Ronald Lake Bison

Wadd · #1 03-24-2015, 08:38 AM

Has anyone been hunting around Ronald Lake, North of Ft. McMurray ?

I am looming at going in either September or February 2016. Does anyone one have any pros or cons to either time of year, suggestions for hunting at either time?

If anyone has any other tips on hunting Bison (like good ways to track them). Would appreciate your insight

Thanks

Full Curl Earl · #2 03-24-2015, 08:40 PM

Joined in March, and making a hunters biggest no no.
I think you should pull your post, anyone who has experience in that so called area, is most likely not very happy right now with it being posted here.
But that's just an assumption on my part.

MooseRiverTrapper · #3 03-24-2015, 11:25 PM

.

calgarychef · #4 03-25-2015, 07:30 AM

That "secret information" is available on the net for anyone willing to do a little digging.

coppercarbide · #5 03-25-2015, 11:09 AM

Hahaha, well there's an interesting issue.

The Ronald Lake bison herd is not protected, and for good reason. Between the risk of spreading brucellocis to other herds and the issue of plains/wood bison hybridization, there has been a specific decision to NOT protect this herd.

However, this means that anyone can come and shoot one (which is what the AB gov wants, in order to protect other herds).

However, the natives in this area are pushing HARD for protection. Not because they want nobody to hunt these animals, but because they want ONLY THEMSELVES to be able to hunt them. They want protection for the bison from white hunters... not from hunters.

They have been stirring the pot up there for a long time, lobbying for millions of dollars to be spend on studies, lobbying against industry, and trying to create a situation where they have 100% monopoly on an out-of-the-park buffalo herd.

Kind of a poop show.

Anyway, you can ironically benefit from this. You know all those studies that the natives demanded (and your tax dollars paid for)?

Some of them can be useful. Like this one:

http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/docum...ix_219c-01.pdf

paintchips · #6 03-25-2015, 01:40 PM

Just a question, is this the herd that syncrude started on there reclaimed land years ago? or is this a seperate herd altogether? And i could be wrong with the first part with syncrude, I just remember when I was workin up there years ago that they had a small herd on some of their land. Again correct me if Im wrong, just curious.

mark-edmonton · #7 03-25-2015, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paintchips

Just a question, is this the herd that syncrude started on there reclaimed land years ago? or is this a seperate herd altogether? And i could be wrong with the first part with syncrude, I just remember when I was workin up there years ago that they had a small herd on some of their land. Again correct me if Im wrong, just curious.

Not the same

diamonddave · #8 03-25-2015, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Full Curl Earl

Joined in March, and making a hunters biggest no no.
I think you should pull your post, anyone who has experience in that so called area, is most likely not very happy right now with it being posted here.
But that's just an assumption on my part.

What are you talking about?? This is the perfect place to talk about and ask these questions.

Full Curl Earl · #9 03-25-2015, 03:38 PM

Your absolutely right Dave, please provide your best Mule deer location for all to enjoy! I have my pen ready!

diamonddave · #10 03-25-2015, 04:14 PM

lol You act like it's a secret that those buff are there!! This topic has been discussed to death on this forum.
Go gett'em boys!

Best Mule deer area would be where Potty and Mamba hunt!!

kaleh01 · #11 03-25-2015, 04:28 PM

Writing an article to hopefully be included in an upcoming AO mag. Sorry, not divulging any information but here's a teaser....

Grizzly Adams · #12 03-25-2015, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamonddave

lol You act like it's a secret that those buff are there!! This topic has been discussed to death on this forum.
Go gett'em boys!

Best Mule deer area would be where Potty and Mamba hunt!!

Winter road to Ft. Chip is what I was advised. Bring a crane.

Grizz

nube · #13 03-25-2015, 04:56 PM

I guided bears from the firebag north to the Richardson. Never ever cut a track. The trapper has only seen them once or twice inside the park in over 30 years of trapping. If your looking for them in that area good luck. You will look a lifetime and not find them there I don't think. If they were there I would think Gunslinger would be buffalo outfitting as well not just bears....

mark-edmonton · #14 03-25-2015, 05:37 PM

Had a big bull bison in my crosshairs 2 winters ago up that area! Only prob was too far away for ethical shot! Definitely not easy to find. Heard this year that they are being pushed up closer to the park from all the industry activity!

