Suffield

[Gabriel S.]

We got our cows on the first and second day. We went NWA South, the N part could not be accessed due to road conditions.

[Drewski Canuck]

A very tough first day on the base. Alot of trails are completely drifted in Very little elk movement and N WA walk in conditions are extreme deep snow in the low spots. Hoping for a better day tomorrow

Drewski

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

A very tough first day on the base. Alot of trails are completely drifted in Very little elk movement and N WA walk in conditions are extreme deep snow in the low spots. Hoping for a better day tomorrow

Drewski

I trust u took your snowshoes. At least then you can access the areas u want to. Still going to be fun getting a kill out of there. Best of luck. Take lots of pictures as u don't see those conditions all that often.

[Gabriel S.]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I trust u took your snowshoes. At least then you can access the areas u want to. Still going to be fun getting a kill out of there. Best of luck. Take lots of pictures as u don't see those conditions all that often.

Actually don’t take pictures. Taking pictures in the military base falls under federal law. You can get in a lot of trouble.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Gabriel S.

Actually don’t take pictures. Taking pictures in the military base falls under federal law. You can get in a lot of trouble.

What a load of twaddle. I have hunted Suffflield, Primrose and Wainwright as well as shot skeet and played golf on a large number of bases. No one has ever objected to taking pictures. It isn't like you are even near the actual installations, you are taking pictures in the middle of a field that looks the same as 10000 other acres of Bush and field.

[Gabriel S.]

You do you I’ll do me. National Defence Security Policy says otherwise.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Gabriel S.

You do you I’ll do me. National Defence Security Policy says otherwise.

It makes no more sense than non toxic shot for upland birds while the military shoots tons of ammunition containing lead, but it's their facility, so they get to make the rules.

[thumper]

Their house, their rules.
Be a polite guest, - or they just might say "frig it, we don't need guests"

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by thumper

Their house, their rules.
Be a polite guest.

I have actually asked when hunting Wainwright, have always been told no problem to take pictures. Next one of you that hunt Suffield, ask them at the briefing, I will be very surprised if there are any restrictions of taking pictures in the field. Only sensitive issue was taking pictures of guard houses, perimeter defences etc. Look at the ton of pictures by civilians and news crews that are taken every year at airshows on bases. Your idea that you can't take pictures doesn't add up to what is actually happening. That said, if they told me no pictures, I wouldn't take any.

[Chip]

I have hunted both bases. Wainwright allows you to take photos of your animal where you have downed it. And by the looks of some posts, photos of animals in general. As of the last time I hunted Suffield(January 2020), photos of anything and anywhere were strictly forbidden except for a “designated photo area” at the check out station.

[Lefty-Canuck]

It’s true, photos on Suffield are strictly prohibited. When I work there I have to leave my phone in my car or lock it up on the base in whatever building I am working in.

LC

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

It’s true, photos on Suffield are strictly prohibited. When I work there I have to leave my phone in my car or lock it up on the base in whatever building I am working in.

LC

Very interesting. It is 35 years since I hunted Suffield, interesting that their rules are now so different than Wainwrighr.. Based on what you guys have said i amend my suggestion to take pictures to do it only in the off base roads. Would still like to see what the road and haul out conditions look like.

[Simplefarmer]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Very interesting. It is 35 years since I hunted Suffield, interesting that their rules are now so different than Wainwrighr.. Based on what you guys have said i amend my suggestion to take pictures to do it only in the off base roads. Would still like to see what the road and haul out conditions look like.

I am very interested in your hunt there 35 years ago ? To my knowledge, there was never an opportunity to access the base until the cull of the elk.

Jim

[atka]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Very interesting. It is 35 years since I hunted Suffield, interesting that their rules are now so different than Wainwrighr.. Based on what you guys have said i amend my suggestion to take pictures to do it only in the off base roads. Would still like to see what the road and haul out conditions look like.

What did you hunt 35 years ago? The elk are the only hunting that has ever happened on Suffield according to them. They are on their ninth year according to the briefing. And yes they say no pictures right in the briefing every morning.
That’s another difference I have heard wainwright does in briefing on the first day suffield does it every motioning.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by atka

What did you hunt 35 years ago? The elk are the only hunting that has ever happened on Suffield according to them. They are on their ninth year according to the briefing. And yes they say no pictures right in the briefing every morning.
That’s another difference I have heard wainwright does in briefing on the first day suffield does it every motioning.

Wainwright has briefing every day.

[simpatico]

How the hunt going and I know bulls are there but are you seeing anything that would make someone use a high priority tag?

I’m sitting at a 9.

Thanks
Tony

[JonC]

Originally Posted by atka

That’s another difference I have heard wainwright does in briefing on the first day suffield does it every motioning.

Wainwright does a full briefing the first day for each season. Each morning after that, you get an update briefing which is short (5-10 mins). Basically any important information from the previous day's hunt or important changes. They will also do a full briefing for anyone who had not received it due to being late or was not there for the first day of the hunt but only after the main group has been released.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

[Faststeel]

Originally Posted by atka

What did you hunt 35 years ago? The elk are the only hunting that has ever happened on Suffield according to them. They are on their ninth year according to the briefing. And yes they say no pictures right in the briefing every morning.
That’s another difference I have heard wainwright does in briefing on the first day suffield does it every motioning.

If you had a close relative in the Military some times, you could get hunting access for deer during the regular season, not a well advertised practise 35 years ago.....FS

[Drewski Canuck]

Day 1: 9 elk. (More get hit on the highways around there) Blowing snow had alot of the trails completely impassable. Taking Hussar to Badger and then Kangaroo Rat to the NE corner, I cut TWO sets of tracks on the north boundary. That's about 60 km of driving one way.

