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08-12-2020, 04:14 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 87
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Question on Antlered Mule Deer
Hey all,
I tried to search the answer but I failed. Hopefully this isn't a stupid question that will get hefty flames my way. I think I read and understood this correctly, but always nice to get some feedback.
I am going to be hunting WMU 515 this year. I'm referring to pg 54 of the online 2020 regs. In the Mule deer section, there is no special licence black box in the Antlered Mule Deer in 515. My interpretation is that I can buy this tag (GM-Resident Mule Deer Licence - 2020) and use it to hunt only an antlered mule deer from Sept 1 to Nov 30 (rifle):
Keep in mind I've never purchased a general mule deer tag and just want to make sure what I read is correct. I've hunted whitetails and know of spots I'd hunt in the area. Just noticed this and thought, if possible, I can add a deer tag to my pocket.
Please let me know and thanks.
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08-12-2020, 04:39 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 689
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Yes from what I see in the regulations you are right. There is a general Antlered Mule deer season that runs from Sept 1-Nov 30th.
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08-12-2020, 04:41 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 184
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Definitely not going to flame you for asking a question; thats what a forum is for! I hate the holier-than-thou answers, "you should really read and/or check the regs!"
Anyhow. I just referenced iHunter, and it does appear there's General Mule season from S1-N30 is 515 for rifle. Archery opens A25-31 (smallest archery season I've seen I think).
Good luck!!
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08-12-2020, 04:51 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 87
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Awesome thanks!!! Now all I need is one to walk out with a rack so big it can't walk straight. I will help alleviate his severe neck and upper back pain
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08-12-2020, 06:35 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BowIsland
Posts: 449
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Our group have been hunting that zone for moose for a few years now an when we started we bought mule deer tags. We soon learnt that it was a waste of money because if there are mule deer in that zone they were not where we were hunting.
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08-12-2020, 08:04 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: in the pines
Posts: 1,156
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macee
Our group have been hunting that zone for moose for a few years now an when we started we bought mule deer tags. We soon learnt that it was a waste of money because if there are mule deer in that zone they were not where we were hunting.
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And with this said, if you dont buy the tag, you are almost guaranteed to see one!!! Just buy the Tag, I’d rather waste a little money than waste an opportunity!
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08-12-2020, 08:46 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Posts: 922
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boonedocks
And with this said, if you dont buy the tag, you are almost guaranteed to see one!!! Just buy the Tag, I’d rather waste a little money than waste an opportunity!
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Think of it as a donation to conservation
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08-13-2020, 08:15 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Calgary AB
Posts: 2,702
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macee
Our group have been hunting that zone for moose for a few years now an when we started we bought mule deer tags. We soon learnt that it was a waste of money because if there are mule deer in that zone they were not where we were hunting.
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There would not be a MD season if there was not enough MD to support a sustainable harvest. Good moose habitat is not always good MD habitat, so you may not have seen many MD while focusing on moose.
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08-13-2020, 08:16 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 92
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boonedocks
And with this said, if you dont buy the tag, you are almost guaranteed to see one!!! Just buy the Tag, I’d rather waste a little money than waste an opportunity!
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Exactly my thoughts and how I work, can't harvest an animal if you don't have a tag. I look at it as an insurance policy sort of way, rather have it than not, and if required than I'll use it.
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08-13-2020, 08:27 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BowIsland
Posts: 449
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AB2506
There would not be a MD season if there was not enough MD to support a sustainable harvest. Good moose habitat is not always good MD habitat, so you may not have seen many MD while focusing on moose.
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Exactly I'm not saying there are no mule deer in that zone just not in the area we were hunting.
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08-14-2020, 11:47 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 117
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Or SRD doesn't want a MD population in that WMU so they leave it on general season
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08-14-2020, 05:38 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,619
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0 shot in 2018 2 in 2019 according to the harvest report.
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08-14-2020, 08:20 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 10,208
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AB2506
There would not be a MD season if there was not enough MD to support a sustainable harvest. Good moose habitat is not always good MD habitat, so you may not have seen many MD while focusing on moose.
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By the same metric, Alberta could have a sustainable general season Caribou hunt in the Prairie zones.
Kind of surprised we don't....
__________________
Alberta Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Policy -
"to identify very rare, scarce or special forms of fish and wildlife outdoor recreation opportunities and to ensure that access to these opportunities continues to be available to all Albertans."
