Suffield Jan 11 to 13

[leaffan]

Heading to SUFFIELD on the 11, my friend and I have bull tags. Do not know what the weather will be like or road conditions so if there are hunters planning on being there for this hunt maybe we could swap some phone numbers between ustto help one another out. RE stuck truck, mechanical problem etc. PLEASE pm me if interested

[slopeshunter]

^^^ great idea!

[hockeynut]

We'll be there Jan 27 - 29.

[Dean2]

Man I hope it warms up for you guys before the hunt starts. Hooking up with others is a very good idea. Most tow companies won't go off of plowed, regularly maintained roads to do a recovery, and the base staff aren't allowed to help. Make sure you have shovels, tow straps etc. A sharpened axle shaft to pound into the frozen ground is a good idea too because there isn't much for trees to winch or run a come along to.

[hookset]

Unable to help you this year.

Thought Id post that I was down there a few years ago in mid January in -35 conditions and had success. Got on elk multiple times a day and got my bull.

Elk were herded in the thousands and active in the cold.
Driving around glassing you could see the heat from herds of elk rising above them. Couldn't see the elk as they were out of sight but the heat waves rising up gave them away. Keep that in mind as it was a big help.

Good luck

[Dean2]

For you guys going out, Sundance posted a great idea. Take a 4 man ice tent, put it up over the elk when you shoot it, put on a buddy heater, nice warm spot out of the wind to clean the elk. I have put my blind over deer with the heater on in -40 to clean them. Worked really well but it isn't big enough to fit over an elk or moose. An ice fishing tent would be perfect or even a slightly larger blind.

[NINJABABY]

I don't have a tag but have a WILL and the truck and winches, ice fishing tents, heater etc.

Will I be allowed to tag along with some hunter as a helper?

I live in Edmonton and have over 30 elk and moose under my belt and some under the -52C temp

[wolfhunter]

I am also going down on the 11-13 and have a cow elk tag. I would have never of thought of using a tent and heater to cut up your animal. You definitely do learn some useful tips on here.

[newdrenalin]

Originally Posted by Dean2

For you guys going out, Sundance posted a great idea. Take a 4 man ice tent, put it up over the elk when you shoot it, put on a buddy heater, nice warm spot out of the wind to clean the elk. I have put my blind over deer with the heater on in -40 to clean them. Worked really well but it isn't big enough to fit over an elk or moose. An ice fishing tent would be perfect or even a slightly larger blind.

That's an awesome idea

[Jims83cj5]

Originally Posted by Dean2

For you guys going out, Sundance posted a great idea. Take a 4 man ice tent, put it up over the elk when you shoot it, put on a buddy heater, nice warm spot out of the wind to clean the elk. I have put my blind over deer with the heater on in -40 to clean them. Worked really well but it isn't big enough to fit over an elk or moose. An ice fishing tent would be perfect or even a slightly larger blind.

You know that almost 100 % of the elk at Sufield this time of year are shot in the restricted area right.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Jims83cj5

You know that almost 100 % of the elk at Sufield this time of year are shot in the restricted area right.

I do. I also know anytime we walked in we pulled a sled as u need something to pull the meat out on. No big deal to put a large blind or ice tent and heater on the sled. A lot easier to drag out a boned out or well quartered animal than a whole one gutted. Also gives you somewhere to have lunch and warm up mid day so you don't have to walk back out and in again.

[Mb-MBR]

Originally Posted by Dean2

For you guys going out, Sundance posted a great idea. Take a 4 man ice tent, put it up over the elk when you shoot it, put on a buddy heater, nice warm spot out of the wind to clean the elk. I have put my blind over deer with the heater on in -40 to clean them. Worked really well but it isn't big enough to fit over an elk or moose. An ice fishing tent would be perfect or even a slightly larger blind.

I've never thought of that............now I have to look for a Boxing Week sale.....thanks!!

