Should the Strathcona WT primitive license be changed to include mule deer?

[timsesink]

I hunt Strathcona County very regularly with both bow & shotgun and have permission on a great quarter. The quarter I hunt is absolutely overrun with mule deer with at least 10-20 spotted every night. However there's hardly a WT to be found. I took a small WT buck first week of the primitive weapon season but have since not seen a single WT.

While I know deer populations can be very localized I'm wondering if it's time the Strathcona license became something like the Wainwright tag which is two deer, either sex, either species.

Thoughts from other guys hunting different quarters?

[bitterrootfly]

Don’t hunt there but if it were changed I could see myself making the trip for Muzzleloader season, I’m interested to see what other people who hunt there have to say.

[buckmasterjr]

100% agree. We hunt private land that was previously in wmu 250 and is now part of 248. There are far more mule deer than whitetails in the area. The only way to hunt them now is archery season. Permission in this area is also hard to come by. At the very least they should add a draw for them during the primitive weapons season.

[bitterrootfly]

Adding on to this, why isn’t there a similar system to Strathcona county in foothills county 212 in the Calgary bowzone?

[timsesink]

Originally Posted by bitterrootfly

Adding on to this, why isn’t there a similar system to Strathcona county in foothills county 212 in the Calgary bowzone?

From what I understand (and I may be wrong) the bow hunting associations have fought tooth and nail to prevent any expansion of primitive weapons zones and related tags.

[bitterrootfly]

Originally Posted by timsesink

From what I understand (and I may be wrong) the bow hunting associations have fought tooth and nail to prevent any expansion of primitive weapons zones and related tags.

I know there is a foothills antlerless deer license December 1-20 or something like that where muzzleloader are allowed in 212, that’s why I’m confused, if we have this season why not just extend it and allow deer of either species, and either sex during the same time frame.

[Lefty-Canuck]

The Bowzone antlerless tags apply to both mule deer and/or white tail...the general mule deer tag is also valid in 248/212.

LC

[timsesink]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

The Bowzone antlerless tags apply to both mule deer and/or white tail...the general mule deer tag is also valid in 248/212.

LC

You are correct in 248 but they are bow only tags. This limits the harvest greatly (at least mine, lol). I was speaking about adding them to the primitive weapons WT tags so other weapons could be used.

[timsesink]

Any other input?

[7magtime]

I’d be for it, i’ve had more Mulies than WT’s run out in front of vehicles the last couple years in Strathcona. One of the areas I hunt is mostly Mulies but a few of my other WT areas are starting to have Mulies show up as well. I’m sure they’ll become greater in numbers at those spots as time goes on....

[beaver hunter]

I’ve been chasing bucks in the county for a few yrs, they don’t show up in my spot until late oct early nov looking for does. When we get an early snow and melt (like this year) it’s virtually impossible to get them with a bow as the terrain is mostly flat and they hear you coming from 1000yds. If I could launch an arrow 100yds my success rate would be much higher!

[BloodHound70]

I would have to agree as well. I hunt 248 quite a bit and have not seen much for WT, mostly all mulies. Saw an absolute cranker Mule buck that I would have loved to take down with my slugger. No chance to get close enough with the bow. As the saying goes "Doesn't get that big for being stupid!"

BH

[Sawridge]

I would personally like to keep it the way it is. I hunt the strathcona county and I have whitetail spots and I have mulie spots I hunt. I feel like if they opened mulie bucks to hunt with muzzleloader, alot of the mature bucks would be killed quite quickly. Muleys are alot easier to kill than whitetails especially with a rifle/muzzleloader.

I don't get the feeling there is "too much" mule deer though. And my thought would be if they allow muzzleoader mule deer hunting, then within 5 years they'll do what they did for the rest of the province...make mule deer hunting in the strathcona county a draw and take away general archery hunting. No thanks. I like it the way it is and in the end gives everybody the most opportunity.

[timsesink]

Originally Posted by Sawridge

I would personally like to keep it the way it is. I hunt the strathcona county and I have whitetail spots and I have mulie spots I hunt. I feel like if they opened mulie bucks to hunt with muzzleloader, alot of the mature bucks would be killed quite quickly. Muleys are alot easier to kill than whitetails especially with a rifle/muzzleloader.

I don't get the feeling there is "too much" mule deer though. And my thought would be if they allow muzzleoader mule deer hunting, then within 5 years they'll do what they did for the rest of the province...make mule deer hunting in the strathcona county a draw and take away general archery hunting. No thanks. I like it the way it is and in the end gives everybody the most opportunity.

You make some good points, they certainly are a lot easier to hunt!

Do you think approaching CWD would change this for you? Mule Deer seem to be more prone to it due to their herding tendency. Reducing density helps limit spread to some degree.

[last minute]

100% agree. We hunt private land that was previously in wmu 250 and is now part of 248. There are far more mule deer than whitetails in the area.

overrun with mule deer with at least 10-20 spotted every night.

I don't hunt there but if that's the case its time to open it up

[buckmasterjr]

Originally Posted by Sawridge

I would personally like to keep it the way it is. I hunt the strathcona county and I have whitetail spots and I have mulie spots I hunt. I feel like if they opened mulie bucks to hunt with muzzleloader, alot of the mature bucks would be killed quite quickly. Muleys are alot easier to kill than whitetails especially with a rifle/muzzleloader.

I don't get the feeling there is "too much" mule deer though. And my thought would be if they allow muzzleoader mule deer hunting, then within 5 years they'll do what they did for the rest of the province...make mule deer hunting in the strathcona county a draw and take away general archery hunting. No thanks. I like it the way it is and in the end gives everybody the most opportunity.

I would like to see a draw during shotgun and muzzloader season, just like moose. Access is hard to get anyway so I don’t see how they would all be killed. Also about 1/3 of the county that was in wmu 250 was previously on draw and there are still tons of mulies

[timsesink]

I've sent the area biologist a letter asking for the opening of the mulde deer hunt to some degree.WE'll see what happens. :-)