Change white tail to draw and make Mulies general

[kokanee83]

At the risk of starting a fight I think its been a long time commin. I think most of you have noticed the drop in white tails and the rise in mulie populations. So much so in my area zone 254 and all surronding zones I among everyone else i have talked to in my searching have searched high and low for the last few weeks and have found little or none. Even in the summer months they are scarce. How many of you would be on board with switching seasons for a few years ie general mulie and drawn whitetail. Not to question the alberta government about how many animals of one species are left but i think the numbers are off

[sheephunter]

I think you'd find that varies wildly by WMU. The area we hunt, mulies were predominant 20 years ago and now almost non existent but whitetails are through the roof. It seems to go in cycles with available food, cover, farming practices...yada yada.

[gwh12]

I personally think alberta should adopt bc .regs and make whitetails general 4 pts or larger and mulies 3 pts or larger and still have draws where the populations are down. Been seeing way too many small bucks shot this year. Let them grow!!!!

[albertadave]

I personally think alberta should adopt bc .regs and make whitetails general 4 pts or larger and mulies 3 pts or larger and still have draws where the populations are down. Been seeing way too many small bucks shot this year. Let them grow!!!!

We had that in Alberta for years. It didn't work.

[bowhunter9841]

If you put mulies on a general tag in the rifle season, they would be extinct in 2 years! Damn things are so dumb when it comes to gun fire!!

[Rancid Crabtree]

I suspect the strong mule numbers are because it is on a draw, at least that would be true assuming your area sees much hunting pressure.
How about this leave the mule on draw, trim the buck tag #s in some areas.
Scrap the WT supp doe tag, issue a general WT doe tag and put WT buck on draw.
The draws allow for the tag numbers to be controlled by WMU which allows to factor hunting pressure into the equation.
If the above senario resulted in a WT over population it would be easy to issue the tags and deal with that.

[NIKON]

I personally think alberta should adopt bc .regs and make whitetails general 4 pts or larger and mulies 3 pts or larger and still have draws where the populations are down. Been seeing way too many small bucks shot this year. Let them grow!!!!

I talked to a C.O. about this, he said every 2 point in the country got shot and left...... It doesn't work, they tried it years ago

NIKON

[airbornedeerhunter]

If you put mulies on a general tag in the rifle season, they would be extinct in 2 years! Damn things are so dumb when it comes to gun fire!!

Agreed, I walked to within 20 feet of a mulie doe group this fall, they just stood there and stared at me, even when they decided to leave they just slowly walked down the road looking back at me. Smart like tractor!

[finner-duramax]

Screw that

[aulrich]

No point requiremnts, they don't work all you end up with is extra screwed up buck/doe ratios and forkhorns with 3" bases, think back to 304 and 305 when it was still general.

[HunterDave]

If you put mulies on a general tag in the rifle season, they would be extinct in 2 years! Damn things are so dumb when it comes to gun fire!!

x3 They're as smart as a fence post.

[GoodTimes]

Cant wait til Packhunter weighs in on this one lmao

[Don K]

Seriously??:snapoutofit:

The reason your not seeing whitetails is because of the 3 tags guys are allowed to fill every year... Get rid of the sup tags and make guys choose either a buck or a doe and you'll see the numbers bounce back.

And leave the mulies alone. In some of the zones numbers are ok, but in others they're down and an open season would wipe gem out. Look at the CWD zones for an example of that... I'll wait my 5 years for gun, and bow hunt the years between.
:thinking-006:

[echo]

Agreed, I walked to within 20 feet of a mulie doe group this fall, they just stood there and stared at me, even when they decided to leave they just slowly walked down the road looking back at me. Smart like tractor!

Seen whitetails do the same !?

[Bobby B.]

I suspect the strong mule numbers are because it is on a draw, at least that would be true assuming your area sees much hunting pressure.
How about this leave the mule on draw, trim the buck tag #s in some areas.
Scrap the WT supp doe tag, issue a general WT doe tag and put WT buck on draw.
The draws allow for the tag numbers to be controlled by WMU which allows to factor hunting pressure into the equation.
If the above senario resulted in a WT over population it would be easy to issue the tags and deal with that.

This approach looks good to me.

Bobby B.

[archeryman]

This makes no sense at all!!!!!! A Whitetail doe produces 1-3 fawns a year. Usually 1 or 2. You shoot a doe and you eliminate more the following year. A Whitetail buck on average will breed 6-10 does! You need far less bucks to keep the numbers up. If you put whitetail does on general tags you are just asking for the population to diminish quickly!!!!!!


I suspect the strong mule numbers are because it is on a draw, at least that would be true assuming your area sees much hunting pressure.
How about this leave the mule on draw, trim the buck tag #s in some areas.
Scrap the WT supp doe tag, issue a general WT doe tag and put WT buck on draw.
The draws allow for the tag numbers to be controlled by WMU which allows to factor hunting pressure into the equation.
If the above senario resulted in a WT over population it would be easy to issue the tags and deal with that.

[fickell]

I think you'd find that varies wildly by WMU. The area we hunt, mulies were predominant 20 years ago and now almost non existent but whitetails are through the roof. It seems to go in cycles with available food, cover, farming practices...yada yada.

no problem with white tails here just ask the insurance companys

[BDAJ]

Funny that this got brought up. We were talking about it today. First off, do the eastern WMU's seem to be dropping in numbers of deer? Could it be due to the CWD and the culling that has happened in years past? Secondly, I am for a WT draw system. Even if it means a 2011 filled tag rsults in not being able to buy that tag again until 2013. That's what it has come down to in some zones for Mule Deer. We have had a year break between draws and the Muley population has been good. Now, the quality of deer is a different story. Also, I believe this should only be done in certain zones such as some 100's and the eastern side of the province. This could change the way we look at a 'good' WT buck as well. JMTC

BDAJ

[packhuntr]

If you put mulies on a general tag in the rifle season, they would be extinct in 2 years! Damn things are so dumb when it comes to gun fire!!

