Remember the good old days

[Smokinyotes]

Woke up this morning and made myself a coffee. I thought I better start looking at the draw summaries and decide what I’m going to apply for this year.

I remember back in 1979, I was 14 years old and had my first general moose tag. Never had even heard of something like “hunting draws”. Then for the next few years I bought my General whitetail, mule deer, elk, and moose tags. I was usually pretty successful and even filled all my tags a couple years.

Now I’m not positive on the dates but I think around 85 or 86 draws were introduced. I can remember the anticipation of sitting by the phone and the second 9:00a.m rolled around you were dialling. **** it’s busy. Hit redial over and over and over. Then after trying for a couple hours and giving up. A couple days later you start the process over. After a few failed attempts you finally get an answer. This was so exciting. You follow the prompts and at the end you hear “your draw application is now complete”

After what seemed like eternity you could phone to get your draw results. So at 9:00 am you start dialling. **** it’s busy. After many failed attempts you wait till later in the day or next few days and finally get through.

You carefully punch in your WIN number to get the results. I remember hearing those words “successful” and thinking “woohoo” we are going moose hunting. Back then where we hunted you could usually be drawn on a priority zero or one.

Fast forward to the early nineties and draw priorities started to increase and instead of going hunting each year with 4 moose tags we sometimes only had two.

Then as priorities increased we were only hunting moose every other year so had to start to get strategic on planning our hunts.

Back to drinking my coffee this morning and looking at the 2020 summary.

Hmm let’s see, I’m a priority 2 for antlered moose. As I scroll through page after page I now see the areas we like to hunt are now a minimum of priority 5. Well I guess I will just “999” that.

Ok now it’s antlerless elk, oh crap I’m only a one. Guess I will just “999” that as well.

Geez I haven’t shot an antelope since 2010. Sure would be nice to go on a antelope hunt again. I’m a P10. Well after looking through the summary looks like I pretty much need to be a minimum of a P11 to even have a chance. Well I guess that will get the “increase priority only” as well.

On to antlered mule deer. If I’m going to hunt anything other than Whitetail this fall I really need to get drawn for mule deer. Well I’m a P3. There are a few places where I could get drawn, just not the areas I like. I guess I will have to talk to my hunting partners and see what the heck we are going to do.

After reminiscing about the good old days it makes me wonder what hunting will be like in another 30 years.

[nimrod]

I hear you on all your points you made, same here, your telling my story.

[sns2]

Nice walk down memory lane.

Memories are the best!

The other day when you butt dialed me, I got to thinking about the day Smokinyotes and his wife were supposed to meet up with me cuz you was looking for a horned moose. I vividly recall sitting against some trees waiting for an unhorned moose to come out of the bush that Gboe8 was pushin. In the crystal clear cold crisp air, 200 ish yards away, I hear "crack, crack, crack," and look up at this big bodied, horned moose come running right towards me. He stopped broad side at about 50 yards and let me watch the sun glistening off his jet black hump. My mind quickly turned to the nice guy on AO who was supposed to join us that morning.

[Jim Blake]

Originally Posted by nimrod

I hear you on all your points you made, same here, your telling my story.

Same here. I remember buying a General Moose Tag for five bucks LOL. I do feel lucky to have participated in what I call the best of times.

30 years from now certainly won't be any better.... if there is much opportunity for hunting at all. Very unfortunate if that is the case!

[sns2]

Everything in this dang world is changing so fast. Wish we could turn back time for some things.

[58thecat]

I would just buy my moose tag and grab my bow and off I go.....fill the freezer....but now I apply and pay additional to hunt with a bow....go figure eh

Oh well I was in and got draws applied for etc and out in 5 minutes real easy like so that was a bonus.

[Smoky buck]

I also remember game numbers being much higher too even going back only 15years. With less game of course opportunity is dwindling. The area I hunt white tail now I hunted over 15years ago with a long break in-between. Both overall numbers and number of mature deer is way down compared to when I first hunted the area

Some conservative management was needed as numbers decided. But what is also needed is steps to help game numbers increase beyond hunting regs. Different species and different areas experience different issues so not going to throw out blanket solutions. Things like weather we also can’t control and issues like winter kill make a huge impact on numbers

Hunters need to consider what factors are impacting game numbers in their area and consider what they can do regarding these issues. Everyone can point fingers at what is wrong and what we think government should do but we also need to consider the small things we can actually do as hunters. We can all complain about how things are going and focus on what we don’t have control over but it doesn’t help

