ISO Advice - Hunting around Calgary

[Sritzer]

Good day all. Appreciate the acceptance to the outdoorsman group. My family and I have recently relocated to Calgary for work. As an avid hunter I am interested in chatting with someone willing to give straight advice re:regs and areas (specifically thinking south west), hunting culture in AB and what to be careful of. I’ve been hunting for over 20 yrs If you’re willing to grant me an hour I’ll buy the coffee. Much appreciated.


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[Tronneroi]

Head to Canadian tire and pick up a copy of the regulations, pour over that first. Get the ihunter app and pay for the yearly subscription. This will show you all the lease land in the province. You can also purchase county landowner maps through the app for more information.

Any crown/lease within 2 hours of the city will be heavily hunted and leases can be difficult to get on. Private land can be even more difficult.

What area SW are you thinking of?

[Dubious]

Waiparous/ghost 414/416. Watch out for all the other hunters these zones see a lot of pressure. Enjoy!

[oilngas]

what part of the City r u in.

[Sritzer]

Originally Posted by Tronneroi

Head to Canadian tire and pick up a copy of the regulations, pour over that first. Get the ihunter app and pay for the yearly subscription. This will show you all the lease land in the province. You can also purchase county landowner maps through the app for more information.

Any crown/lease within 2 hours of the city will be heavily hunted and leases can be difficult to get on. Private land can be even more difficult.

What area SW are you thinking of?

Yes have all that. I can see the land but wanted the advice about how saturated so that’s great to know. Now that I see how much risk there may be I may look down towards crowsnest perhaps?


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[Sritzer]

Originally Posted by oilngas

what part of the City r u in.

I’m in Signal Hill in the west end


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[Sritzer]

Originally Posted by Dubious

Waiparous/ghost 414/416. Watch out for all the other hunters these zones see a lot of pressure. Enjoy!

Much appreciated. I’ll keep that in mind!


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[Sritzer]

Originally Posted by Tronneroi

Head to Canadian tire and pick up a copy of the regulations, pour over that first. Get the ihunter app and pay for the yearly subscription. This will show you all the lease land in the province. You can also purchase county landowner maps through the app for more information.

Any crown/lease within 2 hours of the city will be heavily hunted and leases can be difficult to get on. Private land can be even more difficult.

What area SW are you thinking of?

Maybe 402? Seeing how concentrated some of the bush will be close to the city. The forestry road in 402 seems far enough it won’t have the one day hunters... maybe...


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[KazIce]

Welcome to the city!

I have grown up hunting here; but I took a few years off and last year was my first regular season in some time. SW has some great hunting; but the pressure is nuts now. I went to 304 once on opening day, I have many fond memories hunting there in my teens. I got there 1.5 hours before sunrise and moved to the top of the hill. Saw so many trucks coming in it was like traffic on Macleod trail. Hunters were everywhere and the pressure was so intense. People love the SW for the elk. Honestly I absolutely hated it. Never went back.

I hunt Northwest of Calgary and enjoy it far more. I don’t hunt zone 318; but it’s on my radar. Lots of crown land and good harvest rates for white tail there.

It will take some work but if you can find a landowner SW of Calgary who doesn’t let too many people on their land you will love it. The challenge is, lots of people trying to get on their land so it will likely take some time.


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[Sritzer]

Originally Posted by KazIce

Welcome to the city!

I have grown up hunting here; but I took a few years off and last year was my first regular season in some time. SW has some great hunting; but the pressure is nuts now. I went to 304 once on opening day, I have many fond memories hunting there in my teens. I got there 1.5 hours before sunrise and moved to the top of the hill. Saw so many trucks coming in it was like traffic on Macleod trail. Hunters were everywhere and the pressure was so intense. People love the SW for the elk. Honestly I absolutely hated it. Never went back.

I hunt Northwest of Calgary and enjoy it far more. I don’t hunt zone 318; but it’s on my radar. Lots of crown land and good harvest rates for white tail there.

It will take some work but if you can find a landowner SW of Calgary who doesn’t let too many people on their land you will love it. The challenge is, lots of people trying to get on their land so it will likely take some time.


