Suffield - January Success?

[KBF]

Originally Posted by KBF

Yep. I got it. I vouch for you this is a very big bull. But since I don't have this guys permission I won't post it.

As for my last comment, Elkhunter18 contacted me and said this is his bull.


EDIT

Pic removed at elkhunter18 request.

[Lefty-Canuck]

He posted his other 4 elk on another site he had a fair bit of success.

LC

[Deer Hunter]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

The 415 I saw was shot last year by a young FN guy from St Paul.

Originally Posted by Elkhunter18

Yes could be same guy is his last name houle from around st.paul area

Funny, Houle might be his/your last name....
Great bull!

[Full Curl Earl]

Great bull but not a 400" bull, looks like a 365 to me.

[Deer Hunter]

This young guy from St Paul (elkhunter 18?) is an accomplished hunter.

He should learn how to use photobucket so that he can post better pics of his 415 bull from last year, his bull from this year?, his mule buck, his big wt buck etc...
That pic doesnt do that elk justice. The other pics I've seen are clearly of a 400 class bull.

Anyways, congrats to those sticking it out.

[lone wolf]

Originally Posted by Elkhunter18

When I killed mine it was at 4:07 when I dropped the first one if that explains why their was not as much kills reported I was the only tag hunter that killed out of the herd the rest were fn and they killed 13 and 6 of them were crankers and yes they came from the nwa you can see all the tracks of where they came from and they kept moving towards that big valley in the northeast corner

Enjoy your (short) stay on the forum ..... thanks for the kind words .... karma will find you

[KBF]

Originally Posted by Elkhunter18

I emailed you a picture of a fn kill 415" bull f&w said it was biggest one yet good for the young fella

Well, I'm gonna do as this fellow wishes and remove his pic from a previous post where I put it up for him.


I don't want to get banned as I enjoy looking at the pics to much. I guess I won't offer to post pics for others and get caught up in banter.

[Elkhunter18]

Deer hunter I do not have anymore photos anymore I just have what is on my Instagram because my phone broke on Monday during the base hunt

[H380]

Originally Posted by Elkhunter18

Deer hunter I do not have anymore photos anymore I just have what is on my Instagram because my phone broke on Monday during the base hunt

So you took a 415 bull on the base last year and were hunting there again this year ? Cow or bull tag this time ?

[KBF]

Originally Posted by H380

So you took a 415 bull on the base last year and were hunting there again this year ? Cow or bull tag this time ?

Don't bother asking. Never will get the true answer. So many holes in his other posts. It's a good thing he's not in a boat cuz he's be sinking fast.

[reddeerhunter]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

The animals do what they do...they are not trapped or fenced in, it's a dice roll right place right time. Putting all the chips on black for a 3 day hunt after an 8+ year wait is not a gamble I would be prepared to take. There are no mulligans.

LC

Nice post buddy. Noted.

[2 Tollers]

While we were successful on the morning of the 14th I took away a number of lessons learned from this trip. I put in for this draw knowing it was a herd reduction program with potentially a large presence of FN. My thoughts were a January draw to extend my season. As we have a moose and 2 deer from the fall I was under no pressure from "she who rules" to get wild game for the freezer. I wanted to see some new country and see what the base was about as it would be a new area to me.

I had spoken with guys at work who had done the Nov hunt and also a number of people on AO through PM's who shared their experiences. The information was valuable as I knew going in this would be a driving hunt (which is not my style), there would be goofs and people playing the stupid card and to just move away from them and the crowds. I knew going in this experience was not for everyone but want to give it a try.

My hunt for the 1 1/2 days was a learning curve - some frustration, amazement on the land, great respect for the range patrol and organizers on what they are putting up with and a different feeling on completion.

Day 1: This was the cross over day with the Bull hunters. The meeting room in the community centre was packed (approx 80 cow hunters added to the bull and FN numbers) and they announced the opening of the south half of the base. The bull hunters had been in the north portion for two days. Everyone was heading south as they had not seen much activity in the north.

After the briefing there was congestion getting out of the hall so we held back and were among the last to leave. We knew about the herd south of gate 9 and had another tip on a spot further in. As we were driving up 844 we could see quite a number of trucks that on going through the gate had turned south. We went further in and starting working areas to the north looking for sign. We found two areas quite a distance apart that elk had been feeding in and traveling through. We were shadowed quite a few times by three or four trucks as we explored out of the way trails.

At the end of day 1, I said this was not for me with the numbers of people, trucks following our paths and sitting to see if we moved something out and the tenseness of that mornings briefing. Fully expecting the same start for day 2 we were going to hunt the morning of the 2nd day and leave at noon.

