Tips for a new hunter!

[Boerkie]

Hi guys! This will be my first year bow hunting. I will be hunting for elk and whitetail in WMU 314. Any tips for hunting them in Sept-Oct would be greatly appreciated! Maybe a list of stuff I would need to take with me just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Also thinking of getting a trail camera, which model would you recommend? Or is it to late for the trail camera? Thanks

[pseelk]

Its never to late for a trail cam.Are you hunting from a blind or tree stand,or still hunting?You will need some different things for each.Take a range finder no matter how you hunt.Goodluck.

[Boerkie]

I will be hunting out of my tree stand (climbing one). Always got my rangefinder with me as well. Thanks I will get my trail cam this week

[DuckBrat]

Although common sense most people worry about the gear and locations first. Above all know the regulations, your limitations, and safety for yourself and others using adjacent areas. Have fun.

[Boerkie]

Although common sense most people worry about the gear and locations first. Above all know the regulations, your limitations, and safety for yourself and others using adjacent areas. Have fun.

Ive spent the past 2 years practicing, getting all the required licences, did all the courses. I am fully aware of the regulations, my own limitations and I know how to hunt responsible and safely. Made 100% sure to cover all that first :)

[qmurphy]

Practice setting up in your stand a couple times, find a good location to set it up, when you are sitting there try to refrain from convincing yourself that it is a "terrible spot and you won't see anything", take a 1L bottle to pee in, sit back and enjoy the experience. With a bit of planning and a bit of luck hopefully you will get to re-discover what buck fever is all about!

[Training Wheels]

Practice shooting and gauging distances. You'll be really annoyed when you range something and don't get a shot because you spent the time ranging it.

[elkoholik]

Buy a small target such as a rinhart ball and set up your stand and give her a toss. Try some shots from the stand, always found that was good way to practice and range yardage. I would send an arrow with my judgement and if I missed would then range to see how far out I was. Also take some judos and you can practice on some squirrels. Good luck and have fun.

[benamen]

There is a difference of opinion on how to handle your urine. Some let it rip and others use a bottle.
Last year I found a scrape so put a game camera up to monitor it. First thing I did after the camera was up was to take a wiz in the scrape. An hour later, there were deer at the scrape and the video did not show any of them being spooked by my scent.
Just my observation.

[Remoth]

There is a difference of opinion on how to handle your urine. Some let it rip and others use a bottle.
Last year I found a scrape so put a game camera up to monitor it. First thing I did after the camera was up was to take a wiz in the scrape. An hour later, there were deer at the scrape and the video did not show any of them being spooked by my scent.
Just my observation.however, if you bottle it, you could always bear grylls it later on if need be. ;)

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

There is a difference of opinion on how to handle your urine. Some let it rip and others use a bottle.
Last year I found a scrape so put a game camera up to monitor it. First thing I did after the camera was up was to take a wiz in the scrape. An hour later, there were deer at the scrape and the video did not show any of them being spooked by my scent.
Just my observation.

:D X2 true story...back in the 80,s when beat baiting first started I used a plastic P bottle..left it in the stand full once and found it next time with 50 fang marks in it and empty...lol...found that deer,moose and elk were the same...

there are some exceptions like super spicy drinks that may spook them...

JMHO
Neil

[Boerkie]

Thanks guys going out this weekend to practice from the tree stand. Also putting a game camera up, will put the pics on here if i get something good on there. When is a good time to start using calls for whitetail?
Or is September to early? What about elk? Havent seen any elk where im gonna hunt but still getting a tag for one just incase 😄. Im planning on buying the spitfire broadheads, do they really fly just like my fieldpoints? Thanks again for all the responses guys, really appreciate it. Cant wait for Sept 1!

[Riverbc]

Lots of game taken with Spitfires. They should should fly true and do a lot of damage. You can sacrifice one or buy the practice head. Make sure they fly right with your set up before hunting with them.

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Lots of game taken with Spitfires. They should should fly true and do a lot of damage. You can sacrifice one or buy the practice head. Make sure they fly right with your set up before hunting with them.


:D X2....Keeping in mind they can only fly as good as your current field tip arrow...if the current field tip arrow is fish tailing or porhposing ...than the broadhead may fail or not perform as well...

Neil

[Mulemadness]

Hi guys! This will be my first year bow hunting. I will be hunting for elk and whitetail in WMU 314. Any tips for hunting them in Sept-Oct would be greatly appreciated! Maybe a list of stuff I would need to take with me just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Also thinking of getting a trail camera, which model would you recommend? Or is it to late for the trail camera? Thanks

According to there Facebook page they are hosting a free elk calling seminar on August 15th at 7pm..........it might help you out.

