Antelope numbers

[Settle&release]

Hi, just looking to see how the antelope numbers are down in southern ab? Just trying to estimate what the outcome of the draws will be this year?
Thanks in advance

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[oldgutpile]

Very good winter. Mild with lots of chinooks to keep the prairies open for feeding.
Twins being born everywhere this spring and lots of decent bucks sighted.
Will this mean tag numbers will increase, or do they base allotments on previous stats?
Realistically , if we were to back off one more year, we have the start of an excellent base herd.
But it only takes one rough winter and they can be reduced to nothing again!
Also, I am seeing greater numbers farther north than I typically ever see.
I travel highway 36 from Brooks to Hardisty once or twice a month and the antelope counts haven’t looked this good in many years!

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by oldgutpile

Very good winter. Mild with lots of chinooks to keep the prairies open for feeding.
Twins being born everywhere this spring and lots of decent bucks sighted.
Will this mean tag numbers will increase, or do they base allotments on previous stats?
Realistically , if we were to back off one more year, we have the start of an excellent base herd.
But it only takes one rough winter and they can be reduced to nothing again!
Also, I am seeing greater numbers farther north than I typically ever see.
I travel highway 36 from Brooks to Hardisty once or twice a month and the antelope counts haven’t looked this good in many years!

Good winters or bad winters the draw number are the same
No reason why they hold antelope draw results back to a later date

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Good winters or bad winters the draw number are the same
No reason why they hold antelope draw results back to a later date

Thats false as 2010/2011 was a horrible winter and in the fall of 2011 the government severely cut the Antelope tags.

Doesn’t the government fly the Antelope wmu’s every summer and count the new offspring which is why the later draw results?

[greywolf]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Thats false as 2010/2011 was a horrible winter and in the fall of 2011 the government severely cut the Antelope tags.

Doesn’t the government fly the Antelope wmu’s every summer and count the new offspring which is why the later draw results?

Is that not the reason why we have to wait until August for the draw results??

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Thats false as 2010/2011 was a horrible winter and in the fall of 2011 the government severely cut the Antelope tags.

Doesn’t the government fly the Antelope wmu’s every summer and count the new offspring which is why the later draw results?

Actually 2 years ago there was a horrible winter and they didn’t cut anything

[Gamblor]

Some Population numbers from 2007 - 2017
https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/cd90...urvey-2017.pdf

[RZR]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Actually 2 years ago there was a horrible winter and they didn’t cut anything

Do you have proof?

I found tag numbers from 2016-2009
WMU 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009
108 - 26 - 26 - 52 - 26 - 10 - 10 - 30
104 - 68 - 68 - 135 - 40 - 40 - 40 - 104
102 - 131 - 87 - 116 - 79 - 10 - 30 - 400
128 - 13 - 13 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 10 - 94
138 - 30 - 15 - 5 - 16 - 10 - 10 - 80
116 - 97 - 145 - 116 - 152 - 10 - 10 - 105
150 - 198 - 185 - 209 - 207 - 15 - 10 - 336
160 - 112 - 84 - 103 - 131 - 40 - 40 - 113

It kinda looks like they have been adjusting tags when needed.

[Settle&release]

Thanks for the info. Looks like a good year for the draw so far

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[4extreme]

Originally Posted by oldgutpile

Very good winter. Mild with lots of chinooks to keep the prairies open for feeding.
Twins being born everywhere this spring and lots of decent bucks sighted.
Will this mean tag numbers will increase, or do they base allotments on previous stats?
Realistically , if we were to back off one more year, we have the start of an excellent base herd.
But it only takes one rough winter and they can be reduced to nothing again!
Also, I am seeing greater numbers farther north than I typically ever see.
I travel highway 36 from Brooks to Hardisty once or twice a month and the antelope counts haven’t looked this good in many years!

I just drove to hanna on highway 36 and seen three, no more than 50 yards from the road.

[bonedogg]

With the budget cuts in the last few years they have decided to only fly the antelope zones every 2 years is what I was told last year. This year is supposedly the year they are doing the flights and I anticipate they will increase tag numbers correspondingly. Prairie hasn't been this green in many years with the amount of rain thus far.

[1bowhunter12]

I’m pumped !!!

[Anthill]

Nice! I should be up for a tag this fall too.

[WayneChristie]

havent seen any twins yet but lots of singles.