The wife and I have decided this winter we will put effort into hunting wolves. Our area has a high predator population and I have come across a fair number of kill sites well scouting. We live close to our deer hunting area so we will be able to contribute a reasonable amount of effort into it. I am not expecting to make a huge impact but it is better then doing nothing

Hunters need to consider if we want to see a positive future we need to find ways to give back to the game/areas we hunt. This maybe getting involved in organizations that lobby government and run programs to help game populations or find small things you can do on your own

Only way things change is if you decide to do something

[ruffy71]

I remember "draw-less hunting". So many places you could go where you'd never bump into another soul, much less another hunter.

Provincial campgrounds were never full, never reserved, you just pulled in and picked a spot, firewood was plentiful and free.

Yeah, not very often, but some things were actually better in the past.

[Big Grey Wolf]

It appears our hunting is going the same as our walleye lakes in Alberta. We never practised much conversation like fishing in their spawning streams and insisting on taking home a cooler of fillets.
Also we have a very large younger sportsman population in Alberta with lots of jingle in their pockets to buy 4x4,s and quads.
Access with more roads, in old days game could retreat back in bush to get away from 2 legged predators.

[slopeshunter]

Yes, the good old days. I also miss those nice metal tags we used to use lol

[hal53]

Back in the 70's you were allowed to buy 3 of the 4 general tags for White tail, Mule deer, Moose and Elk. I could never figure that one out. If i recall correctly cow Moose and cow Elk were on draw in the Brazeau area around that time as well....and then the population explosion hit once the Oilsands got going

[badbrass]

Originally Posted by slopeshunter

Yes, the good old days. I also miss those nice metal tags we used to use lol

And all the stamps!!!!!!!

[elkhunter11]

I remember the three point mule deer restrictions, and planning draws with friends , when there was no 999 option. I remember a coworker swearing, because he applied for moose and elk, when you could only apply for one or the other, so they disqualified him from both draws. You could draw the Camp Wainwright primitive license almost every year, and pronghorn every three or four years. With archery, you could pretty much hunt what you wanted, where you wanted with no draw.
They have idiot proofed the draws, so you can only apply for what you are eligible for now, and although 999 is gone, there is still a priority only application. The youth partner licenses are a nice addition that we never had before. And it's nice to be able to edit draw applications, rather than having to call and cancel the application and reapply.
So while many things were better years ago, there have been a few improvements over the years.

[270person]

Bought my first whitetail tag in 1972 at McLeods in Sask. $6. 3 deer zone tags in SE around Oxbow were $17.

Any private land not posted, and that was 80% of it, was wide open to hunt.

I think it was 1986 when I hunted west of Sundry with elk, mule deer, and maybe moose tags in my pocket purchased the day prior in Edmonton. If memory serves each was around $15 and were the steel band variation.

[pikergolf]

I got a Sage Grouse on the last general season they had. Late 70s or very early 80s. The guy that did the mount ruined it, I was young and looking to save a buck.

[Dean2]

Got my first hunting license in 1970. Wasn't old enough to drive on my own but my buddy, who also only had a learners, was a big guy and looked 18. We never once got asked for a drivers license. You had to be doing something REALLY outlandish for the RCMP to pull you over back then.

Un-posted land in Alberta meant you were welcome to hunt on it. There was very little posted land, the stuff that was you could almost always still get permission if you asked. There was also less than 1.6 million people in the whole province, 422,000 in Edmonton and 385,000 in Calgary, which meant very little population outside those two centres and the other cities. The massive rise in population has not improved the hunting, fishing or living conditions one bit.

[hehalta]

1979 was 16 yrs. old. Last year a general caribou tag was available in Alberta. Ancient history.

[straight]

Yea, I remember those days when ibex tag was only $6, and I could buy as many as I wanted to buy. It was in 2002,...not in Canada though...

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Got my first hunting license in 1970. Wasn't old enough to drive on my own but my buddy, who also only had a learners, was a big guy and looked 18. We never once got asked for a drivers license. You had to be doing something REALLY outlandish for the RCMP to pull you over back then.

Un-posted land in Alberta meant you were welcome to hunt on it. There was very little posted land, the stuff that was you could almost always still get permission if you asked. There was also less than 1.6 million people in the whole province, 422,000 in Edmonton and 385,000 in Calgary, which meant very little population outside those two centres and the other cities. The massive rise in population has not improved the hunting, fishing or living conditions one bit.

