February suffield cow elk quota hunt

[hal53]

Originally Posted by OpenRange

I hope everyone gives this hunt some serious thought. Only 65% of the hunters drawn in the recently ended seasons on the base have shown up to hunt so far. Remember that this is February and it could be be -40 and have 2 feet of snow on the ground, there could also be a chinook and everything will be nice. My point being the weather has been great and hunters aren't showing up to fill their tags. Don't put in for it if your not 100% certain you can make it there for the hunt. Doesn't do a quota hunt much good if 500 tags go out and only 150 get filled.

THIS^^^^^^^^^ very good point............

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by Chukar Hunter

The only problem I have with this hunt is that of a moral issue. I am not against it because it definitely benefits the health of the herd and the farmers outside. By the time they cows are killed, most are in the later part of their second trimester. Morally, that just feels wrong and I know I am going to get bashed for this, but after all, we leave in a democratic society, don't we?

I may put in for this draw and if drawn, be selective and shoot calves. This kind of opportunity at the time of the year where no season for an edible game animal is open does not come by every year.

Yours in good hunt'n,

CH

I won't bash you. My thoughts were identical to yours when I first saw the dates-pick out the calves. They're better eating anyway.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by boonedocks

Thanks hawckeye, what I was meaning to ask is do you have to keep your vehicle on a designated trail or are you free to use it to recover downed game? Just trying to figure out the logistics of things before I decide who I should ask to apply with me!

You are not allowed to leave the approved roads while hunting unless you are on foot. Once an animal is down, supposedly, you are allowed to then use your vehicle.

[hunterbyheart]

Having hunted quota hunts in the past (Magrath (several times), Turner Valley), ESRD really wants you to hunt AND tag BOTH animals. If you are not wanting to take the 2 tags you are awarded, then don't sign up for the hunt.

But really... who can't use an elk in the freezer and find someone else to take a surplus one.

[Booner]

I thought I read the freezer was full??

[Booner]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Cat, as I understand it.
One licence 2 tags
No partners allowed.
Thats a crap load of meat.

I just spoke with Will and we are going to try for this tag!

Jamie

I thought the freezer was full

[catnthehat]

Still contemplating this cull myself, the biggest draw back is the time needed to do it!
Cat

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by Jamie

I would love to do this hunt with Willy. Unfortunately I have no place for the meat. Between the fish and the Bull Elk I managed this fall, the freezer is FULL.
Anyone want the meat if Willy can pull the tag?

Respectfully....if the freezer is full after a good year, let another Hunter have the opportunity to fill his through this hunt

LC

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Booner

I thought the freezer was full

Heard from a bunch of guys that would appreciate some Elk meat.
Thinking that I put Will in by himself. Not sure the truck could hold 4 elk.

Though.... If a Elk calve is as good as a Moose calve..........

Jamie

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Respectfully....if the freezer is full after a good year, let another Hunter have the opportunity to fill his through this hunt

LC

This is about Will, not me. Any chance I can get out with him I will. He us 13 years old and loves to hunt.

Me.. I am 45 and love to watch him hunt.

Jamie

[potatogun]

I like the way you think Jamie

[SonofDixie]

CRAP. I got excited and decided to put in... as i have an empty freezer.... and remembered I'm going to school in January....

[WilsonMS]

Originally Posted by waterninja

Just read rules again and am more confused. It states:
"group size for license application is limited to two hunters". I read this as you would "share " the 2 tags and not be issued 4. And if two of you are hunting together, what do you call your fellow hunter other then your "partner"?

Everyone needs to understand the difference between a "Hunting Partner" and Hunting "Helper". A partner is a type of license that allows a 2nd person to hunt with the original person drawn for a Special License and allows EITHER person to harvest the animal (you generally still only get 1 tag).

A hunter helper is a provision for the Suffield hunt to describe person not carrying a weapon and in the same vehicle that assists you on the hunt but is not allowed to shoot. This term has been defined in all information for hunters drawn in the last several years for the Suffield hunts. I am not sure if they will be checking for rifles at Suffield on check-in, but if they are, then I assume only the drawn hunter with the Special License will be allowed to carry a gun.

From the 2014 regs:
Rules for all Partners *these are not allowed on this hunt

A designated partner does not need any priority
to qualify for a partner licence, does not need to have applied on the
draw, and the purchase of the partner licence will not affect any existing
priority of the partner. The intended partner must be eligible to hold a
hunting licence. Refer to pages 24-27 regarding licence combinations and
restrictions. The primary licensee may designate a partner at any time
until the end of the season for which the Special Licence is valid. The
designated partner hunts under the authority of the special licence and
must be in direct communication (not including the use of any electronic
devices) with the primary special licence
holder while hunting to ensure that
both stop hunting once the tag(s) are filled. The two hunters hunt as one.
The primary licensee must carry the tag(s) issued with the special licence
and must tag the animal as soon as there is a kill. The primary licensee
may hunt without the partner, but not vice versa.