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Interesting. I guess I can see that. Easy to get to. Lots of camping etc. Ok thanks! I’ll check out the NW and see what options there are up there! Much appreciated.


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[Dubious]

Originally Posted by Sritzer

Maybe 402? Seeing how concentrated some of the bush will be close to the city. The forestry road in 402 seems far enough it won’t have the one day hunters... maybe...


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LOL! That place is also busy not as busy as 304/305 but busy. Here’s the skinny on hunting around Calgary. To far south in the 300/400 zones and your into the Lethbridge guys, around Calgary it’s busy that’s just how it is it’s the biggest city in Alberta your going to have to get used to that on public land walking off the road it dosnt get a lot better everyone with a backpack and 2 legs and the same idea as you thinks there’s less people in the back 40 but you end up with all those guys, north of that you run into the red deer/rocky/sundre hunters north of that the Edmonton guys....

If you want to not see anyone else prepare to get setup for a multi day over night trip. 5km off the trunk road may not be enough your going to have to throw some elevation gains in there to thin the crop of other hunters out and you have to remember that some guy with a light pack can out walk you on his day trip vs you with a heavy pack on a over nighter or someone with a quad will slip in there and just not care about bans. 308 is a gong show 310 same thing. You need to get out there in hunting season when everyone else is and develop your spots and styles and see how busy it is. 2 trucks and a partner can make through hikes viable where same day start and end hunts wouldn’t be on the same route.

This is the reality of hunting with in 3 hours of 1.5m people. Hope that helps out a bit it’s going to be up to you to pick a zone and just giver try it out and see how it works the game is out there.

[Sritzer]

Originally Posted by Dubious

LOL! That place is also busy not as busy as 304/305 but busy. Here’s the skinny on hunting around Calgary. To far south in the 300/400 zones and your into the Lethbridge guys, around Calgary it’s busy that’s just how it is it’s the biggest city in Alberta your going to have to get used to that on public land walking off the road it dosnt get a lot better everyone with a backpack and 2 legs and the same idea as you thinks there’s less people in the back 40 but you end up with all those guys, north of that you run into the red deer/rocky/sundre hunters north of that the Edmonton guys....

If you want to not see anyone else prepare to get setup for a multi day over night trip. 5km off the trunk road may not be enough your going to have to throw some elevation gains in there to thin the crop of other hunters out and you have to remember that some guy with a light pack can out walk you on his day trip vs you with a heavy pack on a over nighter or someone with a quad will slip in there and just not care about bans. 308 is a gong show 310 same thing. You need to get out there in hunting season when everyone else is and develop your spots and styles and see how busy it is. 2 trucks and a partner can make through hikes viable where same day start and end hunts wouldn’t be on the same route.

This is the reality of hunting with in 3 hours of 1.5m people. Hope that helps out a bit it’s going to be up to you to pick a zone and just giver try it out and see how it works the game is out there.

Yes. Thanks for the information. I understand hunting within proximity to mass populations and the challenges that come with it. My last two postings were Houston and Ottawa. This group has been very helpful. Look forward to hearing great stories and advice. I guess my next step is to find a range as well which seems harder than a good hunting spot haha


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[KazIce]

Originally Posted by Sritzer

Yes. Thanks for the information. I understand hunting within proximity to mass populations and the challenges that come with it. My last two postings were Houston and Ottawa. This group has been very helpful. Look forward to hearing great stories and advice. I guess my next step is to find a range as well which seems harder than a good hunting spot haha


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Rosebud range is a fantastic facility west of the city. I was tempted to get a membership, but I don’t go shooting enough for it to make sense. I like to go shooting on crown land a few times a year and bbq while I do it. It’s a fun family day. I built targets that I hammer into the ground so I can get the ranges I want.

One cool thing to note about rosebud is that they do a hunter sight in day just before the season opens costs a few dollars. If you are looking just to sight in it’s a great way to do it without having to search for a place on crown land. If you know your going to shoot twice a month I’d highly recommend rosebud.


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