Possibly moving to Red Deer area from BC need help with hunting regulations

[roper1]

If I was a BC resident, I wouldn't remotely consider comparing the game seasons & opportunities. Take a few fall days, drive north, & fill a dozen tags. Never happen in AB. Cheers!

[Camp Cook]

Originally Posted by roper1

If I was a BC resident, I wouldn't remotely consider comparing the game seasons & opportunities. Take a few fall days, drive north, & fill a dozen tags. Never happen in AB. Cheers!

I so understand kind of scared about it actually been thinking that when we get out there I need to get a place with enough property to raise a couple calves - turkeys - chickens each year.

I'll still come out = it is my wife's turn to be near her family.

Sent an email to the Ponoka gun club asking about if there were membership openings
.

[501s]

I live north of Sylvan on an acreage and hunt this area. There are actually quite a few opportunities close to you and if you are willing to drive an hour or 2, then there are a lot of possibilities.

If you are into archery, it also really opens up your season. close to the Lacombe area, there are zones where you can hunt WT, Elk, Muleys, bears, all with a bow and a general tag. you also get to hunt for an additional 2 months without the craziness of rifle season I got my Moose draw this year in the Sylvan area and I was a P5.

One other thing, from Lacombe, you are only 3-4 hours away from being able to hunt Sheep with a general tag and a rifle. That's pretty dam rare on this planet, even if the odds are ultra low.

If you are into archery and move, hit me up, I have a 3D course in my yard and always looking for others to shoot with.

[trailraat]

The big difference is the amount of Crown land vs private. If you can't or won't get permission your opportunities will be very limited. From that perspective there are far more opportunities I'm BC.

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[Grizzly Adams1]

You are not allowed to hunt those trophy bucks in the town, even though it can be very tempting.

Grizz

[sillyak]

I live in Lacombe and shoot at the Rocky Rod and Gun Club. The facility is worth the hour long drive. I also shoot trap and skeet at Lone Pine Clay Target Club near Bowden. 50 minute drive, two skeet and four trap fields.

I have heard about a range at Ponoka, but never been.

[Camp Cook]

Originally Posted by sillyak

I live in Lacombe and shoot at the Rocky Rod and Gun Club. The facility is worth the hour long drive. I also shoot trap and skeet at Lone Pine Clay Target Club near Bowden. 50 minute drive, two skeet and four trap fields.

I have heard about a range at Ponoka, but never been.

I was on MLS.ca looking at houses in the Rocky Mtn House area yesterday I didn't know there was a gun club up there.

We are now looking further from Red Deer to Edmonton

Work is progressing on our house repairs I'm thinking we are now close to $40,000 in on the reno's

Planning on driving out to Alberta for spring break if we are lucky we will find a house and put an offer on it while we are out there.

[sillyak]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

I was on MLS.ca looking at houses in the Rocky Mtn House area yesterday I didn't know there was a gun club up there.

We are now looking further from Red Deer to Edmonton

Work is progressing on our house repairs I'm thinking we are now close to $40,000 in on the reno's

Planning on driving out to Alberta for spring break if we are lucky we will find a house and put an offer on it while we are out there.

The range in Rocky is awesome. Covered 600m range with benches, target boards and steel. Also a separate covered 100m sight in range with benches. Two action style ranges and a bunch of handgun bays. Plus a 3d archery course, shotgun range with automated throwers and a large picnic area.

If you like trap and skeet Lone Pine is great. Probably the cheapest place for a round of trap or skeet in the province.

[Pudelpointer]

Camp Cook, I am from BC, and other than sheep / caribou / goats the hunting here is a magnitude better. Yes, you will need to draw for many species, but once you build a few years priority it becomes “when” not “if”. Much better system for most species, but problematic for high desire species and zones.

If your focus is deer, elk and “other stuff” (birds, coyotes) then it doesn’t get much better IMO. As stated earlier, if you have an issue with asking permission on private land, well, you’re gonna have a 1-3 hour drive for most things. If not, you will likely find some close by spots in short order. Pretty sure you won’t have any issues.

