I am a new hunter. I'm a 35 year old dude from calgary. I passed my online AHEIA training last winter and want to go after a white-tail this fall. Antlers or no, I'm just after the meat.
I'm not sure which WMU to buy tags for. I was thinking of WMU 328 north west of Nordegg. Are there whitetail here? Is it nice bush, or trashed like Ghost or McClean creek? Aside from my truck, I'm on foot. I'm using a Remington 870 with a scope and slugs.
I've never done this before, so I could use some advice on how not to ****** it up, and maybe answers to the following questions:
* Hoping to find a game trail leading to water that also has sign. How far away should I set up my stand?
* How high do you put the stand? Should I Make my own? Do you stay in the same stand all day?
* What range am I likely to be shooting at? What should I zero my scope for?
* What ammo would you guys recommend for an 870?
* How important is the fancy soap, cammo clothing and Calls at Bass Pro vs. just keeping your mouth shut in the bush? I don't wanna spend a lot of cash on nonsense.
* Is it illegal to put a salt-lick in the area I wanna hunt
Pretty sure the hunter training course covers the salt lick thing.
I'm going to suggest you find a current copy of the 2015 hunting regs and go
Over them again, and again, and again, and again.
You are asking some questions here that your course and the regs would easily answer.
Please do this first. It's kindof really important. Then carry on with your questions.
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Unless you are drawing special licenses for a specific wmu, you just purchase a whitetailed deer license, and it is valid for many wmus, it isn't wmu specific. As for using a salt lick, that is clearly covered in the regulations. I suggest that you read the regulations, and then read them a second time, as you are obviously missing some information that a hunter should know before even considering hunting in Alberta.
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Reading the regs will help but i hate when thats to go to answer for hunting questions. Ive been hunting for more than 10 years & sometimes i dont understand the regs. Well read them again, no that doesnt help.
A general Whitetail tag (Good for antlered or antlerless WT) is good for almost all WMUs across alberta.
Hoping to find a game trail leading to water that also has sign. How far away should I set up my stand?
Yes finding well used game trails heading to and from bedding areas, water & food. Place you stand near wherever the best vantage point overlooking whatever area you think will be best.
How high do you put the stand? Should I Make my own? Do you stay in the same stand all day?
I bought my stand it was 150-170$ it was 17ft high to the shooting rail. But making one can be fun & easy to if your good at building things. But buying a stand is quick & can be moved pretty easy. In early november i would hunt morning times from sunrise to about 11am then head back to the truck for lunch and go back out hunting from like 2pm till sunset. In mid-late novemeber ill try to sit in the stand all day because the bucks are in full rut and moving all day long. But you can sit all day in early season to. You can LEGALLY shoot half hour before sunrise & half hour after sunset. So maybe get to you stand 30 mins before in the dark so when first light comes around you are ready. There is a Sunrise Sunset table in the hunting regs.
What range am I likely to be shooting at? What should I zero my scope for?
Depends if your in the bush or edge of a field or mixture of both. I use a rifle & i only hunt in the bush so all the deer i have killed have been within 40 yards, I have my rifle scope sited in at dead on at 100 yards.
What ammo would you guys recommend for an 870?
I dont hunt deer with a shotgun so i dont know this question or your maximum effective range of shooting is
How important is the fancy soap, cammo clothing and Calls at Bass Pro vs. just keeping your mouth shut in the bush? I don't wanna spend a lot of cash on nonsense.
Dont need fancy soap,just dont smell like BO haha. I have camo clothing because it is also cold weather gear (heavy insulated winter jacket & overalls. along with many under layers of fleece and long johns as the weather pertains. I use the Scent Killer spray. Some ppl say it works some ppl say it doesnt. I have success all the years ive used it so it works for me. A bottle cost like $20 and it lasts a season. Oh one more thing i do is leave my clothes outside so fresh air gets in them a few days before the season starts then throw them in the black garbage bag to keep them somewhat scent free.
* Is it illegal to put a salt-lick in the area I wanna hunt
Baiting game is illegal in alberta so dont do it unless its for bears, but what you can do is watch over and shoot game in a farmers feild with food or if a farmer dumped a bunch of grain. just dont put it out yourself and hunt over it.
Most of all the questions you asked aren't in the regs but read the regs they are important, ask questions on here & hopefully they dont reply with read the regs 20more times.
New hunter needs WMU advice
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