Yea, you bet, cause the "real smart" animals know that you have a gun in that pickup. They know what a pickup is, that its metal, has parts, needs lubrication etc etc. They also know that its a human that DRIVES that pickup, and that human is carrying a firearm, that propells bullets at long range LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!! Let me guess, you guys calling mule deer dumb as fence posts etc have some mule deer to show too hey?? Costs money to drink whiskey boys, lets see just how dumb those mule deer are, roll out the pictures fellas. Ought to be a few thousand inches of mule deer rolling in here for us to gawk at hey between the two of you LOL. Guys, these are open country animals, they use vision on a very high level. When those does are watching a precieved threat (you fellas) from a distance, knowing full well they are fast and can likely outrun you, especially with such seperation between you, thier first goal is to see what your move is before deciding on a direction to run... Do you pair of ying yangs think the deer knows a bullet is being spanked at them at 3000 fps as you intelectuals are hanging out the pickup window. You guys were the smartest in the class right, Id love to see those ultra stupid mule deer pics fellas, Im betting there will be at least some gross book stuff roll in here right quick hey?

No comment on the rest of the discussion, sorry for the derailing guys I cant help myself sometimes.

[J.B.]

Yea, you bet, cause the "real smart" animals know that you have a gun in that pickup. They know what a pickup is, that its metal, has parts, needs lubrication etc etc. They also know that its a human that DRIVES that pickup, and that human is carrying a firearm, that propells bullets at long range LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!! Let me guess, you guys calling mule deer dumb as fence posts etc have some mule deer to show too hey?? Costs money to drink whiskey boys, lets see just how dumb those mule deer are, roll out the pictures fellas. Ought to be a few thousand inches of mule deer rolling in here for us to gawk at hey between the two of you LOL. Guys, these are open country animals, they use vision on a very high level. When those does are watching a precieved threat (you fellas) from a distance, knowing full well they are fast and can likely outrun you, especially with such seperation between you, thier first goal is to see what your move is before deciding on a direction to run... Do you pair of ying yangs think the deer knows a bullet is being spanked at them at 3000 fps as you intelectuals are hanging out the pickup window. You guys were the smartest in the class right, Id love to see those ultra stupid mule deer pics fellas, Im betting there will be at least some gross book stuff roll in here right quick hey?

No comment on the rest of the discussion, sorry for the derailing guys I cant help myself sometimes.

LMAO thats funny...but i agree...ive seen mulies that ran from thier shadows and whitetails that stood and stared at me...

[hal53]

canj't comment on most areas of the province...but I can on 202, 232,234 and 200...been out there everyday...and I mean everyday for the last 8 years...never seen the deer numbers this pathetic.... have seen 1 decent Mule buck...and 1 not bad whitetail this morning...before legal light....Yes the cull had a lot to do with the Mule numbers, but followed by 2 bad winters they are in sorry shape. IMHO only , they should be all on draw for the next couple years....archery and general...Bow hunters are swacking whatever they see...and the supp's. are a joke....Ask Double Shovel on here about his discussion with SRD about 234....expect some major changes next year....

[antlerguy]

Muleys are just as dumb as whitetails. Big Deer regards of species are SMART. Smaller ones are of either species are just as dumb. I am not saying in every single situation, but for the most part.


Jason

[pottymouth]

At the risk of starting a fight I think its been a long time commin. I think most of you have noticed the drop in white tails and the rise in mulie populations. So much so in my area zone 254 and all surronding zones I among everyone else i have talked to in my searching have searched high and low for the last few weeks and have found little or none. Even in the summer months they are scarce. How many of you would be on board with switching seasons for a few years ie general mulie and drawn whitetail. Not to question the alberta government about how many animals of one species are left but i think the numbers are off

Increase in Mule deer population is just what this province needs, along with better management systems put in place for growing mature, monsters like Saskatchewan.

I don't believe for a second that there aren't any whitetails. They are like rats in this province. I do believe that higher calibre bucks are down, and harder to find. But not being able to shoot A whitetail in this province, just means either your not hunting hard enough or your pickey. This province could almost support 2 wt buck tags in a good chunk of area's. There are some area's that are suffering this year, but that happens every year.Some area's are infested too.

Shooting a small muley buck or doe, is no different than shooting a small whitetail buck or doe. Shooting a big muley is alot harder than shooting a big whitetail.

For all those guys that think muleys are dumb, Let me know when your draw is , I'd like to see your big dumber than fence post bucks.(actually now that I think about it, I 'd like to see what you shot this year, cause I haven't any pics at all)

[Rancid Crabtree]

This makes no sense at all!!!!!! A Whitetail doe produces 1-3 fawns a year. Usually 1 or 2. You shoot a doe and you eliminate more the following year. A Whitetail buck on average will breed 6-10 does! You need far less bucks to keep the numbers up. If you put whitetail does on general tags you are just asking for the population to diminish quickly!!!!!!

