Growing up in Fort McMurray (36 years spent) i can attest to changing times. In the 80's I remember sharptail hunting at the old Alsands lease sight north of McMurray which is now CNRL (Albian Sands). There were sharptails for miles and miles. Every fall moose hunting success was found close to town right behind Abasand Heights. I would carry my Savage 99c in .308 Winchester and walk down Father Mercredi Street, passed Kurt 505's house and say hi to the fellas catching the Suncor bus all the while, slung and loaded for bear or for whatever and cross the Clearwater River at first ice and not come home till dark at 14 years old.
Before i left Fort Mcmurray my childhood spots were infiltrated with people that both didn't respect the town or my favourite hunting and fishing areas. It left a sour taste in my mouth as i knew how things used to be and realized those days were gone. My last Moose kill was in WMU 530 in 2002 which is now smack dab in the middle of the CNRL mine now and at that time with all the traffic in the bush that moose kill was most likely a fluke and that little bull wasnt destined to live past that fall i dont think with the large influx of hunters in the area. Wasnt a hard decision to leave behind the same town i grew up in since 1972.
I am thankfull that my new hunting spots in the last 14 years have less hunter traffic. This past fall i only got out 7 or 8 times but i am thankful that i only saw a handful of hunters and that was mostly on the main roads before the hike in. I am not sure what the future holds for the next generation in regards to game popluations or access but i am somewhat relieved that my children dont have a whole lot of interest or passion in hunting as i dont see a bright future in this past time or sport anymore and i would hate for my kids to have such a passion for it like i did at a young age only to be let down. Our game being mismanaged by politicians and the steady influx of more people into this province which means more encroachment on crown land does not bode well for our outdoor pastimes.
__________________
An awful lot of big game was killed with the .30-06 including the big bears before everyone became affluent enough to own a rifle for every species of game they might hunt.
Last edited by 1899b; 12-13-2017 at 12:40 PM.
|