Grizzly Adams · #15 03-25-2015, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nube

I guided bears from the firebag north to the Richardson. Never ever cut a track. The trapper has only seen them once or twice inside the park in over 30 years of trapping. If your looking for them in that area good luck. You will look a lifetime and not find them there I don't think. If they were there I would think Gunslinger would be buffalo outfitting as well not just bears....

Think it's a lot like hunting wild hogs, a large element of chance involved. The guy I knew up there had a buddy who was trucking back and forth between Ft. Mac and Ft. Chip. His friend spotted them and called him on the cell phone. Simple after that. Spent a summer on the west side of the park and found quite a few tracks, too busy working to hunt them down.

Grizz

Big Grey Wolf · #16 03-26-2015, 10:33 AM

Guys, most of us would part with naked pictures of our wives before we would give away a bison honey hole.

IHUNT · #17 03-26-2015, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coppercarbide

Hahaha, well there's an interesting issue.

The Ronald Lake bison herd is not protected, and for good reason. Between the risk of spreading brucellocis to other herds and the issue of plains/wood bison hybridization, there has been a specific decision to NOT protect this herd.

However, this means that anyone can come and shoot one (which is what the AB gov wants, in order to protect other herds).

However, the natives in this area are pushing HARD for protection. Not because they want nobody to hunt these animals, but because they want ONLY THEMSELVES to be able to hunt them. They want protection for the bison from white hunters... not from hunters.

They have been stirring the pot up there for a long time, lobbying for millions of dollars to be spend on studies, lobbying against industry, and trying to create a situation where they have 100% monopoly on an out-of-the-park buffalo herd.

Kind of a poop show.

Anyway, you can ironically benefit from this. You know all those studies that the natives demanded (and your tax dollars paid for)?

Some of them can be useful. Like this one:

http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/docum...ix_219c-01.pdf

You must be a big part in all the useless research thats being done on this herd i assume!!!

BadlyBaines · #18 03-26-2015, 01:32 PM

This herd is also of special traditional value to the local First Nations. You might find your hunt less than popular with the locals.

diamonddave · #19 03-26-2015, 02:59 PM

Didn't know we were already popular with them??

st99 · #20 03-26-2015, 03:00 PM

is there any risk to get sick while field dressing or eating one of those?

Michael_Brown · #21 03-26-2015, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Guys, most of us would part with naked pictures of our wives before we would give away a bison honey hole.

nube · #22 03-26-2015, 05:48 PM

Had a friend try a hunt on the West side by Fort Vermillion I think it was. Barely made it out of there with his life. Had to leave $1000 or more worth of gear in the bush as they could not go get it after they left their toboggan loaded out in the bush. If thye went to go get it they would not have had a truck to drive home in!
Cops were called. Fish cops called and nobody wanted to come help as they didn't feel safe either...... Not sure how the east side of the park is for Natives but it isn't an easy hunt in a lot of ways

mark-edmonton · #23 03-26-2015, 06:20 PM

Only been once . Definitely not an easy hunt!

coppercarbide · #24 03-26-2015, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IHUNT

You must be a big part in all the useless research thats being done on this herd i assume!!!

Ha, no far from it. Just a guy who cancelled his cable a long time ago, bought an iPad, and reads stuff like that at night now. Although a research biologist would be a fantastic way to make a living.
Also a point of clarification, in no way whatsoever was I trying to insult the actual work ethic of the biologists doing the studies. Hard working well educated people, doing their best to answer questions that are posed to them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nube

Cops were called. Fish cops called and nobody wanted to come help as they didn't feel safe either...... Not sure how the east side of the park is for Natives but it isn't an easy hunt in a lot of ways

Happens sometimes fishing too, around Heart Lake is bad, along with a number of other places I'm sure. Sad. Real sad.

xxclaro · #25 03-26-2015, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaleh01

Writing an article to hopefully be included in an upcoming AO mag. Sorry, not divulging any information but here's a teaser....