Day 2: The hunter numbers were down substantially with only 8 FN and the cow hunters present. Leaving the room was organized and quick. We were in the middle of the group headed out and our plan was to go to the southern end of the areas we had seen sign in and work our way north. This worked well as on checking the first spot we seen three cows out quite a ways headed south. When we stopped to glass they turned and headed back north. We spent about 1 1/2 hours slowly getting closer as they moved north east. We did not have any trucks following us or trying to box us or the elk in. One blue ford with a canopy came in saw us in the area, turned and left (thanks to whoever you were).

The elk were very spooky and if they saw you out of the vehicle or saw the vehicle clearly they were on the move. Finally after about 6 kms, two calf's broke off and went behind a little hill and I was able to close ground on foot and get a shot on a nice calf. On the shot the other calf took off north east at a fast trot. After cleaning up the downed animal we checked the track on the one that had taken off and it went non stop for well over 8 km before we said enough on following.

On checking out at noon it was interesting to see that the two other cows that were taken that morning came out of the 2nd spot we had seen good activity in. Using the one day to scout did pay off.

In speaking with the check station there had been just over 100 elk checked out for that week and mine was the third antlerless of the day. After the good experience of less pressure on Day 2 I could have stayed another day but plans had been made and we really did not need another animal.

Lessons Learned:
This is a different experience and not for everyone. There is a wide range of hunting experience that comes to this hunt. You get to see it all and sometimes very close around you, which made me nervous at times.

There are goofs and people that play the stupid card but I have seen this in 232 on Jan cow hunt and it was much worse than what I saw on the base.

People will talk about the bad experiences. Treat this as knowledge to keep safe and how not to spoil your own personal experience.

This is not a gimmie hunt and not one that I would use priority points on for a bull draw. There are way to many variables to risk a high priority for a three day hunt for good bull. Yes a few people get them but they are minority. Use your priority some where else or use it at your own risk for this hunt.

The late seasons are not gimmie hunts for cows. The herds have been pressured and chased by trucks not selectively shot by spot and stalk. They know the OOB areas and head to them. The animals we saw on day two were clearly nervous about vehicles.

Currently this is a hunt that will involve driving. There is no way we could have stayed in contact with the three cows on foot. This is big open country and the elk are used to travelling long distances.

You need a range finder and be prepared for long shots. My shot was 200 yds but I was prepared to shoot out to 400.

The Future:
I think with a few changes this could be much more enjoyable less pressured experience. There will be goofs and the FN participation will have to be accepted. Even with changes this would be a big gamble for a solid bull on a three day hunt.

Good luck out there and play safe.

[lone wolf]

Originally Posted by H380

So you took a 415 bull on the base last year and were hunting there again this year ? Cow or bull tag this time ?

IF he shot a bull last year on CFB Suffield it would have to have been with a treaty card. 2015/16 are the first seasons for non-natives to harvest bulls on the base. This year he claims to have used tags on two cows, yet his phone broke while hunting on on the base on Monday ..... during the bulls only season. He has told so many lies he is starting to confuse himself

[trapperdodge]

I have hunted around the Base many times. Last year I applied for and got a cow tag for a Jan hunt. It was one of the most pathetic hunting experiences of my life.

A herd of oh I don't know 800-1000 cows, calves spikes were surrounded and the shooting started. I could have shot a wounded cow but chose to pass. FN's guys were cleaning up on the wounded and in all fairness I hadn't shot and they did. Remember it's wide open short grass prairie. You could see what everyone was doing.

I talked to a couple who had to lay down in the snow as the bullets were flying. Following that experience I tried to get away from the crowd. I was hunting by myself and really wanted to experience a hunt, not just drive around a shoot something.

Well it turned out that is exactly what happened. On the last day I took a nice cow and was heading home by lunch. But prior to that I drove 100's of km and never saw a cow. Some bulls at the north end of the Base but no cows. I'm familiar with the country around the Base and that is where the elk herd was - outside on private land away from the gong show that that was occurring on the Base.

I got lucky. It wasn't anything anybody would be hi-fiving about. I drove over a ridge and the elk were in range so I stepped out and dropped one. It was a nothing hunt in fact it wasn't even hunting in my book - it was shooting. I really didn't get to hunt at all.

Guess I'm old school but I wouldn't go back to repeat that experience. I think setting a camp and hunting hard - even if unsuccessful is a much more rewarding experience than the ****t show of Suffield. That's my opinion.

