Anyone heading to Suffield Tomorrow?

Elkhunter12 · #1 01-19-2020, 03:55 PM

I'm a first timer, hoping for the best as always...

125 hunting out there (capacity) sounds like there will be a ton of pickups parked at the safety briefing

Good luck to everyone!

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george 1979 · #2 01-19-2020, 04:59 PM

Do you have cow or bull tag?

ringo · #3 01-19-2020, 05:23 PM

We are down here looking for Cows if anyone has any advice. Pm me

Elkhunter12 · #4 01-19-2020, 05:24 PM

Bull tag.....

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Elkhunter12 · #5 01-19-2020, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ringo

We are down here looking for Cows if anyone has any advice. Pm me

Lots of spot and stalking. Be prepared (I'm told) to take a long shot

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DiabeticKripple · #6 01-19-2020, 07:01 PM

get into the NWA. drive to the end of mounted rifles road and head south west towards k-rat road. thats where most of the elk shot last year during my hunt was.

Dale S · #7 01-20-2020, 05:31 PM

A good range finder is a must. Judging distance on the prairie is hard. My rule of thumb if your guessing. Add 100 yards to your guess.
A gun that you can confidently shoot and hit targets up to 500 yards. And have the knocking down power at that range.
The NWA is different than the prairie. A lot easier to spot and stalk. On the prairie be prepared to belly crawl. With the temp. the way it is, it's going to be sloppy wet. Oh yeah watch out for the cactus, they suck.

Elkhunter12 · #8 01-20-2020, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale S

A good range finder is a must. Judging distance on the prairie is hard. My rule of thumb if your guessing. Add 100 yards to your guess.

A gun that you can confidently shoot and hit targets up to 500 yards. And have the knocking down power at that range.

The NWA is different than the prairie. A lot easier to spot and stalk. On the prairie be prepared to belly crawl. With the temp. the way it is, it's going to be sloppy wet. Oh yeah watch out for the cactus, they suck.

It was colder than predicted today, plus 1 to minus 1 and add in the wind she was chilly.

No animals on the flats except on the perimeter of the base..mostly antelope and Mullies, saw 1 yote.

When I check out of the base there were 40ngius already out, zero Elk and no sightings

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stonehunter · #9 01-20-2020, 09:11 PM

I'd very much appreciate hearing any info at all on the elk situation there. My son has a tag for the Feb. 3-4-5 season. Long way to go if there are no elk.

Lefty-Canuck · #10 01-20-2020, 09:23 PM

A friend of mine lives in the area and travels in and out of the base often. The way he describes things I can’t see using any priority at all to hunt there. It’s simply decimated and the way the hunts are run now, there is no back and forth from the inside to the outside.

LC

Who Da Fisherman · #11 01-20-2020, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkhunter12

It was colder than predicted today, plus 1 to minus 1 and add in the wind she was chilly.

No animals on the flats except on the perimeter of the base..mostly antelope and Mullies, saw 1 yote.

When I check out of the base there were 40ngius already out, zero Elk and no sightings

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40ngius???

Elkhunter12 · #12 01-21-2020, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Who Da Fisherman

40ngius???

40 guys

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george 1979 · #13 01-21-2020, 06:56 AM

Day #1
Cow-1
Bull-2
Total-3

Hunter4ever12 · #14 01-21-2020, 10:52 PM

I worked on the base from September to Xmas this year and I only seen two herds,maybe 40–60 head in each. One group hung out on the interface road off of sapper and the other was on the very east side of the NWA in the river valley. The numbers are down for sure and the remaining herds have gotten even more stealthier for the ones who stayed. Going to be a tough hunt for all this season,good luck to you everyone.

Elkhunter12 · #15 01-21-2020, 10:59 PM

Checked out at 4:30, nothing down but a rumor of an indigenous dude shooting a bull that was horn locked with another.

Fish and wildlife said the heard is thining an opportunity's are harder

All the Elk are in the North W A

Spoke to an oil service guy he said all the Elk are in the NWA and only come out after dark and return long before light. He said they are about 2000 strong and always stay together

Waste of time if you don't get drawn for the NWA, if you want to burn fuel then go otherwise go home......

****rd me off when people get drawn and then road hunt!

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Spruceygoosey · #16 01-22-2020, 07:54 AM

Thanks for the info.
I’m also heading down Feb 3,4,5 and hearing mixed reviews at this point.
All info is much appreciated.
It’s definitely unusual to be going into an unfamiliar area for a hunt and only having 3 days to get it figured out.

Full Curl Earl · #17 01-22-2020, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkhunter12

Checked out at 4:30, nothing down but a rumor of an indigenous dude shooting a bull that was horn locked with another.

Fish and wildlife said the heard is thining an opportunity's are harder

All the Elk are in the North W A

Spoke to an oil service guy he said all the Elk are in the NWA and only come out after dark and return long before light. He said they are about 2000 strong and always stay together

Waste of time if you don't get drawn for the NWA, if you want to burn fuel then go otherwise go home......