[WilsonMS]

Also, in addition to my pervious post and something someone said a few pages back, a hunting "group" is where multiple hunters apply for the draw together. If one is drawn, the other is automatically drawn. But you are still individual hunters. In this hunt, if you are both drawn and both get awarded, then you both receive the Special License and will get 2 tags EACH. The basic premise of group applications is where a group of hunters want to go on the hunt, but only want to go if everyone is drawn. Its the same thing as applying together to be roommates in dorm at college. In the normal draw season, you can put in for up to 3 choices for draw seasons/wmu's for a particular species. Say I put in for week 1 and week 2 and my buddy does the same (but as an individual). It is possible that I would get drawn for week 1 and he for week 2 which won't work as we are driving together from afar. By applying together as a "group draw" then if either of us is drawn, then the other is automatically drawn as well. But once awarded the draw, there is nothing requiring us to hunt together or share the license, as we are both awarded our own license and tag(s).

[WilsonMS]

One last note...
There seem to be quite a few people on this thread that are not aware of the current hunts this year and in January already going on at Suffield. These 2 hunts announced this week are not entirely new unto themselves. There were 3 seasons this fall (4 days each, Mon-Thurs also) that were last 2 weeks of Nov and first week of Dec. There are 3 more coming up the last 3 weeks in January. The only difference in these hunts is that they followed the normal draw guidelines (and group applications could include up to 4 hunters). 100 Special Licenses were awarded for each week but only 1 tag (instead of 2) was given. Reports from the first 3 weeks that just finished were that almost all tags were used for successful harvests. However, historically, this has not been the case. It seems like they have opened more of the base up this year and the base staff have been extremely helpful. There is a safety briefing required each morning and you cannot enter certain parts of the base. Apparently there were a group of hunters in the last week that did enter an area they were not authorized to do so and were escorted off premise and revoked future access.

It will be interesting to see how many people will apply to this hunt. In the 6 1 week seasons that were drawn in the Summer, the first 5 weeks were filled up by hunters with priority to 100%. The January seasons (week 4,5,6) did have draws go to hunters with 0 priority. The last week in Jan (week 6) only had 38 (of 100 available) applications. The other 62 went for sale as under-subscribed (but sold out within minutes of under-subscribed sales going onsale online). All to say, it will be interesting to see how this quota draw goes. I wonder how many hunters who got drawn will re-apply for this hunt. I know for me (I was one of the 38 drawn for week 6 and am so excited), the idea of getting 2 tags is very appealing. I would have been great if they had given the previously drawn licenses 2 tags!

For all of you newbies reading this forum, check out the existing thread called Suffield Base Hunt 2014 http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=236469 for more information about the current hunts.

And as a reminder to everyone...it sounds like there have been some pretty dangerous hunting situations at Suffield during these hunts. One poster said it well..."Hunters get stupid when hunting Elk". Everyone be safe!

[sixpoint1]

Thank you for the info you provided in posts 103-105. It hopefully will help out people that cant seem to dress themselves in the morning.Questions being asked in some cases have been answered several times.Please read before asking or are people that lazy to read?Everyone on here must of held a hunting licence for the past season so everyone must have read and understood the regs, right.This hunt is not new as stated, lots of time to read and find out info on this. Draws are not in until Jan.

[recce43]

Hope I get drawn I have that base memorized that i Still have some buddies that are range control there ...

[Lefty-Canuck]

The rules as set forth are not confusing as all....just try not to read into them so much.

125 Hunters, 2 tags each, no partners....put in with 2 per application max. Will not affect other draws or priorities. Fill your tags and your freezers. Follow the rules set out by the base....simple.

Before you put in for the draw consider the location and if you will actually attend....if not don't apply.

LC

[stc77]

Maybe i am missing something here. But what if you had drawn an elk tag already this year. Would i still be able to draw for this quota hunt? And from what i understand, if i draw for the quota hunt, i would still be able to draw an elk tag for fall 2015 hunt. Im not saying i have/will, just throwing the situation out there.

[lone wolf]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

The rules as set forth are not confusing as all....just try not to read into them so much.

125 Hunters, 2 tags each, no partners....put in with 2 per application max. Will not affect other draws or priorities. Fill your tags and your freezers. Follow the rules set out by the base....simple.