Ain't that the truth ^^^

[DiabeticKripple]

its interesting hearing the stories from the older folks (i said older, not old) since I started around 2013.

Seems like they have really been clamping down on the bow hunting the past few years, lots of general places are now draw.

[Salavee]

I guess I'm an old guy. Got my first hunting license in 1954 when BG Tags were $5.00 ea, Grizzly included.
... . About all we had to hunt in N Alberta was Moose, a few
Elk ,Mule deer and Bear. I Didn't see a Whitetail in these parts until about 1958. Saw my first one around Smith/Hondo area at that time. Lots of Mulies right around Spruce Grove then.

Those were good times. Lots of game, few hunters and miles of Prime habitat with few roads. Things progressively worsened from a hunting perspective from the time of the 60's oil boom , when lots of new roads and cutlines opened up a lot of new country. I remember when they opened the Fox Creek area. New roads and cutlines everywhere, and I swear there were two to four Moose per sq mile throughout that large area when it first opened up. Non -resident alien hunters could take two bulls for a short time around there.. Never did figure out why . It wasn't Wolves that decimated them.. it was easy access by hunters. Roads and cutlines mean easy year 'round travelling for all their major Predators as well.

South of Gr Prairie to the mountains was a literal Hunting and Fishing paradise for just about all BG species . Nearly every Creek held Grayling and the main rivers were home to a lot of big Bull Trout. Only two small roads cut through that whole country between the BC border east to the Simonette River and South to the Mtns .If it rained hard while back there you could count on on spending a couple of nights , at least. More if a Bridge went out.

Good times for sure with lots of great hunting opportunities for any and all who were interested in such things. Times, topography and Game populations have changed quite a bit in, what seems to me at this point, a very short time.

It's up to us to defend, with vigor, what remains.

[waldedw]

Yes I remember the good old days, got my first Alberta hunting license in 1974, 3 over the counter tags and away you go, we have hunted the same general area since the early 80's and I have watched the game numbers dropping on an annual basis.

IMHO if the draw system had not been initiated we wouldn't have hunting in Alberta today as there would be nothing left to hunt, my fear is that in 25 years from now hunting may be a thing of the past, it may not even take that long.

[nimrod]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

I got a Sage Grouse on the last general season they had. Late 70s or very early 80s. The guy that did the mount ruined it, I was young and looking to save a buck.

Same here, as I remember 1 week to shoot only 2, but 1 a day only , this was what I did, glad mine on on the shelf, at home.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Guys, we had lots more moose, and deer in good old days. However we have way more elk now especially in the Peace Country. When I first started hunting we had essentially no elk, now more are shot their than in rest of province.
Our foothill elk numbers are way down form good old days.

[charves]

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/50eb...ta-1995-11.pdf

On the topic of the past, here's an interesting Management Plan for Whitetail Deer from 1995.
It has some interesting info.!

[charves]

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/5e97...a-1989-11.pdfv

Here's the Mule Deer plan mentioned in the Whitetail Deer plan I just posted.

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by badbrass

And all the stamps!!!!!!!

I remember these well; where has the time gone and so fast....

[CMichaud]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Un-posted land in Alberta meant you were welcome to hunt on it. There was very little posted land, the stuff that was you could almost always still get permission if you asked. There was also less than 1.6 million people in the whole province, 422,000 in Edmonton and 385,000 in Calgary, which meant very little population outside those two centres and the other cities. The massive rise in population has not improved the hunting, fishing or living conditions one bit.

^This. We have no management plan to deal with unchecked human growth.

We seem to be trapped in a binary system that demands either growth or collapse. A more sustainable solution is what we need.

[Moosetalker]

Its a fact more moose hunters than moose in Alberta now.

And Roads Everywhere harder to find an area {other than some of the hyper far north or Foothills} where you can follow a trail you hiked a few hours on foot to a secluded hot spot the year before Only to find a new road cutting right thru the old honey hole not to mention finding it logged out.

[270person]

Originally Posted by CMichaud

^This. We have no management plan to deal with unchecked human growth.

.

Amendment to that if I may. We have no management plan to deal with 365 day per year hunters taking the easiest game to shoot. The ND's rushed into place 2019 act made things even worse.

I don't want to even think about what any new game management plans might be coming down the pipe.