****rd me off when people get drawn and then road hunt!

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What is ****rd lol
Big place to just start a random walk in. What direction?
You have to locate sign or animals out there in your vehicle first or you will walk 3 days and not see an animal.

leeelmer · #18 01-22-2020, 03:34 PM

Above is quite true,
We are headed down on Monday as my wife has been drawn for cow.
We will put in for the NWA draw, even though my wife has difficulty walking a long ways as she is pregnant. We will spot or spot sign then walk, as there is no way she can just randomly walk for miles without some idea of if there are elk there or at least have been in the general area.
I have been down in the past for a hunt...cull? well we were there and got a cow, and then left, it took two days and over 1000km on the truck, as many opportunities were foiled by others, some just they happened to shot first, and some people just being stupid. I am very happy that they are limiting the amount of FN on the base each day, as the first time I was there it was absolute mayhem, I hope now it has calmed down a bit. I am sorely disappointed that our current government(and past ones) will not change laws at least to only allow alberta FN hunting in alberta,last year while in camp wainwright there were 12 natives from Vancouver island hunting moose in wainwright, as well that seams about in the normal general traditional area Vancouver island natives would have hunted. but we all know that most likely is not going to change,
I am looking forward to a bit of time out with the wife and no kids, as well as the prospect of getting a cow elk. I know the numbers are way down on what they used to be, but it still should be a good time.

Andrzej · #19 01-22-2020, 03:52 PM

[QUOTE

****rd me off when people get drawn and then road hunt!

[/QUOTE]

Did you see two hunters in wheelchairs during registration?
Are you upset with them?

At 64 I was a helper (after having a heart attack not long ago) to my
73 years old buddy just off last chemo treatment...
Do you expect us to apply for hunt on foot...We did this for many years,
when we could.

We were road hunters and enjoyed it...

Sooner · #20 01-22-2020, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale S

A good range finder is a must. Judging distance on the prairie is hard. My rule of thumb if your guessing. Add 100 yards to your guess.
A gun that you can confidently shoot and hit targets up to 500 yards. And have the knocking down power at that range.
The NWA is different than the prairie. A lot easier to spot and stalk. On the prairie be prepared to belly crawl. With the temp. the way it is, it's going to be sloppy wet. Oh yeah watch out for the cactus, they suck.

Listen to this man, he is the prairie whisperer

I learnt real fast what he was talking about.

stonehunter · #21 01-22-2020, 07:41 PM

Hmmmmm. 2000 head that stick together. Has anybody seen any decent bulls? I talked with a guy from the Hat earlier this fall who said there ain't a bull that'd make 300" left out there. Does anyone have any accurate info on the real state of the bull population? Just going by the forum here, it hardly seems worth heading out for the Feb hunt. Any info is appreciated. Thanks for the stuff you guys have posted.

Andrzej · #22 01-22-2020, 09:09 PM

Bull tag at Suffield is really Antlered Elk good for
any bull elk with antlers more than 4 inches or 10.2 cm.

Farrier1975 · #23 01-22-2020, 09:15 PM

I was there for 2 of the three days. The biologist at the first briefing said to shoot any legal bull you saw if you wanted an elk. Anyone know how many were killed on the first hunt? I know 3 on the first day but we left early on the second day and didn't come back for the third.

Linehaul · #24 01-22-2020, 10:24 PM

Wife and I hunted the first two days. First time on this hunt and didn't know anything at all of the terrain or the draw system. Didn't see any tracks outside of the NWA or SWA for elk. Talked with others and it was all the same no elk or tracks to be seen in the general area. We did get drawn for the NWA first day but didn't know much about the area. Did see elk track talked to hunters that said it was group of 30+ bulls no cows.
We got in on the SWA area the second day because only 8 hunters put in for the draw. They let hunters go to fill the 25 draw spots. So wife and I got to see the SWA area the second day. Know of 5 hunters that stalked 3 bulls in the SWA along the river. Shot at 390 to 400 yards no luck.
From what I found out is that the big herd is in the NWA could be up to a 1000 head. But looking at a long hike in and out. Would be like 13kms plus round trip.
Guys I talked with young and did it once before and didn't want to go in again and pac out an animal from that distance. They shot a bull that year.
If you don't get drawn for the NWA driving in the general area is waste of time. I think unless hunters go in and scare out the herd from the NWA. The only way is if they are pushed out from the NWA into the general area.

wildwoods · #25 01-22-2020, 10:51 PM

Sounds like a gong show not worthy of draw priority...
Too bad

CanadianEh · #26 01-22-2020, 11:35 PM

What is the snow like on the base in the NWA?

Snowshoes required? Or is it pretty bare in the open?

Looking for a cow elk. Empty freezer.

Linehaul · #27 01-22-2020, 11:49 PM

[QUOTE=CanadianEh;4097894]What is the snow like on the base in the NWA?

Snowshoes required? Or is it pretty bare in the open?

Looking for a cow elk.

It is drifted in places but I don't think you would need snow shoes. Few inches at most. Two or three trucks got stuck and pulled out the next day. The roads are drifted in spots and it's hard packed snow.

KyleSS · #28 01-23-2020, 07:28 AM

I spoke to a biologist yesterday that did an areal survey over the base here recently and he said that they only spotted one 6X6 bull and it was a "cheater" bull that was 3.5 years old at best.

The big bulls have moved on

Lefty-Canuck · #29 01-23-2020, 08:28 AM

I have heard most of the “bulls” have moved N and/or E of the base boundaries.

LC

GrayHunter · #30 01-23-2020, 09:23 AM

Anybody know how many elk were taken yesterday? My dad and I were one of the unlucky few to not get into the North NWA yesterday (got drawn the day before). That said, had some chances anyway. Saw a group of 15 bulls head west from the North NWA, and a group of 4 cows a couple hours later. Had cow tags and couldn’t catch up to them. End of the day witnessed the huge herd slowly move out of the North NWA, get shot at then move back in. Seems like they’re starting to get forced out of the North NWA. Maybe next week will be more fruitful? Especially if there’s continued pressure in the North NWA.