Umm whitetail is general in much of the province, and this year they issued 2 supp doe tags in many areas. Which gives each hunter 3 WT tags in many areas.
My suggestion would give a guy 1 general doe tag ( over the counter, not WMU specific). Then put WT buck on draw as a management tool to improve deer quality. See lower harvest to allow numbers to increase and draw bucks to increase quality.
The real point is to improve management by knowing what is harvested where, which is done currently in mule deer by draw tags and hunter surveys.
In many areas with lower hunting pressure you would have unsubscribed WT buck tags, allowing you to hunt them every year anyway, also the draw - undersubscribed system could serve over time to spread the hunting pressure around a little more.

[hal53]

Increase in Mule deer population is just what this province needs, along with better management systems put in place for growing mature, monsters like Saskatchewan.

I don't believe for a second that there aren't any whitetails. They are like rats in this province. I do believe that higher calibre bucks are down, and harder to find. But not being able to shoot A whitetail in this province, just means either your not hunting hard enough or your pickey. This province could almost support 2 wt buck tags in a good chunk of area's. There are some area's that are suffering this year, but that happens every year.Some area's are infested too.

Shooting a small muley buck or doe, is no different than shooting a small whitetail buck or doe. Shooting a big muley is alot harder than shooting a big whitetail.

For all those guys that think muleys are dumb, Let me know when your draw is , I'd like to see your big dumber than fence post bucks.(actually now that I think about it, I 'd like to see what you shot this year, cause I haven't any pics at all)
Yup...like to see a "dumb" 190" Mule Buck..... ain't gonna happen.....

[Mountain Guy]

I assume your kinda joking when u figure mulies should go general. X10 on the exctinct in a few years.
I say drop the supp wt tags for starters. Or how bout just 1 ?? Not sure why they think that some area's still warrant 2 Doe tags.
Combination of supp tags, bad winters,wolfs and cougars is starting to take its toll. Mind you the deer are still there...just have to work a little harder :)

[Bow flyman]

For the prairies, I would put both on a draw. In 3 trips this year to prairie zones I saw about 50 mule deer for every whitetailed deer. Mule deer are on a draw and whitetails are not. I did get my spiker meat deer on my final trip this year a few days ago, and he was the only buck I saw in those 3 days in November. Something must be done, because whitetailed deer numbers, as well as hunter success on them in prairie zones are dropping.

[HunterDave]

LMAO! There goes packhunter on his camera tangent again! You can't be a hunter if you don't have pictures eh? :lol: NEWSFLASH.....we're hunters not Japanese tourists.

Maybe the mulies are allot smarter down south but I doubt it. Around here the only reason there are any left is because F&W limits the number of tags and it takes 5 years to get drawn. Now why do you suppose that is? Put them on general with 2 sup doe tags and there'd be none left in the province in a couple of years. Face the facts packhunter, mulies are as dumb as mud and easy to hunt and that's why people drive around in their pickup trucks bowhunting them. :sHa_sarcasticlol:

[hal53]

WOW!!!!...no response required....

[Andrew_Arsenault]

Sure the numbers are down, but that means you just have to try alot harder and walk slit farther. I got a 140s mulie with my bow, a mulie Doe with my bow, a whitetail buck and doe with my gun. My wife got a mulie doe and a 155 mulie buck. My brother and 2 other guys shot decent whitetails. Not one of those deer came easy! I almost like the numbers being lower, most road hunters can't find the deer, and this results in way fewer deer getting killed. All our deer were in 110,108,305,300. Still seeing tons of deer!

[hal53]

Sure the numbers are down, but that means you just have to try alot harder and walk slit farther. I got a 140s mulie with my bow, a mulie Doe with my bow, a whitetail buck and doe with my gun. My wife got a mulie doe and a 155 mulie buck. My brother and 2 other guys shot decent whitetails. Not one of those deer came easy! I almost like the numbers being lower, most road hunters can't find the deer, and this results in way fewer deer getting killed. All our deer were in 110,108,305,300. Still seeing tons of deer!
Good for you...9 Deer...glad there is lots in your area....I think somebody's Sig line on here, "it's Alberta boys!!!! take everything you can"....just don't come on here whining next year that you and your buddies can't shoot a truckload of Deer..... unless of course there are tonnes in your area...just takes you longer to find one.....hmmmm...cause there are areas where they are damn few and far between......enjoy the last few days Guys and Gals....

[Andrew_Arsenault]

I wouldn't say lots. You really have to look for them. I think with populations the way they were, everyone got used to shooting, not hunting. Every deer now is that much more rewarding. Besides, when I started hunting 13 years ago, there were way less deer then now!

[ishootbambi]

sigh.......

thats all i have to say about that.

[sakogreywolf]

For the prairies, I would put both on a draw. In 3 trips this year to prairie zones I saw about 50 mule deer for every whitetailed deer. Mule deer are on a draw and whitetails are not. I did get my spiker meat deer on my final trip this year a few days ago, and he was the only buck I saw in those 3 days in November. Something must be done, because whitetailed deer numbers, as well as hunter success on them in prairie zones are dropping.

I would like to see both on the draw in the prairies as well.

[Giles]

How about for 2012 season you have to shoot a coyote Or wolf before getting your general whitetail tag!

[Andrew_Arsenault]

Love it!

[ovis40]

Agreed, I walked to within 20 feet of a mulie doe group this fall, they just stood there and stared at me, even when they decided to leave they just slowly walked down the road looking back at me. Smart like tractor!

If the "damn things are so stupid" you two must have several book bucks hanging on your walls...??

[Don K]

Yup...like to see a "dumb" 190" Mule Buck..... ain't gonna happen.....

