Go Back   Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum > Main Category > Hunting Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-15-2017, 05:48 PM
wylecoyote wylecoyote is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 199
Default Off Base Suffield Hunts

Just wanting to know how everyone is making out on the off base hunts this year? I got lucky and hunted there in 2014 which from the sounds of it was the beginning of the end for the super hunts. Was successful in harvesting an amazing bull and saw thousands of elk and passed on probably 10 nice bulls. My brother in law has drawn this year for the Jan hunt and I have not seen or heard much in the way of successful hunts around the base this year or in the past few years for that matter. Just trying to get a feel for what to expect this year as I am going to accompany him and help him on the hunt. Thanks in advance!
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-15-2017, 07:31 PM
Sooner Sooner is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 9,650
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by wylecoyote View Post
Just wanting to know how everyone is making out on the off base hunts this year? I got lucky and hunted there in 2014 which from the sounds of it was the beginning of the end for the super hunts. Was successful in harvesting an amazing bull and saw thousands of elk and passed on probably 10 nice bulls. My brother in law has drawn this year for the Jan hunt and I have not seen or heard much in the way of successful hunts around the base this year or in the past few years for that matter. Just trying to get a feel for what to expect this year as I am going to accompany him and help him on the hunt. Thanks in advance!
In 2015 I had that draw and it was not the experience you had with numbers and the chance to pass on nice bulls. The river did not freeze so elk didnt come off the base. Our native friends were called in by the farmers on the east side pre hunting season and wiped out those herds. By the absolute generosity of some awesome AO guys, I was turned onto a new area and with their help, got my first elk. Not a monster but unique rack.

I hope your bro in law can find some bulls, the gents who helped me, have hunted elk down there this year and said it was tough going to find numbers and size. If the river freezes and the inside base hunts push them out, could be good. Good luck, hope he can tag a good one.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-15-2017, 08:59 PM
wylecoyote wylecoyote is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 199
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sooner View Post
In 2015 I had that draw and it was not the experience you had with numbers and the chance to pass on nice bulls. The river did not freeze so elk didnt come off the base. Our native friends were called in by the farmers on the east side pre hunting season and wiped out those herds. By the absolute generosity of some awesome AO guys, I was turned onto a new area and with their help, got my first elk. Not a monster but unique rack.

I hope your bro in law can find some bulls, the gents who helped me, have hunted elk down there this year and said it was tough going to find numbers and size. If the river freezes and the inside base hunts push them out, could be good. Good luck, hope he can tag a good one.
I remember following your hunt and was shocked that you didn't have more opportunity. When I was down the river was still semi frozen but enough bulls had made it into the big breaks on the east side to make the hunt amazing. It is really sad that such there wasn't a way to manage the herd for hunters and landowners to both win. It was truly the hunt of a lifetime for me down there and it looks like those days are over.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-17-2017, 10:42 AM
Lefty-Canuck's Avatar
Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Look behind you :)
Posts: 27,775
Default

Keep in mind the base hunt has only been open what 3-4 years? Surrounding landowners getting their crops and livelihood pounded is the reasoning. Many never expected there to even be a hunt allowed on the base.

LC
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-19-2017, 09:41 PM
Phshrmn Phshrmn is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lethbridge
Posts: 223
Default

I'd really appreciate it if you want to have a dialogue that you'd start a thread. Hijacks are horrible. Just don't do it. And if you're like me and do it by mistake, stop posting responses and start a thread. Two pages of hijack. Not great. Please stop. Please.

I was looking for answers. It isn't here. Let's do better.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-20-2017, 06:46 AM
sns2's Avatar
sns2 sns2 is online now
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: My House
Posts: 13,445
Default 44 posts deleted

Derailing is an infraction folks. 44 posts. Start your own thread. That wastes peoples' time looking for answers. Geez.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-20-2017, 02:59 PM
sharpstick's Avatar
sharpstick sharpstick is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 633
Default

Was out last week looking for a mule deer. covered most of the north side of the base and a bit of the east side. Never seen any sign of elk, nor had others I spoke to. the fires from this summer likely play some role in certain areas but it sounds like they have been pushed elsewhere. If you didn't draw for the first season, guys were saying it will be a very difficult hunt.
On the bright side, we seen more sharptail grouse than I can ever remember seeing anywhere.
There were deer around but like others have said, nothing like there used to be. It was a tough hunt but I did find a mulie that I was happy to take.
Best of luck finding your elk.

SS
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-20-2017, 03:40 PM
Phshrmn Phshrmn is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lethbridge
Posts: 223
Default

I called a few of the big ranchers south of the base, and contacted some grazing lease managers. Most deny having elk for about 2 years and all said they don't know of any now. One bordering the south fence told me that thirty were taken by one group of hunters back to BC, but that was a month or two ago.

There are about 5 bulls somewhere near Hays. Access in the area is good - Hays Grazing and Vauxhall Grazing are easy to call and their rules are fair. I don't know which lease might have the elk - it's cows I want. I heard earlier in October that there were a half dozen in 12 Mile Coulee, but that is a big area and didn't narrow it much. In any case, our tags opened Nov. 17.

If we finish our hunt, and see anything useful, I will update here. Every week the hunt goes on inside bodes well. But getting the elk outside the south side seems unlikely.

If the weather cooperates, I will go scout from a few thousand feet up. Obviously there will be a delay in any report I might post. But it would save a lot of driving if one knew there were elk to be found.

I hope one day that there are both few enough elk to discourage as many long drives by hunters to fill a few trucks, and enough that the tags issued through the system have some potential to be filled.

If the reports I received are accurate, there are not a lot of animals to be found between the base and the South Saskatchewan towards Bow Island.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-20-2017, 04:03 PM
Evan83 Evan83 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: South, AB
Posts: 203
Default

Spotted 4 cow elk about halfway between suffield and Tilley on the north side of the highway today around noon.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-23-2017, 06:38 PM
PrarieFire PrarieFire is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6
Default

Just finished a week of chasing after the elk around the base and it’s time to head back to work. We had a bull tag to fill and couldn’t find anything but cows and calves. Still had a great time and met some great landowners and people on our travels. Thought we had the tag filled this morn but it turned out to be a big mule deer at 255 yards. I’ve never seen a deer that big other than in a magazine. If anyone has a mule buck tag in 150, shoot me a pm and I can point you in the right direction. And if anyone has any recent bull elk sightings and want to share. Shoot me a pm. My wife certainly wouldn’t like it but I could be talked into staying an extra day or two-lol
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 11-24-2017, 11:35 AM
HappyHunter9 HappyHunter9 is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 42
Default

Hunted for cow elk nov 17 and 18.

Hunted exclusively up and down the grazing leases on the Eastern border of the base.

Did not see any elk whatsoever.

Area is crawling with Mulies, however.

Best of luck to everyone!

My tag is still good until Dec. 20; if anyone has intel...
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-24-2017, 01:39 PM
dustinjoels dustinjoels is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 526
Default

Saw a small heard with 2 bulls one of which was a decent 6x6 on the hays grazing lease earlier this year for anyone that's interested.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:15 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.