Late Season Elk in WMU 522 - Extension?

[LadyKiller]

Farmers in the area are having a heck of an issue with Elk in 522.. reported herds of 60 head, and another herd of 120+ head and we've heard from a few farmers that Wildlife officers have been out to their farms urging them not to shoot them, but rather send hunters to them to request an extension on the late season draw for antlerless elk .. has anyone heard of this being true?

Went out the past 2 days and we were after the smaller heard but could never get a clear shot as they've been hugging close to the highway and are really skiddish right now. Tried to flush them but we were about 2 minutes too late.

Apparently the suggested # of head have grown 25% from last year and farmers are losing thousands in hay. They're getting compensated, obviously, but it doesn't do them much good when they have nothing left to feed their cows and there's little hay to be found.

[Pinhead]

Works for me, Myself and 2 others have not been able to make and would love a second chance to help out. :sHa_shakeshout:

Dan

[LadyKiller]

Works for me, Myself and 2 others have not been able to make and would love a second chance to help out. :sHa_shakeshout:

Dan

Lol no kidding. Would sure be nice to have a second chance for those of us who were unable to get out on time or tag something during the alotted season.. was just curious if anyone had heard of this, though I presume it's something they'd keep pretty hush-hush.

[remington 260]

Nice if they would add WMU 357 to the list as well, still have a unused tag and a empty deep freeze!

[Alberta Redneck]

Phone F & W regarding the Elk in WMU 522 and they will provide you with a list of farmers who are currently dealing with Elk issues, and encourage hunters to hunt their land.

[baptiste_moose]

I was just up there. Staying in saddle hills area but hunting 359. First thing we did was go to F&W and Norm gave us 5 #'s of farmers having issues. From there it spread like wildfire. Every elk is a problem elk was the general response. A quarter section full of bails was destroyed. We glasses the feild an hour before legal and there were 250 elk crushing the bails. Every morn they would head for the trees 15 min before legal. We ended up hunting their travel routes from bed to food and got ours. Stupid amounts of traffic as well. Mule deer #'s seem very good. Saw over 300 in 4 days. Only 10 WT though

[Nickote316]

I was just up there. Staying in saddle hills area but hunting 359. First thing we did was go to F&W and Norm gave us 5 #'s of farmers having issues. From there it spread like wildfire. Every elk is a problem elk was the general response. A quarter section full of bails was destroyed. We glasses the feild an hour before legal and there were 250 elk crushing the bails. Every morn they would head for the trees 15 min before legal. We ended up hunting their travel routes from bed to food and got ours. Stupid amounts of traffic as well. Mule deer #'s seem very good. Saw over 300 in 4 days. Only 10 WT though

Tons of moose also. Saw around 60 in a 3 day span

[baptiste_moose]

Norm and everyone we talked to was amazing. The only a holes up there were the hunters

[baptiste_moose]

Nickote where u driving a truck with a sled deck and a sled on it? Or a white dodge by chance?

[walking buffalo]

Norm and everyone we talked to was amazing. The only a holes up there were the hunters

What is the point of this comment? :confused:

You are a hunter up there, therefore you are an a hole?

[baptiste_moose]

Thought I might get a giggle. Seems everyone else feels that way about spirit these days. Easy now buffalo boy. Any one else got a good argument starter?
:party0052:

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Nickote where u driving a truck with a sled deck and a sled on it? Or a white dodge by chance?

No I think it was a black Dodge dually!!:sHa_sarcasticlol::bad_boys_20:
:scared0018:

[baptiste_moose]

Funny you mention that maniac cause I was looking for the dodge the whole trip!!

[LadyKiller]

Living in the area, we know just about all the farmers in the area - many have said they will gladly call us if there's Elk back on their property.. just gotta call F&W to discuss the legalities of it.

[baptiste_moose]

You can go purchase landowner tags from F&W but u must hunt your own property

[TBark]

So was the season extended ?
Late season cow ended yesterday.

TBark

[LadyKiller]

So was the season extended ?
Late season cow ended yesterday.

TBark

Yep - went out all weekend and we were after the elk all day but couldn't get a good shot.

ETA: I called F&W and they said there's no extension.

[heretohunt]

I spoke with Norm and mentioned that I hate to give up my general licence but would love to have a supplemental land owners tag. It sounds like it is not out of the question.
I do believe that the numbers are greatly exaggerated and the late season cow elk hunt becomes a bit of a goat rope because of it. Lots of shooting from the road. Even though it is just a meat hunt, they are great to hunt properly. I do understand that with the amount of snow it is difficult though.

[LadyKiller]

I spoke with Norm and mentioned that I hate to give up my general licence but would love to have a supplemental land owners tag. It sounds like it is not out of the question.
I do believe that the numbers are greatly exaggerated and the late season cow elk hunt becomes a bit of a goat rope because of it. Lots of shooting from the road. Even though it is just a meat hunt, they are great to hunt properly. I do understand that with the amount of snow it is difficult though.

Well I personally saw a heard and there was 60-70, but never saw the heard of 120+ like we heard some Farmers say they've seen.

I also spoke to Steve Stepnisky and he said they're doing some surveys and will go from there. A direct quote from his e-mail:

At this time we will not be granting individual or group extensions for the late antlerless elk season in any WMU.

Do you live in 522?

[Rhino81]

Wonder if they would mind opening up mule deer in 158 for a week or two as well, and maybe elk in 166. Sure are causing problems for landowners. Maybe they should handout more landowners tags if there such a problem. Oh ya I forgot!! We are trying to limit landowner tags.