Saw one yesterday 4x's... We were within 50 yards of him 3 of those times. He was so intent on the doe his was with he was oblivious to us... He was 195" all day long. Watched him breed the doe twice. Love makes us all blind! Lol!:sHa_shakeshout:

[spotnstockhillbilly]

what happens when i shoot upwards of 80 coyotes a year do i get more tags or hand them off to friends and family??............. just joking

but seriously i am not saying everyone but i have really noticed that everyone has been saying" the deer population is down!!!" no no its not just over the past two year we have had very good years for growth of cover and grass the deer are not where you figure they are or they are still there just get out of your gosh darn trucks and walk people!!!! If you hunting from a truck your goin to drive right past them 9 times out of 10. I have proven this to many this year once I had a friend out hunting and i watched him drive 30 yards away from this willow patch and he tried to tell me there wasnt anything in there because they didnt spook when he drove past. so i dare him to walk through it without his gun and told him he would be wishing he had his gun with him when he got back to the truck. I was right busted out a real nice 140 inch whitey along with 5 of his girlfriends. so please dont put out your opinion from your trucks point of view, if you have been out there wearing out a set of boots good on you and I ll take your opinion seriously.

[Don K]

I wouldn't say lots. You really have to look for them. I think with populations the way they were, everyone got used to shooting, not hunting. Every deer now is that much more rewarding. Besides, when I started hunting 13 years ago, there were way less deer then now!

Wow!! Glad you're feeding a family of 12!
Sorry, but Hal's right, guys like you have no concern for tomorrow... Hunt harder and fill ALL your tags. There's nowhere near the numbers of animals we had in the late 90's till 2009.
Get em all, cuz next year we may nit be able to! Yeeha!
:sign0176:

I'll honestly be happy when Dec 1st rolls around...

[ovis40]

Saw one yesterday 4x's... We were within 50 yards of him 3 of those times. He was so intent on the doe his was with he was oblivious to us... He was 195" all day long. Watched him breed the doe twice. Love makes us all blind! Lol!:sHa_shakeshout:

Saw a very large WT buck (with a doe) laying in the stubble 75 yards from the road.....STUPID THING!!! Maybe he was a hybrid, had the looks of a WT and the smarts of a Mule.

[Don K]

Ya, whiteys can get pretty stupid around a doe too... Wish I had a tag yesterday cause that buck'd be at the taxidermists now. Doesn't happen often, but even the big guys slip up.

[Dan Boone]

Just back from 526 area, wow!!!!
Thats about all i can say.
3 years ago, mule deer were every where.
2 evenings and 1 morning in 526 and my scouting ended with no intent to kill a mule buck i waited 3 years to draw.
Think we should lobby our government to open a season on the managers of our wildlife resource.

Last deer harvested or shot at was 2008.
Havent had an opportunity at a respectable deer since.
Whitie or mulie.

Scrap the supplemental tags, all bucks on draw. Wmu specific!
And northern alberta residents pray to the caribou gods that they either recover or become extinct. Only way your gonna have a deer recovery with this bunch of morons running the deer gong show!

Happy slaughtering to all who chose to assist srd with the removal of deer, moose, elk from caribou habitat!
And long live the slaughter on the sask border.


Flipping mismanagement is not justified when referring to our srd biologists!
Absolute failures to all of us who pay their wages!

My flippin 2 cent rant,
Dan

[HunterDave]

So what do you attribute your lack of deer sightings in wmu 526 to? Winterkill, hunters or a combination of both?

[Dan Boone]

Just a thought but would think the 1200-1500 doe tags issued there for past 3 years may have a little to do with it.

Its not just 526, spent half my season in 358 as well, deer mismanagement is obvious in most northern zones.

Then to boot a CO states Our biologists consider deer to be pests in caribou habitat. Wolves use deer as secondary food, so eleminate deer and the caribou will recover just fine.

My taxes, your taxes pay for this BS!

Why destroy one species to save another!
Better yet, lets kill all humans and let mother nature take care of herself!

Just out of curiosity, can anyone tell me how many mule doe tags were issued in 358 this year? No kidding here, i can not find it in tbe report!

Thanks
Dan

[fogducker]

yep have to agree with doe tags at least they should be on draw.the whitetail numbers seem to be way down this year from years past.dont have much for mule deer around here but the funny thing is they are on a general tag system.

[super7mag]

simple solution guys, put your 15$ into the coffer for supp tags, and DO NOT SHOOT ANY. Maybe( big maybe) the money would go to something useful. In the zones I hunt i have been doing a pile of hiking, I still say #s are down, Wt does you see singles and maybe a pair, muleys doe herds are maybe up to 4-5 in a group . Wt bucks are actually a fair number, but I would not classify them as trophy(depending who's behind the trigger) Muleys I have not seen anything better then a 170 all year, these are in zones where 5 years ago a 170 would be the avg. And bucks in the 180 gross were commonly harvested. Between the hard winter, Cwd fiasco, and givin out doe tags like candy I have a feeling it'll be a few years before herds recover.

[NBFK]

The funny thing is guys who say mulies would be extinct, would be the first ones to slaughter all those dumb does and fork horns. We are own worst enemies when it comes to management. The whitetails will bounce back and like mentioned the population runs on cycles. Packhunter that was a good response. I'm still looking for my dumb mulie for the wall. I would like a185" + so just let me know if you find one. Most guys who complain about the deer numbers probably hunt from their portable heated blinds and can't figure out why they can't shoot anything.