[Camp Cook]

After much discussion my wife and I are starting to look more towards the Rocky Mtn House area.

Wife has been saying "how do I take the mountain man away from his mountains" she knows I will go nutz surrounded by flatland...

Still working on fixing up our house it'll be at least 3 - 4 weeks before its ready to be listed.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

After much discussion my wife and I are starting to look more towards the Rocky Mtn House area.

Wife has been saying "how do I take the mountain man away from his mountains" she knows I will go nutz surrounded by flatland...

Still working on fixing up our house it'll be at least 3 - 4 weeks before its ready to be listed.

Rocky is nice and will provide the access to crown land you are accustom to. Some respectable fishing and good hunting options

It was an option I considered myself but ended up just north in Drayton valley do to job opportunities at the time

[Camp Cook]

I finally made it out to Alberta was a super quick cover major klms drive arrived Monday night and got home yesterday.

Checked out rural houses - properties - acreages around Red Deer - Blackfalds - Lacombe - Ponoka - north and south end of Gull Lake - Wetaskiwin - Rimby - east and west Rocky Mtn House - Sundrie.

Preferred areas are south Red Deer - Wetaskiwin - east Rocky mtn House

As of now for work - high schools - college Red Deer is the best for us but both my wife and I really like east Rocky Mtn House appr 15 min drive into town the most.

If we had our house up for sale or sold we would have been prepared to put an offer on several different properties especially one near Rocky Mtn House but with all of the reno's we are doing on our house we are still at least 4 weeks away from putting it up for sale.

I had stopped in at the RMH gun/outdoor store they shared some awesome info for the area best was being born before 1978 I just need to get a number and I am eligible to get my full hunting and fishing licenses

What I forgot to ask is what is the limit on whitetail deer each year can anyone here fill me in on that?

Thanks

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

I finally made it out to Alberta was a super quick cover major klms drive arrived Monday night and got home yesterday.

Checked out rural houses - properties - acreages around Red Deer - Blackfalds - Lacombe - Ponoka - north and south end of Gull Lake - Wetaskiwin - Rimby - east and west Rocky Mtn House - Sundrie.

Preferred areas are south Red Deer - Wetaskiwin - east Rocky mtn House

As of now for work - high schools - college Red Deer is the best for us but both my wife and I really like east Rocky Mtn House appr 15 min drive into town the most.

If we had our house up for sale or sold we would have been prepared to put an offer on several different properties especially one near Rocky Mtn House but with all of the reno's we are doing on our house we are still at least 4 weeks away from putting it up for sale.

I had stopped in at the RMH gun/outdoor store they shared some awesome info for the area best was being born before 1978 I just need to get a number and I am eligible to get my full hunting and fishing licenses

What I forgot to ask is what is the limit on whitetail deer each year can anyone here fill me in on that?

Thanks

Ok it’s a little more complicated then BC

You get 1 general WT tag that is good for antler or antless. You can also get 2 supplemental tags that are antlerless only and are valid only in select WMU. Some supplemental WMUs allow you to use both tags some are only valid for one

The above are your main WT options but there is also options for more tags in the bow zones and other special opportunities. So if you go running around the province using the different opportunities you can add a few more tags(I think it’s another 3 but would have to check the regs myself)

[Camp Cook]

Excellent info thanks

One more question our son is 15 years old in a few days at what age is he eligible to have his own hunting license there?

[270hunter]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

Excellent info thanks

One more question our son is 15 years old in a few days at what age is he eligible to have his own hunting license there?

14 y/0

edit** smoky is right it’s 12. I don’t know what I was thinking lol

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 270hunter

14 y/o

In correct the age is 12yo

[Camp Cook]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

In correct the age is 12yo

He can also have his own tags?

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

He can also have his own tags?

Yup

[Camp Cook]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Yup

Wow that is great

This makes us eligible to score enough meat on just hunting whitetail = that is if I figure out how to hunt them

Over the years I have legally shot over 110 deer only shot two whitetail deer though.