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08-14-2020, 09:53 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,281
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AB2506
There would not be a MD season if there was not enough MD to support a sustainable harvest.
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You don’t honestly believe that do you? It’s called a money grab. Maybe not in the case of 515 because I’ve never hunted there and have no idea on the numbers of Mule deer in the zone but in the case of 518 for instance, there are definitely not enough to support a sustainable harvest. Well, if that harvest is zero or close to it then I suppose there is. In 7 years of trudging from one end of the zone to the other I’ve seen a grand total of 4 Mule deer in all my travels. Each one of those deer were in the same general area and outside of that I haven’t seen even one. None of the guys I hunt with have seen any other than right around or on Suncor Base Plant.
But, do I still buy a tag? Sure I do. Every year that I’m not heading down south on a draw hunt. Why not? It’s cheap and out of the 4 Mule deer I’ve seen only 1 was a buck, but he was a good one and in an area I could have shot him unfortunately it was a week before the opener.
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11-18-2020, 12:46 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TEE
Hey all,
I tried to search the answer but I failed. Hopefully this isn't a stupid question that will get hefty flames my way. I think I read and understood this correctly, but always nice to get some feedback.
I am going to be hunting WMU 515 this year. I'm referring to pg 54 of the online 2020 regs. In the Mule deer section, there is no special licence black box in the Antlered Mule Deer in 515. My interpretation is that I can buy this tag (GM-Resident Mule Deer Licence - 2020) and use it to hunt only an antlered mule deer from Sept 1 to Nov 30 (rifle):
Keep in mind I've never purchased a general mule deer tag and just want to make sure what I read is correct. I've hunted whitetails and know of spots I'd hunt in the area. Just noticed this and thought, if possible, I can add a deer tag to my pocket.
Please let me know and thanks.
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Hi Tee,
I got part of next week off and am planning on doing general mule deer hunt up in wmu 515 as well. How did your hunt go? Would you recommend any 515 for mule deer?
Any info is appreciated! Thanks
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11-18-2020, 01:21 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,914
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AB2506
There would not be a MD season if there was not enough MD to support a sustainable harvest.
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HaHa. I know a few folks who wasted a bull elk draw with that philosophy.
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11-18-2020, 02:17 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 87
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HunterTonio
Hi Tee,
I got part of next week off and am planning on doing general mule deer hunt up in wmu 515 as well. How did your hunt go? Would you recommend any 515 for mule deer?
Any info is appreciated! Thanks
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Never got a tag, ended up spending my time looking for a Bear. Didn't see any mulies or caribou either.
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11-19-2020, 08:05 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 752
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AB2506
There would not be a MD season if there was not enough MD to support a sustainable harvest. Good moose habitat is not always good MD habitat, so you may not have seen many MD while focusing on moose.
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If there is any sort of a caribou population then they are trying to get rid of every other species so their precious caribou survive
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11-19-2020, 08:11 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 10,208
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A bit of information to use in determining if F&W allows for a general Mule Deer season in 515 because it is "sustainable"....
It seems pretty clear that the only reason there is a general season, is because there are basically no Mule deer in the unit.
A quote from the 2018/19 Aerial survey report.
"Locations of both moose and white-tailed deer in 2015 were found to be distributed throughout
the survey area (Figure 2 and 3) with higher densities associated with upland deciduous habitat
types.
Historically mule deer and elk have not been observed in WMU 515.
Other species that were documented during the survey woodland caribou, sharp-tailed grouse and wolves."
Hunter Harvest estimates
2012 - 0
2013 - 0
2014 - 0
2015 - 0
2016 - 13
2017 - 11
2018 - 0
2019 - 2
I suspect the formula used to estimate harvest was inaccurate for a couple of years.
__________________
Alberta Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Policy -
"to identify very rare, scarce or special forms of fish and wildlife outdoor recreation opportunities and to ensure that access to these opportunities continues to be available to all Albertans."
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11-19-2020, 08:25 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: edmonton
Posts: 3,116
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If your willing to go to 516 I shot one there last year just North east of Calling Lake. Must be a few around as the landowner told me they are a pest to him.
__________________
" Everything in life that I enjoy is either illegal, immoral, fattening or causes cancer!"
"The problem was this little thing called the government and laws."
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