[Wolfegang]

all i can say is shoot all the coyotes and wolves you see when you are hunting!!! iv seen lots of white tales this year but even more coyotes! i have seen some big WT bucks this year and almost hit a couple with my pickup going to work right in city limits of st. albert and at the anthany henday overpass on gateway tonight! I think the two sup tags should be cut down to one. I never shoot does i like to think that the good genetics from all the big WT bucks will continue with the new born bucks and one day become monsters like there fathers.

[sheephunter]

Sure the numbers are down, but that means you just have to try alot harder and walk slit farther. I got a 140s mulie with my bow, a mulie Doe with my bow, a whitetail buck and doe with my gun. My wife got a mulie doe and a 155 mulie buck. My brother and 2 other guys shot decent whitetails. Not one of those deer came easy! I almost like the numbers being lower, most road hunters can't find the deer, and this results in way fewer deer getting killed. All our deer were in 110,108,305,300. Still seeing tons of deer!

Sounds like quite the year...congrats!

[sakogreywolf]

what happens when i shoot upwards of 80 coyotes a year do i get more tags or hand them off to friends and family??............. just joking

but seriously i am not saying everyone but i have really noticed that everyone has been saying" the deer population is down!!!" no no its not just over the past two year we have had very good years for growth of cover and grass the deer are not where you figure they are or they are still there just get out of your gosh darn trucks and walk people!!!! If you hunting from a truck your goin to drive right past them 9 times out of 10. I have proven this to many this year once I had a friend out hunting and i watched him drive 30 yards away from this willow patch and he tried to tell me there wasnt anything in there because they didnt spook when he drove past. so i dare him to walk through it without his gun and told him he would be wishing he had his gun with him when he got back to the truck. I was right busted out a real nice 140 inch whitey along with 5 of his girlfriends. so please dont put out your opinion from your trucks point of view, if you have been out there wearing out a set of boots good on you and I ll take your opinion seriously.

It is not uncommon for me to walk 5 miles in a day while hunting. Yes, the deer numbers are down.

[Redfrog]

Eastern units have fewer deer each year because F/W wants them ALLDEAD for CWD control. Why do you guys keep missing this point?
a couple years ago hunters howled because F/W did their aerial cull. Well you got all the tags you wanted with the supplementals and now hunters howl about the low numbers. When they are a zero the program will be a success. No deer means CWD. The areas will repopulate from the wmu's that still have deer and no reported cases of CWD. It's a plan in motion.

All the hand wringing and whining about low deer numbers hasn't stopped hunters from coming from other areas to hunt the eastern units to fill a bunch of supplemental tags. I've seen way more hunters this year than in past years.
If you want F/W to manage for better quality, then don't hunt the eastern units, because they are managing those units to get a zero population.

I've talked to local hunters who complain about the lack of deer but are packing 6 deer tags. What are you going to do with 6 deer. 'Well I give a bunch to my cousin ot uncle or ex wife or........."

I thought the numbers were down.

"Yeah but I have all these tags. I don't want to waste them."

[Pudelpointer]

Not sure if I want to get involved in this one, but here goes:

Deer numbers appear to be down in many areas of the province, while in some areas the numbers are still strong. Decided to fill a supplemental in 300 this year after watching 30+ WT does in one field. Decided to not fill a WT doe draw in 108 because I have not seen many at all (I know I could fill it, as there are still a few around, just want to see more next year).

In a couple foothills zones I have seen a huge number of mule deer. Every doe has one or two fawns. Lots of bucks (including a cranker I saw yesterday).

Not sure how I feel about supplemental tags. I buy them, and fill them (usually only one), but I would be fine with only having draws for antlerless.

As for muley bucks on general, yikes. As a former BC'er, let me suggest that ABs management of many species is light years ahead of BC. Antler restrictions are highly problimatic.

BC tries to have general seasons on all species, but tries to manage them like fish - with size limits. Unfortunately, it is hard to catch-and-release a deer or moose with a fist sized hole in its chest. I would guess that there are literally hundreds (even thousands) of deer and moose left to rot because of BCs antler restrictions.

I would like to see a few zones scattered around the province where WT were managed for bucks.

And Hal and Don, we know your strong opinions about what YOU believe is right and wrong; that no one needs more than one deer a year - how could anyone possibly eat more than that? Well, last year my wife and I ate 1 elk and 1 deer. Freezer is empty. I know that hunting is strictly entertainment for you guys, but for some of us it is the way we live.

Now the freezer has 1/4 moose, 1/2 elk (last night with Migrant Hunter:), and a WT doe. For the first year in many I am considering taking a bear in the spring, otherwise I will be staring at an empty deep freeze by June or July.

[Mountain Guy]

If the "damn things are so stupid" you two must have several book bucks hanging on your walls...??

Yes.....they are a smart critter all right :)

[Mountain Guy]

I have a video of this buck and 3 others playing with a doe. Watched and video'd while I waited for the 170'' wt that was hanging with them, to show up. He never did :)

[sheephunter]

Yes.....they are a smart critter all right :)

Cute buck but I'm guessing he's 60 inches away from book. We had a whitetail about the same age walk right up to us the other night while we were sitting the edge of a field. When I moved he spooked but came right back when I grunted. Pretty cool experience.

[Mountain Guy]

Cute buck but I'm guessing he's 60 inches away from book. We had a whitetail about the same age walk right up to us the other night while we were sitting the edge of a field. When I moved he spooked but came right back when I grunted. Pretty cool experience.

lol.... This cute guy almost jumped in the back of the truck! Wish I knew how to post video..... I agree BIG mulie bucks won't go exctinct....but you need these cutes to grow up to get into the BIG category.