Guess I'm going to have to learn...

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

Wow that is great

This makes us eligible to score enough meat on just hunting whitetail = that is if I figure out how to hunt them

Over the years I have legally shot over 110 deer only shot two whitetail deer though.

Guess I'm going to have to learn...

The WT in Alberta are also much bigger body and antler size then the WT you find in southern BC.

Blacktail hunters convert to WT easier then most because they are used to hunting thick bush. This is if you target crown land bush bucks anyway. Personally I use a combo of calling and ambush tactics but will still hunt if the conditions are right.

I don’t hunt farm WT so I am clueless there

[Smoky buck]

Here is my wife’s buck from last November. This is a decent buck with a good size body




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[Camp Cook]

WOW very nice

What part of the province do you hunt?

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

WOW very nice

What part of the province do you hunt?

That is nothing compared to what is out there just a respectable representative. To give you an idea I don’t see very many spikers or forks and most bucks start as small 6 or 8 points. It’s not BC WT hunting lol

I live in Drayton Valley and I don’t travel far

[Camp Cook]

What method or should I just say how do you hunt them there?

Ground stand?

Tree Stand?

Still hunt?

Spot and stalk?

All the above?

I have an over 30 year old super lightweight pack in tree stand in all my years of owning it I have only used it max 5 times bought it for bow hunting.

Would be cool to finally use it properly.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

What method or should I just say how do you hunt them there?

Ground stand?

Tree Stand?

Still hunt?

Spot and stalk?

All the above?

I have an over 30 year old super lightweight pack in tree stand in all my years of owning it I have only used it max 5 times bought it for bow hunting.

Would be cool to finally use it properly.

Top 3 are my go to with tree stand being number 1( I hunt a lot of areas that are too thick to hunt from the ground) but will not pass up opportunities at spot and stalk in the moment. The buck I posted a pic of was shot sitting on the ground calling with a doe bleat/grunt combo. She called that buck into about 25-30yards

Two most productive methods are either well scouted tree stand locations set well ahead of time and hunting from the ground calling over scrape lines. Most of my stand locations are on scrape lines too

We are targeting scrape lines, pinch points, and transition zones

There is a thread I posted with a lot of information about how I target bush bucks. You will even see my little forky I decided to tag after passing on lots of bigger bucks lol

Search “ambush style bush bucks 2021” the tactics I use work

[270person]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

What method or should I just say how do you hunt them there?

Ground stand?

Tree Stand?

Still hunt?

Spot and stalk?

All the above?

I have an over 30 year old super lightweight pack in tree stand in all my years of owning it I have only used it max 5 times bought it for bow hunting.

Would be cool to finally use it properly.

All of the above excepting tree stands for me. I get dizzy sitting in a swaying tree.

Dont forget the tried and true method used by a large percentage of hunters. Driving around eating chocolate bars hoping something runs out. Saves energy and boot soles.

[Camp Cook]

Originally Posted by 270person

All of the above excepting tree stands for me. I get dizzy sitting in a swaying tree.

Dont forget the tried and true method used by a large percentage of hunters. Driving around eating chocolate bars hoping something runs out. Saves energy and boot soles.

LOL that was awesome...

How high up a tree do you put a stand?

[Positrac]

Having been successful hunting Blacktails in the lower wasteland you’ll have no issue figuring out bush Whitetails in short order. Consistently getting decent Blacktails like you post up each year on Hunting BC isn’t an easy feat. I’ve actually got a lot of respect for anyone who can do it.

This is my 2022 bush Whitetail shot a couple hundred kms from the closest farmland. Not a monster but a decent representative of a mature northern bush Whitetail.

[Big Grey Wolf]

At $2.00/liter gas/diesel it is going to be awful expensive meat road hunting whitetails.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Camp Cook

LOL that was awesome...

How high up a tree do you put a stand?

I won't use one but judging by the guys swearing at me when I walk underneath theirs I'd say 15 - 20 feet.