think.

I will set give you some good elk spots (public lands) east of GP, near BC border , with low numbers of hunters , don't mind sharing as I hunt west of the BC -ALBERTASTAN BORDER ,

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by IAMhunt

I will set give you some good elk spots (public lands) east of GP, near BC border , with low numbers of hunters , don't mind sharing as I hunt west of the BC -ALBERTASTAN BORDER ,

Hmmmm east of gp near the bc border???. Elk are where you.find them. If your looking for a mature bull south of gp is where I would start. If not pull into crown land and start walking. When you find what/ tracks you know Elk have been there. If you can't find either move to another spot. Scouting for Elk is half is half the fun. Don't expect to get one in the first year or 6 but once you have an area figured out getting onto Elk is not magic. Just be prepared for lots of time spent and miles of hiking and remember not filling a tag is not wasted time if you learn something about elk

[finner-duramax]

Originally Posted by rk4

Boy does GP ever take a pounding during elk season, there must be other places to hunt elk out there no?

Agreed, I stopped hunting up that way and found another elk spot 3 hours south. Way less people and lots of elk.
The mass of people up in the GP area is crazy once rifle season opens, its discouraging to say the least!

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Ha it used to be ok up there
Now it’s the Indy 500 with all the road hunters
Land owners aren’t to fond of non locals

Yup, his friend grew up there. Best possible in you can have.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Sooner

Yup, his friend grew up there. Best possible in you can have.

Good job increasing the amount of road hunters at your friends, friends hunting spot

Good thing there's lots of fish and wildlife around there all the time.

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Good job increasing the amount of road hunters at your friends, friends hunting spot

Good thing there's lots of fish and wildlife around there all the time.

I don't hunt there and as far as I know, they hunt his farm lands off tree stands not pick ups but I don't doubt there is traffic out that way.

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by rk4

Boy does GP ever take a pounding during elk season, there must be other places to hunt elk out there no?

You would think, but there is a lot of old information still floating around about when things were much better. People drive past a lot of of elk to hunt in gp, which in my opinion is over exploited. I would not hunt anywhere I could not revisit and regularly familiarize my self with. If you don’t hunt and scout yr around you are just relying on blind luck.
A lot more deer south of gp these days too.

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

Hmmmm east of gp near the bc border???. Elk are where you.find them. If your looking for a mature bull south of gp is where I would start. If not pull into crown land and start walking. When you find what/ tracks you know Elk have been there. If you can't find either move to another spot. Scouting for Elk is half is half the fun. Don't expect to get one in the first year or 6 but once you have an area figured out getting onto Elk is not magic. Just be prepared for lots of time spent and miles of hiking and remember not filling a tag is not wasted time if you learn something about elk

Ya, he must have meant west. He is from BC so he is eager to share on the world wide web cause it doesnt affect him. Mighty neighbourly....

[Barry D]

Thanks for the response, I wasn't looking for someone's specific spot just some advice is all on the province. There was an Elk spotted north of Fort McMurray last fall which is interesting in itself. I'm going to try the Gr P area I think.

Just by chance, do you think maybe the info was they spotted a caribou instead of an Elk?

[IR_mike]

Originally Posted by Barry D

Thanks for the response, I wasn't looking for someone's specific spot just some advice is all on the province. There was an Elk spotted north of Fort McMurray last fall which is interesting in itself. I'm going to try the Gr P area I think.

Just by chance, do you think maybe the info was they spotted a caribou instead of an Elk?

I think there are elk in just about every WMU in Alberta.....some just don't have very many.

[Jays toyz]

I live 30 minutes from saddle hills and have spent over 100 hours looking for elk in them there hills and have only ever seen 3. I have however seen dozens everywhere else at various times. Wiley buggers are where you find them. Full disclosure,.I am a successful deer and bear hunter but I am only going into my 3rd year of trying to get an Elk.

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by Barry D

Thanks for the response, I wasn't looking for someone's specific spot just some advice is all on the province. There was an Elk spotted north of Fort McMurray last fall which is interesting in itself. I'm going to try the Gr P area I think.

Just by chance, do you think maybe the info was they spotted a caribou instead of an Elk?

There is a good chance it was a caribou, a lot of folks think there are caribou in down town jasper. Lol

I understand you are not asking for specific spots but know this, when you come up you are gonna see a lot of hunters, and for most of the season. Dam near every pull out is gonna have a camp in it. The hwys are full of traveling hunters for months. When you are calling elk you will often get hunters. When drive in the dark to a predetermined spot for the morning there is a good chance that someone is already there or shows up while your hunting there. It’s gonna have an effect on your success and the short time that your here.
I work as an oil field surveyor in the bush 300 plus days a year and go hunting every chance I get and find it hard myself sometimes. This area is over hunted, and full of people. FULL!
Hunters ask me all the time when I run into them, “ where are all the elk, I haven’t seen any elk, I heard GP was full of elk”

If I didn’t live here I likely wouldn’t hunt here because it can be at times a zoo. And I’ll add this , the deer population on crown land here is pooched too cause everyone that comes here for “all the elk” plunk every doe and baby buck they see so they don’t go home empty handed. Know all this before you come here. There are elk scattered across the country side in pockets all the back to Edmonton and Calgary too. Put out some cams, scout yr round and you will find them.