Looks like a Ruger Alaskan? Details of the rifle/bullets and performance of same, if possible?

kaleh01 · #26 03-30-2015, 07:12 PM

Quick derail, sorry all. Yeah it's a stainless ruger Alaskan that I had arma-coated green. Added a trijicon 1-4x24 red post reticle and I load 400gr barnes tsx at 2400 fps. One shot and dropped on the spot for that big girl in the pic at 225m. She was quartering away hard, the bullet tumbled, broke 4 ribs clean off in a row, through a lung and broke the opposite shoulder. Found the bullet in the hide. My buddy has never seen one drop out of 6 so far on the spot like that one did.

tchardy1972 · #27 03-30-2015, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Guys, most of us would part with naked pictures of our wives before we would give away a bison honey hole.

Please send pictures to my e-mail. I'll p.m. you th

e address.

seven0eight · #28 03-31-2015, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coppercarbide

Hahaha, well there's an interesting issue.

The Ronald Lake bison herd is not protected, and for good reason. Between the risk of spreading brucellocis to other herds and the issue of plains/wood bison hybridization, there has been a specific decision to NOT protect this herd.

However, this means that anyone can come and shoot one (which is what the AB gov wants, in order to protect other herds).

However, the natives in this area are pushing HARD for protection. Not because they want nobody to hunt these animals, but because they want ONLY THEMSELVES to be able to hunt them. They want protection for the bison from white hunters... not from hunters.

They have been stirring the pot up there for a long time, lobbying for millions of dollars to be spend on studies, lobbying against industry, and trying to create a situation where they have 100% monopoly on an out-of-the-park buffalo herd.

Kind of a poop show.

Anyway, you can ironically benefit from this. You know all those studies that the natives demanded (and your tax dollars paid for)?

Some of them can be useful. Like this one:

http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/docum...ix_219c-01.pdf

Just to clear up a minor misconceptions here (and not to disagree with other points):

The study you provided the link to is part of regulatory application, paid for and submitted by the oil company that wants to extract the resource (Teck), NOT by taxpayers. It's part of a supplemental information request that governments insisted the company undertake so that the taxpayers, decision-makers, hunters, aboriginals...all of us...have a better idea of what impact the project will have on these bison. Your taxpayer dollars are only involved insomuch as trying to keep the company honest about their project's effect on wildlife...and that's an okay use of dollars IMO!

coppercarbide · #29 03-31-2015, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seven0eight

Just to clear up a minor misconceptions here (and not to disagree with other points):

The study you provided the link to is part of regulatory application, paid for and submitted by the oil company that wants to extract the resource (Teck), NOT by taxpayers. It's part of a supplemental information request that governments insisted the company undertake so that the taxpayers, decision-makers, hunters, aboriginals...all of us...have a better idea of what impact the project will have on these bison. Your taxpayer dollars are only involved insomuch as trying to keep the company honest about their project's effect on wildlife...and that's an okay use of dollars IMO!

I know the first nations in the area were (are?) pushing extremely hard to do a bunch of studies where the money could perhaps go towards better good, rather than manage a herd that has been deemed as a genetic and disease risk to other viable populations.

But you are right, I'm absolutely 100% not against wildlife studies like this. I think it's important to spend our tax money on these studies, just not necessarily for this herd.

Thanks for the clarification, I agree it's important not to demonize environmental work and regulatory applications with broad strokes.

Wadd · #30 03-30-2016, 09:28 AM

Hi All,

Thanks for the tips on the Ronald Lake herd. I did have some serious trepidation about posting this topic as it is a gem, but there is literally tonnes of information out there on google if you take a minute so it is not that big a secret.

Also spent some time hunting the herd this year. There is a lot more too it then just knowing where Ronald Lake is. Not like hunting in Zama, access is tricky.

Sounds like the hunting of this herd is getting shut down (lots of rumors, official announcement pending), so we will have to look elsewhere for our buffalo hunt.

That said, check out forum post created on Hunting Wild Bison in Alberta. It sounds like there is a desire for it and so opportunities could be created. Would like to here your comments

Check out Forum:
Introduction of Wild Bison in Southern Alberta for Hunting
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...34#post3187734