[Mountain Guy]

I have a video of this buck and 3 others playing with a doe. Watched and video'd while I waited for the 170'' wt that was hanging with them, to show up. He never did :)

I also found it interesting that the big WT was sniffing around a bunch of mulie Does. Not a WT Doe to be found. Maybe we should allow 3 supp.WT Doe tags :confused:

[ChubbS]

I hunt 254 for whities every year and the mulie pop. is getting very large there.

[pottymouth]

Yes.....they are a smart critter all right :)

Wow, if that's your definition of a big dumb muley, .....lol I could you Show thousands of whitey pics like that......

Small bucks and does of both species are quite dumb...it's the big mature ones that should be judged.

[Mountain Guy]

Wow, if that's your definition of a big dumb muley, .....lol I could you Show thousands of whitey pics like that......

Small bucks and does of both species are quite dumb...it's the big mature ones that should be judged.

No..not my definition of ''big''..... more a definition of ''dumb''. Just took the pic the other day so seemed fitting for the subject.
But he's not ''small'' by some standards. Don't expect he'll survive the rest of the season to have a chance to grow big.
I would compare a ''big'' mule deer to have as much or even more intelligence than a big WT.
Scrub sizers ( like the one in the pic ) no comparison... Muiles are border line retarded in my books :)

[pottymouth]

No..not my definition of ''big''..... more a definition of ''dumb''. Just took the pic the other day so seemed fitting for the subject.
But he's not ''small'' by some standards. Don't expect he'll survive the rest of the season to have a chance to grow big.
I would compare a ''big'' mule deer to have as much or even more intelligence than a big WT.
Scrub sizers ( like the one in the pic ) no comparison... Muiles are border line retarded in my books :)

Funny I feel the same way about whites. It there predictability that makes whites dumb, and not challenging to hunt.

And yes that is and small muley in the pic.

[Traps]

I'd be all for a WT buck on draw in some zones and a general doe tag. Lower overall population but higher quality bucks.

[ishootbambi]

Increase in Mule deer population is just what this province needs, along with better management systems put in place for growing mature, monsters like Saskatchewan.



you dont even realize that you are agreeing. without management...which means reduced tags.....mules wont get to live long enough to grow up. thats the difference. whitetails are wide open province wide and alberta still manages to produce around 30 book heads a year. alberta might produce 2 on average, and before draws were implemented in 1989, they were awful scarce.

you and your little buddy keep going on about book heads and if they are dumb lets see em. the problem is they dont exist in any decent numbers because their lack of wariness....they die young becasue they arent smart enough to grow up without protection. thats the reason saskatchewan grows so many more of them. you know that, but maybe just hadnt thought about it.

[ishootbambi]

on tuesday night, i saw a whitetail on the way back to camp. it was after legal light or he'd be dead, but at any rate, it was my only sighting of him despite spending 12 days hunting hard from sunup to sundown. i doubt ill see him again...especially now that im in saskatchewan, but this mule i saw EVERY day. he is the second biggest buck i saw over there, and i may go back and get him....but maybe not. the one id rather have is over 190, likely pushing 200 i thought. i could have killed him the second time i saw him at 40 yards, but i was hoping he would go robins way. once robin went home the buck disappeared. i think he was shot as rumors are out that a 211 gross mule was taken in the area. anyway, this is why idont consider even big ones all that bright. soooooo easy to find em, and if i wanted to, to kill em.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/053.jpg

[packhuntr]

If they are so stupid bambi, Id just AGAIN settle to see some big stuff from these guys. I have no problem finding big stuff, even right under these type of guys noses, surely these guys have logged up a big one hit wonder at least, anything to base off how stupid mule deer are... Its no earth shaker, Im just laughing myself stpid over this one and quite curious how many inches a guy needs before he can say hes by far superior to said animal when its a rifle hes packing around as an equalizer LOLOL

[ishootbambi]

If they are so stupid bambi, Id just AGAIN settle to see some big stuff from these guys. I have no problem finding big stuff, even right under these type of guys noses, surely these guys have logged up a big one hit wonder at least, anything to base off how stupid mule deer are... Its no earth shaker, Im just laughing myself stpid over this one and quite curious how many inches a guy needs before he can say hes by far superior to said animal when its a rifle hes packing around as an equalizer LOLOL

oops....sorry i forgot. guys who hunt with rifles are definitely inferior. :scared:

you have said it yourself as well wesley.......you want to move to saskatchewan because they manage mules better. they NEED that protection to grow, and you know it as well as anyone. to ask for pics is a little bit of an oxymoron. its their lack of wariness that means there are very few trophy size bucks in alberta. if guys didnt get in on the heydays of the 90s, its a tough thing to do now in most of the province do to the way tags are dished out.

now, that buck in the picture up there is one you would smack an arrow into in a heartbeat. give me an opinion....i know its a crappy pic through the spotter, but should i shoot him?

[packhuntr]

Well there arent very many mule deer that I will make a move on, cause like alot of folk, if a guy wants to roll on em hes gonna die, and I dont want to kill baby mule deer. If you say its that caliber, then Id say you need to cut your 2011 draw tag. I know you are after something unreal, but big deer are hard to find and unreal stuff is tougher yet. One of's look impressive on walls, but averages speak volumes. Kill him and enjoy the hunt and tag I say!