[dannypee]

Can't wait for next year's thread lol well I got both of my cows in Nov and they taste awesome if you didn't fill your tags comiserations if you did congratulations 😊it's been a roller coaster reading thread after thread after thread ,a little something for everyone but mostly whinging and whining my personal highlight was someone tit telling my buddy that he was incorrect about the military having to work the hunt to get a Tag and that the army get overtime,most of you probably met my buddy at the base a some stage he would have been wearing green 😂😂😂😂.Anyhow I'm not reading anymore about Suffield because it's boring now waaaay to much butt hurt so until next year's crying I bid you adure 😊
Regards
DANNY

[Joe Black]

same bat time, same bat channel, (next year).

[H380]

Originally Posted by lone wolf

IF he shot a bull last year on CFB Suffield it would have to have been with a treaty card. 2015/16 are the first seasons for non-natives to harvest bulls on the base. This year he claims to have used tags on two cows, yet his phone broke while hunting on on the base on Monday ..... during the bulls only season. He has told so many lies he is starting to confuse himself

Thats kinda where I was headed .. lol .

[Warrior]

Any info from today's hunt?

[Warrior]

Did anyone hunt Fri or Sat?

[LEXUSJAKE]

Well, the Suffield Base hunt is officially over for me! Brought the truck home with 1000 kms plus and no elk in the box! We went there on Tuesday afternoon. came in on the north end of the base down the 884. Approximately 10 kms south we came across 125 plus elk just inside the west fence area about 1 km in, excitement went up as now some of the elk stories heard appeared to be very true.
Day 1, After the late briefing and 730 am departure to gate 9, behind 20 or so other trucks, all looked good, turned north on the first road, (should of gone south!!!), spent 8 hours driving the roads and trails, north, then east, then south, did not see 1 elk, lots of antelope, coyotes, 0 elk, apparently the 125 herd seen on Tuesday night went south, but some of the first trucks on the base that turned south came across them and some were shot. Range patrol had to finish off several wounded animals as some hunters were shooting into the herd and then the wounded ran off, several gut shot, and busted legs, etc, Range patrol staff then had to track and try to finish them off, not all were found, wounded elk finished off by range patrol were then given to who ever was there that wanted them. That concluded our first day.
The next morning briefing we found out that 30 animals were shot on day 1, including the bull hunters that were on their last day, mostly cows, a few calves, no big bulls, several small spikers, nothing big,
Day 2 was all windshield time for us, covered another 300 plus kms all over north and south sides, did not see any elk st all.
Day 3 arrived, reports said that a large herd had moved unto the base from the northeast side, approximately 800 plus animals, excitement when up, most trucks then went to that area, nobody was able to confirm the location of the herd, maybe they split into many small groups, we finally came across 7 cows on the north of one road, could not even get close, they stayed about 1-2 kms away all the time and finally disappeared into a ravine//coulee. Never say then again. End of day reports were that 25 or so were shot that day, most of the hunters now even seeing any elk at all.
Day 4, Saturday, temp now down to -15-18 below, much colder, we did not see any elk at all, left at 4pm, reports at that time was 3 cows, time to head home,
There is always next year!!! That's hunting!
Lessons learned, the huge herds that were normally on the base, they move off to most of the farmland around the base under even the least amount of truck//hunter pressure, large herds are seldom or if ever seen, don't get disappointed. It's still a hunt, not a fish in a barrel shoot!
I will go back at the next opportunity. Still a great trip.

[Springer]

Great Positive Post Lexus Jake !! I have been to the Wainwright Base hunt 3-4 times .Sometimes success sometimes not , still better than not being out there at all...Looking forward to this Hunt and seeing all the Antelope and Deer as well on the base.

[leeelmer]