Day 2: 16 elk most from NWA. A big herd was caught by some hunters in the NWA who filled 2 tags pretty quick. After the shooting, the NWA herd went deep. Again did the drive up Rattlesnake to Badger to Kangaroo Rat. Still blown in and still no tracks. Center of the base is devoid of any life other than hunters.

South West side out of bounds had about 2K all day across the line, and another herd of about 300 up against the highway out of bounds for the full day. A number of hunters sat there all day watching. A herd did cross the highway west onto Grazing Lease land, and a number of First Nation Hunters who could not get on the base in the morning were able to give chase. One of the FN hunters we talked to said his friends got 33 over a few mile chase.

Did see about 30 in a draw a couple of miles away and at 3:00 PM started the chase. Tops of hills was calf deep until you stepped into a Badger hole hidden by the snow crust and dropped to your knee. Happened a few times. Herd started slowly going over hills to the north. Ran out of time, walked back in areas of knee deep snow crust about 4 miles.

Day 3: Went back to SE Corner, big herd out of bounds all morning. My Friends Rick and Raj Found a group of about 100 in an off limits area about 1/2 mile from Rattlesnake and Beaver, and we sat there all afternoon for them to move. As I sat there, a piece of metal I picked up somewhere on the roads, caused my tire to go flat!!! I had a long drive back and a couple of commitments to keep so I packed it in at 2:00 PM.

After I left, the herd in the out of bounds started walking north and were caught by about 12 trucks. Some of the First Nations Hunters who had driven from Onion Lake, Saskatchewan, dropped quite a few of them. Rick and Raj got a shot as well, so they were happy.

My friend Darren was able to get back into the NWA and found a herd of about 120 and closed his tags on a couple of yearlings.

Don't know what the final number was on last day, but for the next group expect that the herds will be big, will not be moving and will be sitting in out of bounds areas, or areas that are walk in only. If there is no chinook, walking is pretty tough, and the crust is heavy and the snow in low spots is deep.

Do not expect to drive alot of trails. Where a cut is made out of a hill for a road, the snow is as high as a truck from the overdrift. Oil roads are being bull dozed, and are then drifting in. Double Track is solid snow and deep.

Snow shoes and walking poles are a must, or maybe cross country skis??? If you do go for a stalk / walk. you will need a very good sled for recovery.

Drewski

[Rather Be Hunting]

At least you got out for the hunt Drewster
Sounds like quite the trip!
RBH

[atka]

Got my one and only at the end of lancer in South NWA. Saw a heard of about 15 bulls some decent ones in it. They where about 3 to 4 km from where we got drive on lancer.

The last day there was a heard running by Mule deer in the NWA and about 10 or so elk were dropped there that morning. From talking to some guys it was a big heard of around 1000.
Also on the main base by rattle snake about 7 or so elk were dropped when I was driving out about 4. They are there just have to be right place right time. Seemed I was always about 10 to 30 minutes to late to get the easy action on the heards.

The North is deep south is sorta ok but it does have deep snow. Was in to me knees when gutting my elk.

[Rocky14]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

Day 1: 9 elk. (More get hit on the highways around there) Blowing snow had alot of the trails completely impassable. Taking Hussar to Badger and then Kangaroo Rat to the NE corner, I cut TWO sets of tracks on the north boundary. That's about 60 km of driving one way.

Day 2: 16 elk most from NWA. A big herd was caught by some hunters in the NWA who filled 2 tags pretty quick. After the shooting, the NWA herd went deep. Again did the drive up Rattlesnake to Badger to Kangaroo Rat. Still blown in and still no tracks. Center of the base is devoid of any life other than hunters.

South West side out of bounds had about 2K all day across the line, and another herd of about 300 up against the highway out of bounds for the full day. A number of hunters sat there all day watching. A herd did cross the highway west onto Grazing Lease land, and a number of First Nation Hunters who could not get on the base in the morning were able to give chase. One of the FN hunters we talked to said his friends got 33 over a few mile chase.

Did see about 30 in a draw a couple of miles away and at 3:00 PM started the chase. Tops of hills was calf deep until you stepped into a Badger hole hidden by the snow crust and dropped to your knee. Happened a few times. Herd started slowly going over hills to the north. Ran out of time, walked back in areas of knee deep snow crust about 4 miles.

Day 3: Went back to SE Corner, big herd out of bounds all morning. My Friends Rick and Raj Found a group of about 100 in an off limits area about 1/2 mile from Rattlesnake and Beaver, and we sat there all afternoon for them to move. As I sat there, a piece of metal I picked up somewhere on the roads, caused my tire to go flat!!! I had a long drive back and a couple of commitments to keep so I packed it in at 2:00 PM.

After I left, the herd in the out of bounds started walking north and were caught by about 12 trucks. Some of the First Nations Hunters who had driven from Onion Lake, Saskatchewan, dropped quite a few of them. Rick and Raj got a shot as well, so they were happy.

My friend Darren was able to get back into the NWA and found a herd of about 120 and closed his tags on a couple of yearlings.

Don't know what the final number was on last day, but for the next group expect that the herds will be big, will not be moving and will be sitting in out of bounds areas, or areas that are walk in only. If there is no chinook, walking is pretty tough, and the crust is heavy and the snow in low spots is deep.

Do not expect to drive alot of trails. Where a cut is made out of a hill for a road, the snow is as high as a truck from the overdrift. Oil roads are being bull dozed, and are then drifting in. Double Track is solid snow and deep.

Snow shoes and walking poles are a must, or maybe cross country skis??? If you do go for a stalk / walk. you will need a very good sled for recovery.

Drewski

Day 3: 40 elk taken from various locations in and out of the NWA's (65 total for week 2).