Before you put in for the draw consider the location and if you will actually attend....if not don't apply.

LC

Originally Posted by stc77

Maybe i am missing something here. But what if you had drawn an elk tag already this year. Would i still be able to draw for this quota hunt? And from what i understand, if i draw for the quota hunt, i would still be able to draw an elk tag for fall 2015 hunt. Im not saying i have/will, just throwing the situation out there.

The management/cull hunt is distinct & separate from any other draws, and will not affect a persons priority in any way, shape or form. It doesn't matter if you shot an elk already in 2014, you are free to apply. Doesn't matter if you are applying for a tag somewhere else in 2015, you can still apply. In terms of the affect on your priority status and you ability to hunt elk in the Fall of 2015 in Alberta, pulling a lottery tag for the base in February would affect your priority the same as hunting elk in another province or country.


Like Lefty said, it is actually quite straightforward and some folk are reading way too much into it.

[slopeshunter]

Originally Posted by stc77

Maybe i am missing something here. But what if you had drawn an elk tag already this year. Would i still be able to draw for this quota hunt? And from what i understand, if i draw for the quota hunt, i would still be able to draw an elk tag for fall 2015 hunt. Im not saying i have/will, just throwing the situation out there.

This hunt has nothing to do with anything else. It will not effect any of your other elk plans.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by slopeshunter

This hunt has nothing to do with anything else. It will not effect any of your other elk plans.

Exactly!...bet you $1 it gets asked at least 2 more times

LC

[Suka]

Just think of it as a bonus opportunity and don't read any more into it than that.

As someone else mentioned, if you don't intend on going, don't apply. This is a quota hunt. They want "x" number of elk removed.

I'm in the area and my mla has talked to me about the elk/farmers around the base. My guess (nothing more) is that if sufficient numbers of elk are taken in these hunts then hunting will be how the herd is managed.

Flip side if insufficient numbers are taken it would not surprise me if other avenues are persued.

Point being we hunters do our part and we'll have good elk hunting opportunities here every year; we don't, we won't.

Food for thought.

[thumper]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Exactly!...bet you $1 it gets asked at least 2 more times

LC

Ya but, will it affect my 2015 draw?

-just pull'n your chain slopes

[potatogun]

so will this effect my 2015 draw and are we allowed to have a helper?

[slopeshunter]

Originally Posted by thumper

Ya but, will it affect my 2015 draw?

-just pull'n your chain slopes

I would take Lefty up on that bet, but then I'd end up having to send him a dollar.

[TBark]

Some people posting here seem familiar with the lay of the land on the base.
What do you guys feel the success rate would be for the Feb hunt ? 50-75% of tags filled ?
Are some of the access roads near the base perimeter ?
As that seems to be where the elk travel would be according to some of the landowners bordering the base.
Would that be a strategy to considder, hang in the fringe of base boundary and private land ?

TBark

[abhunter8]

Originally Posted by Jamie

I would love to do this hunt with Willy. Unfortunately I have no place for the meat. Between the fish and the Bull Elk I managed this fall, the freezer is FULL.
Anyone want the meat if Willy can pull the tag?

If you can't use the meat, don't go on the hunt, let someone else go that wants to go and can use the meat please.

[Leafy]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

Heavy hunting plans are finally being reached.

Next year will likely see a draw for six seasons each having 100 double cow tags and 100 bull tags. That's 1800 tags. There could even be a quota hunt or two added as well.....

There is talk to make the elk season in surrounding wmus a general licence starting in 2016.


It will take a few years, but this kind of hunting effort will bring the elk population down.

Very good news, but still not enough to control this herd.. No one seems to want to tackle the issues of costs ? I ask because I care and my concerns should be shared by all passionate people in our group..

Is millions of dollars a fair trade off for an opportunity hunt ? Can anyone answer as to where this mysterious money has come from ?

Another big concern will be the dynamics we are creating by removing mainly cows and only a small percentage of bulls.. This fiasco has been a game of catch up and really not a strong biological effort to follow proven management practices.

I loose so much faith in ESRD and the future of our heritage when I think of the elk at CFB.

[recce43]

Originally Posted by TBark

Some people posting here seem familiar with the lay of the land on the base.
What do you guys feel the success rate would be for the Feb hunt ? 50-75% of tags filled ?
Are some of the access roads near the base perimeter ?
As that seems to be where the elk travel would be according to some of the landowners bordering the base.
Would that be a strategy to considder, hang in the fringe of base boundary and private land ?

TBark

they move around alot depending on snow pac .. But i do have a army buddy of mine that is range control so i will be getting some info from him if i get drawn .... now i have to go find my old base maps