We(my wife and I,She had the cow tags) went down on Tuesday night for a stay in Medician Hat.
Wednesday morning as stated before was a bit of a gong show with way too many people at the briefing.
Not one elk spotted that day(450km)
Day two lots less people, still no elk spotted again about 450km drove
Day 3 was starting to get a bit of dispare as it was getting expensive, with all the fuel and hotels and meals and such, wears on a guy.
But we spotted fresh tracks at about 9am crossing a road at the south of base,spotted one hunter that had managed to get a cow out of this herd.
From this point on we tracked the herd as they moved north, always seamed to be a bit behind them, or we were to far in-front, one road to far north of the herd.
Finally spotted the herd and fresh track south of us by about 1/2 mile, so we parked and watched them to see where they were going to cross, to our utter dismay, we seen a truck approach us from the west, they parked, I thought ok this might work out good and we all can get a cow.
this is when it went down hill. the guys got out and started blazing hell at the herd, free handed at over 1000yards.
Well hell the herd spit up and went down in a coulee, and out of site.
Looking for any sign, it looked like they went around a hill and to the west, so we took off and went to the west road to see if they crossed. Nothing, well ok lets go to the road just south and see if they turned and headed back the way they came. Nope nothing. So headed back to where we were and maybe I would see some tracks I didn't see before.
Nothing, but the lay of the land with coulees and such makes it hard to tell.
So we headed a bit further east. Found the tracks crossing the road again going north. Crested a rise and there they were,1/2mile north of us.
Ok make a plan, head to the next road north, but it takes a bit as we had to travel a few mile east then north then back west.
Damb they had all-ready crossed. Ok head to the next road north, good gap between these two roads so should beat them there.
Good got to where we thought they would cross, and sure enough caught sight of the herd 1 mile to south of us. So just parked and watched them. About 80-90 in this group few spike bulls and rest cows.
A truck was about 1 mile to east of us and seen the herd too, then a truck pulled up behind us. 3 older gentlemen asked if it would be ok to stay with us and see if they could get a cow or two. Very impressed that they asked, as they certainly had every right to.
The truck to east of us gave up and the two hunters started walking on a angle towards the herd on a angle. Well we did not hear the shots, but after they stopped and said they had shot twice but had put both shots high over there backs.
This worked perfectly for us, as it pushed the herd right to us. This was at 2:30
They crossed 100 in-front of us. My wife got one cow, the shot a bit high and broke her back, one more in the neck to put her down for good.
The other two guys got one down and another hit but moved over the hill.
We started gutting ours and the other guys went after theirs.
They came back with the one cow in tow, but saw the wounded one crest a hill really slowly and lay down, so they were going to gut the one they had then go after her not wanting to push her.(they got her latter,that was great news) the older guys gave me a hand loading mine, and I helped them gut theirs and load it up. After this we headed to the check out station and they went after their second elk.
We hunted a few hours on saturday but left about 11 it was snowing and we did not see a thing. Long drive home. But very happy and proud of my wife getting her first elk.

[Warrior]

Awesome. Glad you were persistent and it paid off....

[slopeshunter]

Congrats on the elk leeelmer! It sure has been a tough year on the base.

[lead chucker]

Originally Posted by Hunt Boss

In the vain of thinking outside of the box and the obvious mistakes that have taken place, I think it would be a good political move, as well as an olive branch on behalf of SRD, to return priority points back to hunters who burned their hopes of culling 7,000- 10,000 animals. Elk will always find sanctuaries under pressure.It's no different then the bombing zones in Camp Wainwright, they come and go from there in the dark. If the NWA is not huntable it puts the cull at a huge disadvantage to the hunters that thought they were actually going to be able to cull something. So, in actual fact the promise of culling has been compromised and hunters should be compensated. Just a thought.....I'm sure it wouldn't be that tough to return priority points.

Did you say give these guys back there priority points? Not likely.. gys new what they were getting into when applying for this tag...your never garenteed an animal let alone a trophy...cull or not they should have known that before applying.....

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by lead chucker

Did you say give these guys back there priority points? Not likely.. gys new what they were getting into when applying for this tag...your never garenteed an animal let alone a trophy...cull or not they should have known that before applying.....

Nobody knew what was actually going to happen.. It's the first year of these hunts

[KBF]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Nobody knew what was actually going to happen.. It's the first year of these hunts

They should of had a pretty good idea what would happen.

[the kid]

Originally Posted by KBF

They should of had a pretty good idea what would happen.

Was there any indication when people drawing for bull tags that it stated in the draw booklet that this was a herd reduction hunt or a #18 bull tag just courious as I didn't put in??

[KBF]

Pretty sure it was mentioned before the draw about how many seasons and tags there would be each season. That was the big talk here on the forum about it. If a person is willing to spend 10-15 priority points to chance for a 3-4 day hunt on the base that's just a risk they have to be willing to live with.
How many guys would like to get there points back for those winters that weren't all that conducive for the WMU 300 late season tags and didn't see elk out of the park.

Just another part of how it all goes. Not sure what else could be done.

Now on the other hand if rules and requirements changed after people applied that's another story

[b_doornenbal]

No there was no mention of tag numbers for either season, cow or bull. As per most zones in the province you can only look at last years draw results but don't know how many tags will be given in any zone. In this case the closest zone was outside the base where there was 17-25 I think per season last year. I would have never put in if I knew there was going to 100 per season...... 4 times the tags with only 3 days.