[DirtShooter]

Originally Posted by Dean2

For you guys going out, Sundance posted a great idea. Take a 4 man ice tent, put it up over the elk when you shoot it, put on a buddy heater, nice warm spot out of the wind to clean the elk. I have put my blind over deer with the heater on in -40 to clean them. Worked really well but it isn't big enough to fit over an elk or moose. An ice fishing tent would be perfect or even a slightly larger blind.

Great idea, learning new things is why I am on this forum.

[Dean2]

For those of you looking for ice tents, there are a bunch for sale here on AO, Fishing gear section. Also, Kijiji has a bunch and Costco and CT sell a couple of pretty inexpensive models.

[stob]

heat waves and a tent ... great ideas

[big zeke]

The tent is a good idea, in 2015 when on a bison hunt in Zama, we had planned to set up our wall tent to give us a warm, lit place to gut an animal. With the frame kit we can usually set one up in 15 mins, propane light and heat to follow. Getting out of the wind and having elbow room is invaluable.

Ended up shooting one first afternoon winched him to the truck and had a fella with a small picker hang him while gutting.

[Dean2]

Looks like you guys might get lucky temperature wise. Looks like they are forecasting +6 for Monday and +8 for the following days next week. Hope you have a great hunt.

[CanadianEh]

Anyone have any idea what the snow is like out there.

Last few years have been not much aside from a few road drifts here and there.

Thanks

[wolfhunter]

Originally Posted by CanadianEh

Anyone have any idea what the snow is like out there.

Last few years have been not much aside from a few road drifts here and there.

Thanks

X2

[Sledhead71]

Originally Posted by CanadianEh

Anyone have any idea what the snow is like out there.

Last few years have been not much aside from a few road drifts here and there.

Thanks

The area really has not seen much snow, there may be a few inches but the drifts will be hard.

Good luck to all.

[wolfhunter]

I talked to someone in the gas station in Ralston. They said that there is barely any snow on the base.

[CanadianEh]

Awesome...

I checked the highway camera .. looks like they got a blast of snow the last few days? highway from Gleichen to med hat looks to be partially snow/ ice covered.

[Evan83]

Its going to be warm this week. Roads will be sloppy.

[Phil McCracken]

Whatever the weather/road conditions...Good Luck!...

[Chief27]

Looking forward to hearing about this all pans out

[lone wolf]

Originally Posted by Evan83

Its going to be warm this week. Roads will be sloppy.

Plus 7 in Med hat today, hopefully the roads & trails on the base aren't too wet. We hunted in October and it rained all Thursday night and a good part of Friday. Circle roads were in terrible shape and Rattlesnake (main road out) was a nightmare by the end of the day. Good luck to everyone out there.

[Jimmyd]

Any news how first day went

[CanadianEh]

Got drawn in the NWA north. On base in the first row group.

We spotted a heard of 4 or 500 off west mle deer road, like 4 miles west. But that's where good things end. The area directly west of the north nwa is out of bounds closed area right now. Along with that most NWA roads running north/south, aside from mule deer were also closed for access. So you couldn't get close to the heard without walking 4 or so miles across wide open terrain.

We decided to head east of mule deer on a hike, and as we got out of the truck heard shots over the ridge behind us. Drove back over the hill to see a few fellas dispatching a nice 6x6 bull. Just a dumb luck encounter for them driving up and down mule deer road.

As it turns out as we left the base, so far 28 had been taken. Only 3 from nwa north and 3 from nwa south. All of the rest were well outside the wildlife areas and server different parts of the base.

We got skunked, but will be back full of hopes for Tomorrow.

[wolfhunter]

Was there yesterday and around 10:30 saw one young cow bedded down on a hill near easy lake. Drove up a little and stalked her from on top. And got close enough that she got up, and that was that. Boy did it make for tough shooting with that wind. Might go back tomorrow.

[Jimmyd]

Anybody know the numbers taking of the base over the last three days.
How did morning orientation go.