[ishootbambi]

Well there arent very many mule deer that I will make a move on, cause like alot of folk, if a guy wants to roll on em hes gonna die, and I dont want to kill baby mule deer. If you say its that caliber, then Id say you need to cut your 2011 draw tag. I know you are after something unreal, but big deer are hard to find and unreal stuff is tougher yet. One of's look impressive on walls, but averages speak volumes. Kill him and enjoy the hunt and tag I say!

hmmm......i might just to get a giggle when i look at him. he has a big frame....but his passenger side G4 is short. that short point has given him a name. i used to know a guy that had an issue with the ladies. more than once a girl he played with told us about a deficiency of his. that short point on that mule reminds me of that guys, ahem...short point, so we have named him Wiege, pronounced "wiggy". i do think i would appreciate that buck when i look at him....so maybe. gary is doing all he can to talk me out of killing him.....he should be drawn next year and wants him to grow another year. like i said, im in sask now, so looking for another isnt likely.

[airbornedeerhunter]

If the "damn things are so stupid" you two must have several book bucks hanging on your walls...??

As a matter of fact yes!

Notice i said "mulie does", not 200 inch mulie bucks. Big deer are smarter, thats why they are big. Small deer, not so much. Its pretty hard to walk up on "book deer", little ones and does? I can do that all day.

[Lefty-Canuck]

When you can call in a herd of mule does with a coyote call...or you can wave your mitt in the air to have them come check you out...I would say mule does are dumb.

LC

[savage shooter]

So what do you attribute your lack of deer sightings in wmu 526 to? Winterkill, hunters or a combination of both?

How about blindness? I was hunting in the hines creek area (526) for about 3 days and saw probably 150-160 deer...mostly from the road.

[packhuntr]

When you can call in a herd of mule does with a coyote call...or you can wave your mitt in the air to have them come check you out...I would say mule does are dumb.

LC

I betcha a crisp 100 dollar bill if I catch you unaware and wave something around in the middle of nowhere where nothing has happened in likely DAYS, you come slinkin in for a better look too. Are you as well dumb? Id like to give some of you guys a hand. :sHa_sarcasticlol:

[pottymouth]

When you can call in a herd of mule does with a coyote call...or you can wave your mitt in the air to have them come check you out...I would say mule does are dumb.

LC

What about whitetail does that sit there stomping there hoof, and they keep moving in for a closer look, brilliant...lol

[K.J]

I sure do not want to see a whitetail draw in any way shape or form. I would like the opportunity to hunt at least one big game animal every year. Moose right now will take me 12 years to hunt again. Mulies 3years. If we put whitetails on draw then might as well give up. How do you introduce someone new to the sport if the only chance they get is up every couple years for one species at the most. I am already trying to figure out how to get my son interested in being a good moose hunter when in his life time he might only see half a dozen moose tags at the most. Money is what helps habitat and everything else that wildlife needs, and most of it comes from our licenses. If we dont get the opportunity to buy the licenses where will the money come from.

[airbornedeerhunter]

We need to be careful what we wish for out here fellas. As long as the population is healthy, leave it alone. Government interference in wildlife management never goes well. Look at New Brunswick, a province overrun with whitetails and moose have a three week deer season, bucks general, does on a draw and a 3 day moose season in the middle of Sept. My home province of Newfoundland has an estimated 160,000 moose on the island, and even though the season is four months long, the draw system is severly flawed with the majority of tags only going to remote areas that are very difficult to access while the more reasonably accessible areas see limited tags issued. Yearly average of 700 moose vehicle collisions have folks back home, none more than hunters screaming to make it general tag for a couple of years to get the population back in check. We've got very healthy deer populations out here (yes I know, some areas saw a lot of winter kill over the last two years) so lets just leave the system as it is.

[Lefty-Canuck]

I betcha a crisp 100 dollar bill if I catch you unaware and wave something around in the middle of nowhere where nothing has happened in likely DAYS, you come slinkin in for a better look too. Are you as well dumb? Id like to give some of you guys a hand. :sHa_sarcasticlol:

Maybe you would pack...??? So you are just disagreeing to disagree and you think mule does are smarter then Dolphins??? OK.....:)

Not likely, I would look through my binoculars :).....everyone knows mule does would need thumbs to use binoculars...:snapoutofit:....

I'll PM you my address to send me my crisp $100 bill :)

LC

[Lefty-Canuck]

What about whitetail does that sit there stomping there hoof, and they keep moving in for a closer look, brilliant...lol

I would say generally in my opinion most of the time due to my experience mule does are dumber than white-tail does but results may vary....BETTER???

LC

[rielbowhunter]

Potty show me one b&C whitetail buck you have killed? big b&c whitetail bucks are hard to kill with your bow, I know know a big B&c mulie buck is smart. but I think white tails are smarter. just my two cents

[pottymouth]

Potty show me one b&C whitetail buck you have killed? big b&c whitetail bucks are hard to kill with your bow, I know know a big B&c mulie buck is smart. but I think white tails are smarter. just my two cents

Your welcome to swing by my house! Whitetail are at the bottom of the totem pole for me. Don't forget riel because of my own error, I shoulder shot the biggest non typ whitetail in Alberta. Let me tell you how dumb he was, he's lucky I wasn't on top of my game.

[HunterDave]

Don't forget riel because of my own error, I shoulder shot the biggest non typ whitetail in Alberta.

Was that the infamous big one that got away? :)

[BigRackLover]

When you can call in a herd of mule does with a coyote call...or you can wave your mitt in the air to have them come check you out...I would say mule does are dumb.