[SportHuntingHelp]

Biggest peace of advice I can give is enjoy the experience even if you don't harvest anything. First year bow hunting you will make lots of mistakes but you will learn from them. Congrats on starting bow hunting and welcome to the obsession.

[Zuludog]

According to there Facebook page they are hosting a free elk calling seminar on August 15th at 7pm..........it might help you out.

Who is hosting the seminar? Thanks.

[Mulemadness]

Who is hosting the seminar? Thanks.

Sorry guess it would help if I mentioned that..........JimBows Archery

[j_rod]

If you look at the Cabellas Edmonton store events, they are having a few different calling seminars throughout August, as well as an "interactive game calling simulater". Might be worth checking out.

[JLentz]

I'm also hoping to be a first time hunter in 314 this year. I'm confident enough with my bow and I've been living here for about a year. I'm trying to figure out all the regulations so I'm legal and staying out of jail, but for a first timer it seems like every time I get one thing figured out there's two more questions that come up. I've been on the albertaregulations.ca website but are there any other resources you guys can recommend for a learner? Mainly how do I go about finding area to hunt on? I may have access to some private land near where I live but I think some or all of it is in town limits, does anyone know the laws on that? I'm really just hoping to harvest something for food, whitetail or mule, not trying for any trophies yet. Thanks...

[Boerkie]

I'm also hoping to be a first time hunter in 314 this year. I'm confident enough with my bow and I've been living here for about a year. I'm trying to figure out all the regulations so I'm legal and staying out of jail, but for a first timer it seems like every time I get one thing figured out there's two more questions that come up. I've been on the albertaregulations.ca website but are there any other resources you guys can recommend for a learner? Mainly how do I go about finding area to hunt on? I may have access to some private land near where I live but I think some or all of it is in town limits, does anyone know the laws on that? I'm really just hoping to harvest something for food, whitetail or mule, not trying for any trophies yet. Thanks...

So here is what I did:

First I did my hunter eduction course (mandatory if you want to hunt) you can do it online takes about 10 hours and is around $90.

http://www.aheia.com/index.cfm?REFID=1539&gclid=CIvQjLr21LgCFS3hQgodDT4Aww

Then I went and I bought my WIN card. You need this to buy your licenses and tags.

https://www.albertarelm.com/

Once you are done that you can buy your Wildlife certificate ($30, need this to buy your tags), and then if you want to bow hunt you can buy your bow-hunting permit ($9). I believe tags go on sale August 1st. If you buy them online you have to order or pick up some tags first, I emailed them and they put it in the mail for me got it within a week.

https://www.albertarelm.com/wc.user.SampleTag.page?_m=displayGET

For WMU 314 you can get general tags for Whitetail and elk (for archery season starting Sept 1st)

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/huntingregs/wmu/wmu300.html

I really dont think its legal hunting in city limits maybe somebody else can point out where it says that, but i wouldn't do it anyway, too many risks!

You can use this to see where some crown land is you can hunt on, or contact info for people with leases. not sure if there are other resources for that but this is what I use and i already have my spots for hunting season.

http://xnet.env.gov.ab.ca/imf/imf.jsp?site=rec_access

[keep6matt]

I am as well a first time bow hunter for this Sept, been scouting areas, gained permission to hunt on a nice 80 acre pc of land with small fields and lots of bush and sighted a huge bull moose and several whitetails. Had a very good lengthy talk with the land owner yesterday and he gave me permission, very nice fellow, I seen he drinks Kokonee so yeah there will be a flat of beer dropped on his doorstep next weekend :) when I go scout a camera and stand area prospect. But I like the advice given on here, been given a few pointers by many on here throughout the summer and can't wait for the experience whether I harvest an animal or not, just looking forward to the whole process.

[Boerkie]

Thank you guys for all the tips! i might go check out the calling seminar at Jim bows, I live in Calgary so its closer to me than Edmonton. Can you guys give any advice on game camera placement! ive been playing around with it abit and got some deer. Im just having trouble deciding where to put it, i know to look for deer sign like trails, tracks and droppings. Are there any other things i should look for, not that easy if youre new to it :)! or is it just a trail and error thing?

here are 2 bucks i got, hope the pics work.

76326

76327

76328

76329

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

:D ...Looks like your already on track...this time of year until they move during farmers harvest on fields and rut, watch and/or find trails from feeding areas to bedding areas..thats the heaviest traffic areas right now...once they start moving or pushed.. it can be hit or miss.

Neil