[heretohunt]

Well I personally saw a heard and there was 60-70, but never saw the heard of 120+ like we heard some Farmers say they've seen.

I also spoke to Steve Stepnisky and he said they're doing some surveys and will go from there. A direct quote from his e-mail:



Do you live in 522?

Are you a lady that is a killer or a "lady killer"?
:scared0018:

[fortyseven]

Wonder if they would mind opening up mule deer in 158 for a week or two as well, and maybe elk in 166. Sure are causing problems for landowners. Maybe they should handout more landowners tags if there such a problem. Oh ya I forgot!! We are trying to limit landowner tags.

Spoke to F&W today about this, they said no way no how will an extension on the season, or any more tags be handed out. Apparently the biologist says there's a normal number of elk in 522, they're just grouped together causing the damage.
I should add that they said they have never, nor will they ever have an extension on a season anywhere.

[LadyKiller]

Are you a lady that is a killer or a "lady killer"?
:scared0018:

lol, perhaps "LadyHunter" would have been a better 'name'. I am a woman, who happens to be a hunter.

[LadyKiller]

Spoke to F&W today about this, they said no way no how will an extension on the season, or any more tags be handed out. Apparently the biologist says there's a normal number of elk in 522, they're just grouped together causing the damage.

^^ Also what I found today in my various phone calls and e-mails.

2 years ago we saw 3 or 4 different smaller herds of Elk in 522. Now it seems there's 1 or 2 big ones.. seems more like they've just grouped together rather than mass producing. That being said, I did see almost more younger Elk than adults this season, though I suspect that's mostly due to being the last few days of the late season.

[Brent_reid]

Wish they would open up 521 as well, and good luck lady killer all the best even though it does sound like something off criminal minds hehe just kidding

[LadyKiller]

Wish they would open up 521 as well, and good luck lady killer all the best even though it does sound like something off criminal minds hehe just kidding

Yeah .. i'm starting to think it wasn't very clever :fighting0030:

[baptiste_moose]

Any where near the bad heart is where those elk will be. They are in the creek beds hard right now bedding on the side that gets more sun. They need vitamin D to digest food and with the sun on that side the snow is less so travel burns less energy. So where there's bails near these locations they're gonna get hit. I spoke with 15 farmers in 359 and the reason they're having problems is because they're lazy or got too busy in the fall. They know they live in elk country and this happens every year. They should maybe get those bails outta the field and fenced in. I feel sorry for F&W cause this is all they deal with all winter. You can tell a thing or two about a farmer by his yard. Ever seen 9 old skidoo's, 15 old rusted cars, 12 falling down barns all in one acre. A raggedy old farm. It's not so much that they're eating the hay but they climb on it and **** on it as well and then the cows won't eat it. Moose will just eat.

[pikeslayer22]

Seen more elk in 522,than ever this year

[walking buffalo]

There will likely be new elk seasons in these WMUs next year, just need legal to finish the paperwork.

New Antlered and Antlerless Elk Season in the following groups of WMUs:
WMU’s 252, 254, 258 and 260
WMUs 236, 256 and 500
WMUs 206, 222, 226 and 244
WMUs 208 and 220




baptiste_moose,

Just try not to make such generalizations about hunters and all is well. :)

[Lefty-Canuck]

Wasn't fish and wildlife entertaining the thought of extending the season for a certain quasi celebrity last year hunting sheep on a raffle or ministers tag? Because of the threat of a lawsuit?

Or was that a nasty rumour?

LC

[Rhino81]

:test:There will likely be new elk seasons in these WMUs next year, just need legal to finish the paperwork.

New Antlered and Antlerless Elk Season in the following groups of WMUs:
WMU’s 252, 254, 258 and 260
WMUs 236, 256 and 500
WMUs 206, 222, 226 and 244
WMUs 208 and 220




baptiste_moose,

Just try not to make such generalizations about hunters and all is well. :)about 5 years late reporting 208.

[baptiste_moose]

Baptiste_moose,

Just try not to make such generalizations about hunters and all is well. :)

Read my thread late season cow elk thread and you'll realize why I made that comment. We also had a couple from bonnyville send us to and area they said they got there cow and the farmer has never allowed permission and has never seen elk on his property. We helped them and gave them everything we knew and they sent us 80 km in the wrong direction. Why not just say " can't help sorry." They where also one of the trucks to come down the road and push the elk 20 min before legal light even though we where there 1 hr before them. 10 guys hunting 1000 elk and it's still a competition???

Sorry for the derail. Good info about more late season buffalo

[walking buffalo]

:test:about 5 years late reporting 208.

No, not late at all. "New Antlered and Antlerless Elk Season in the following groups of WMUs". 208 and 220 are now a new group.




Read my thread late season cow elk thread and you'll realize why I made that comment. We also had a couple from bonnyville send us to and area they said they got there cow and the farmer has never allowed permission and has never seen elk on his property. We helped them and gave them everything we knew and they sent us 80 km in the wrong direction. Why not just say " can't help sorry." They where also one of the trucks to come down the road and push the elk 20 min before legal light even though we where there 1 hr before them. 10 guys hunting 1000 elk and it's still a competition???

Sorry for the derail. Good info about more late season buffalo


I was pointing out the inappropriate generalization of hunters up there. I read your hunt report and see why you might have a reason to bitch about individual people.

Glad your bud got his elk, enjoy! :happy0180:

[baptiste_moose]

Thanks buffalo. Are you 100% on WMU 500 for next year?