WMU-212 Antlerless Screw Up Again
 

Just got this email delivered to me.

Seems like they are trying to decimate the WMU 212 herd.
Can harvest 1 on general elk tag
Can harvest 2 on WMU-212 Antlerless tag Sept 1-Nov 30
Can harvest 2 on WMU-212 Special Antlerless tag Primitive weapons season



Due to system error, your WMU 212 Antlerless Elk Archery licence was issued incorrectly with only 1 tag.

The WMU 212 Antlerless Elk Archery licence that was purchased earlier was incorrectly issued with only one tag as opposed to the two tags as intended.

The following options are currently available:

Keep your current licence as is, with one tag
Invalidate current licence and get authorization for replacement licence (no charge) to be issued with two tags
Please contact Alberta Environment and Parks Licensing at AEP.FWDLicensing@gov.ab.ca to confirm how you would like to proceed.

It is imperative that we hear back from you before the beginning of the season on September 1, 2018 to ensure that you are able to take advantage of the second option. After that time we will no longer be able to issue the authorization for the replacement licence.

If we have not heard back from you by end of day August 31, 2018 we will assume that you wish to keep your current licence as is with one tag.

Doesn't matter how many tags they issue, if landowners don't allow access..

Yeah I don't think there will be too much damage done to this herd. Limited access and lots of areas where there is no access, plus how many guys are actually shooting 5 elk? At most, someone is going to shoot 2 likely, which they already had that option the past several years.

DR

Every time I’ve hunted this draw I could have shot two elk. It’s a good move I think, the difficult part is getting permission, not many elk are dropped every year, I’d guess it’s less than 20. I’ve got the draw this year and if it works out I’ll have two hides to tan and lots of meat to give away...stay tuned.

The email was not about the draw but the regular WMU-212 antlerless elk license that you can buy over the counter every single year.

So that means, if a person is drawn in the late season, they can get up to 5 elk tags this year.

How do they receive 5 when you can only have 1 of the 212 tag options? Wouldn't the maximum be 3. 2 for 212 1 for general?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...34552fcb88.png

You can have both of the 212 options

1 tag general
2 tag wmu 212 antlerless archery
2 tag wmu 212 antlerless special license

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I had heard of a group that took out 23 on one property alone in the special license season. Another lady I spoke to said her group took 12.

once its all said and done I wonder what the net growth would look like even under the additional tag.

I took 2 last year. What could you need with more meat then that. We have been eating elk 3-4 times a week since October and I still have a little remaining.

My freezer is full of great 212 cow elk as is my fathers. Pretty amazing opportunity to enjoy some great cow elk meat!!

Some great landowners out there working with hunters to reduce the herd numbers.

Considering next year they are planning on changing the 212 primitive draw code from a separate code to being lumped in with anterless elk draws. This could be the only year for this change.

LC

I saw presentation by the bios and they said they weren’t getting the harvest result they wanted and if necessary they would translocate to meet the objective. Of course this is off the table if they find cwd in the zone. They acknowledged that the landowners play a big part in the management equation and subscription/support had dropped despite some being on board. Looks like F&W threw in the towel. I wonder if they would move some of the herd.

They are moving the herd. They moved a bunch last winter. That came right from the biologist mouth.

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Why would they trap and relocate?

Maybe because current hunting mortality is not high enough for management goals?


And back to the original post.... :thinking-006:

This is a key aspect to any “Bowzone”

LC

Im doing my part in relocating the herd. To my freezer. Took two last year and glad i did. Pretty much all gone.

Herd is very strong. Im not worried about a drop in numbers. Hunters still need access and oppertunity. But i understand where kyle comes from

I'd love to see what they think the herd numbers are at, where they want the numbers at, and how they figure that they aren't meeting their "management objective".

But, like anything the government does, we will never see that.

https://www.ab-conservation.com/down..._2012-2013.pdf


Some good information here. Believe it has been surveyed once since but not published by the ACA as of yet


"At 560 elk, counts exceeded desired levels........" Objectives are probably considerably less than 560 given this statement taken from the report

Thanks for that.

The wintering grounds of the elk are a lot different from the hunting season grounds. The Ann & Sandy Cross Conversation area is 4800 acres (12 square kilometers)
of prime elk habitat. Once the snow falls, there is no cultivated land on the Cross Conservation area and they move off to fields and hay stacks.

I wonder if they have looked at hunting possibilities on there as opposed to spending money on relocating elk via truck and trailer.

Isn't the conservancy still private land. I don't believe it is a Crown property?

From what I can tell, the land was donated to the province of Alberta and was managed under the Nature Conservancy of Canada until 1996. In 1996 the Sandy Cross Conservation Foundation was created to manage the Conservation are independently of the NCC.

.

From the Foundations website:

well there ya go, seems like a much cheaper option as opposed to building traps (yes they want to build more traps), managing the traps, and then hauling the elk away. Might also help them meet their "management goals" if they open up this 4800 acres of pristine elk habitat.

But is the board ready to allow hunting? Sounds like they can if they want to.

Highly highly doubt it as this board is likely full of yuppies and antis.