LC

It all depends on distance. If we are talking rifle zones (and seasons) then YES ... animals (all species are sometimes (most times) curious) but if you're talking archery ranges then NO .... they know something is up and act accordingly.

From what I've seen whitetail vs mulie ... they are no different when they sense danger. Mulies, unlike WT, are just seen more because they live (and prefer) open country.

[pottymouth]

Was that the infamous big one that got away? :)

Unfortunately yup. I got some sheds,video, trail cam pics, and one pic with a broad head buried in the shoulder.

[spotnstockhillbilly]

It is not uncommon for me to walk 5 miles in a day while hunting. Yes, the deer numbers are down.

thats good that you walk 5 miles a day!!! i am happy to see that i am not the only one scared to wear out a pair of boots. I just have one question to ask you respectfully are you working the same 5 miles everytime or even with then 10 miles of each other cause i know my regular honey hole were empty they were in different parts of the areas that usually dont have as much cover as they do know. i was see just as many deer if not a little more just in different areas in each wmu I was hunting (the wmus were 359 128 138 140 150 151 152) did notice in 359 tho the size of the mules were down quite a bit from what i was used to seeing but again was only there 12 days and was hunting everything that i was able to get a tag for so my opinion doesnt conclude a definite answer for it. i dont have a larger enough test area or pattern for this as do most talking on here. that was the main point i was getting across with my first post. Now judging from what i just said alot of you guys are probably thinking oh well he is cares about filling his tags and will shoot anything in that slot size to do it i bought an elk moose black bear mule deer mule doe and a whitetail buck tag i only filled two of those whitetail and mule doe. the doe was to old mature doe and wasn't breading stock anymore

[Mountain Guy]

Was that the infamous big one that got away? :)

Sorry....but I got that one.

Thanks.

[super7mag]

Got stopped yesterday by F&W,well kinda.lol I was already stopped and pulled over glassing a mule buck with 2 does. I had hunted in the morning and was heading home for lunch when I spotted these guys playing chase in a field. After the formaliteis, they asked if I never had a muley tag why would I stop to watch them, they also asked why I never bought the extra 2 tag mule doe or supp tags for the area. I relpyed that I haven't be seeing the same #'s of does this year and between the winters and extra tags they were on a down swing . They agreed with a comment on it'll be scary when we are doing the areail surveys in the area as they expect it to be quite lower then the 15 yr average. I was surprised and happy they reconized the situtation, maybe supp tags will be put on the back burner next year.

[Grizzly Adams]

If you put mulies on a general tag in the rifle season, they would be extinct in 2 years! Damn things are so dumb when it comes to gun fire!!

Often wonder how many people realize that our Mule Deer, like our Elk, are the result of re-introductions back in the late 20's. :D

Grizz

[sakogreywolf]

thats good that you walk 5 miles a day!!! i am happy to see that i am not the only one scared to wear out a pair of boots. I just have one question to ask you respectfully are you working the same 5 miles everytime or even with then 10 miles of each other cause i know my regular honey hole were empty they were in different parts of the areas that usually dont have as much cover as they do know. i was see just as many deer if not a little more just in different areas in each wmu I was hunting (the wmus were 359 128 138 140 150 151 152) did notice in 359 tho the size of the mules were down quite a bit from what i was used to seeing but again was only there 12 days and was hunting everything that i was able to get a tag for so my opinion doesnt conclude a definite answer for it. i dont have a larger enough test area or pattern for this as do most talking on here. that was the main point i was getting across with my first post. Now judging from what i just said alot of you guys are probably thinking oh well he is cares about filling his tags and will shoot anything in that slot size to do it i bought an elk moose black bear mule deer mule doe and a whitetail buck tag i only filled two of those whitetail and mule doe. the doe was to old mature doe and wasn't breading stock anymore

No I don't walk the same spot over and over again.

[savage shooter]

Mule deer are definitely stupid. I find that whitetails run as soon as they see you every time while mule deer FREQUENTLY get closer or just look at you and continue with whatever they were doing.

white tails are more skittish and clearly have a better survival instinct in my experience.

[Lefty-Canuck]

It all depends on distance. If we are talking rifle zones (and seasons) then YES ... animals (all species are sometimes (most times) curious) but if you're talking archery ranges then NO .... they know something is up and act accordingly.

From what I've seen whitetail vs mulie ... they are no different when they sense danger. Mulies, unlike WT, are just seen more because they live (and prefer) open country.

Agreed. Think of your triple header this season....rare to have happen but I think IMHO it is more likely to have something like that happen with mules than WT....just my opinion.

LC

[pottymouth]

Agreed. Think of your triple header this season....rare to have happen but I think IMHO it is more likely to have something like that happen with mules than WT....just my opinion.

LC

I know lots of guys that have done doubles on whitetail. Dropped one, then while that one watched, they dropped the other. I also know guys who have taken 2 whitetails at the same time with one shot. It can happen both ways.

[Traps]

Each species have survival instincts that are suited to them and their environment, can't really compare apples to apples.

[Lefty-Canuck]

I know lots of guys that have done doubles on whitetail. Dropped one, then while that one watched, they dropped the other. I also know guys who have taken 2 whitetails at the same time with one shot. It can happen both ways.

We have done it to...drop a doe take the fawn. But a triple with the bow....Potty even you have to admit that's ultra rare :)

LC

[pottymouth]

We have done it to...drop a doe take the fawn. But a triple with the bow....Potty even you have to admit that's ultra rare :)

LC

Rare yes. Impossible no. And for both species.