Suffield Alberta - The Prairie Elk Experience

[sheephunterab]

Phil I don't disagree with a lot of what you say but you seem to be blaming the Government for everything including a lot of bad hunter behaviour. When I talked to the Government guys they agreed that there was some things they could fix on their end and are working on it but they were frustrated by the bad hunter behavior and felt that the bad hunters were to blame for the bad hunter behaviour. They may be onto something. At the end of the day this was never a hunt but a cull and it seems both hunters and organizers learned a few lessons.

[Springer]

https://www.producer.com/2019/11/sas...suffield-base/

This was forwarded to me from a friend who lives and Hunts Saskatchewan...

[srupp]

Hmmm OUCH..Phil brings up really bad memories of worst hunting experience of my life..cluster fck by incompetent organizers.
peoples lives were put in jeopardy by the race to the base in fog and darkness.
Complete inability to make it somwhat fair and equitable. .if you were not an indian you did not have a hope...from the word go..wasted..complete waste of priority points
Still makes me angry what a farce blocked from areas so certain groups of people could run amuck and fill trucks and trailers..laughing at us dumb ass white shyte.
Every other hunt in Alberta has been wonderful. .ranchers..friends strangers..all amazing. .
but we didn't know at the time what a bullshit waste of time the $2,000 effort was...
Hope your feeling better Zumbo..?
Did enjoy hanging out with the legend.
Srupp

[j270wsm]

poor ranchers cattle have to compete with the elk for food on crown land......BooHoo

[Wild one]

poor ranchers cattle have to compete with the elk for food on crown land......BooHoo

By your comment you clearly don’t know that area at all lol

[Springer]

Yes Steve , we lost a pile of priority points on that Hunt.
If it was handled properly from the beginning there would have been better results for everyone. The sustenance hunters that came from provinces away that targeted trophy Bulls for filling their freezers left them mocking us.
Eventually the licenced "people kind" to make it politically correct got to draw for Cow tags. Then eventually opened up to those with Draw priority points but every hunt included the sustenance Hunters with them.
The NWA was closed to us because they didn't want the the fragile ecosystem with Boot prints in there , But a few Thousand Elk was ok.
Apparently now there is a Much fairer draw for the NWA and i think about 30 hunters from the group can put their name in a hat and be able to walk in but its also pack your game out.

Curious in the years ahead what will happen but right now i think the days of the Monster Bulls are not there. I enjoy watching some Hunting shows on TV and from what i have seen it sure looks like Southern Saskatchewan Elk Hunts to me. Maybe they will open some late season hunts down on their side for licenced hunters...time will tell i guess.

[Walking Buffalo]

https://www.producer.com/2019/11/sas...suffield-base/

This was forwarded to me from a friend who lives and Hunts Saskatchewan...

The Suffield elk population is now down to around 2000 elk.
And the Saskatchewan rancher grazing cattle in Alberta calls for further reductions....
Coyly states that wildlife friendly fencing is a problem...
Other Saskatchewan ranchers try to insinuate disease issues in cattle as being initiated by elk...
Can't manage leased Public land because of wildlife competition for food.
These Saskatchewan ranchers comments makes it quite clear that they will only be happy when there are no free range wild elk left.


Note how this agriculture news outlet used a file photo of captive farmed elk....
That says a thousand words.

[IronNoggin]

... These Saskatchewan ranchers comments makes it quite clear that they will only be happy when there are no free range wild elk left...

BINGO!

Alberta took on THE Largest Free Range Herd of Elk on the planet, and reduced that to one of the smallest in record time.
I would actually be very surprised if their numbers (2,000) are anywhere near accurate, and that comes from first hand observation and many chats with local ranchers. Shame what happened actually.

And now a handful of lease keepers want to reduce them even further based on simple greed.
I hope that Saskatchewan has the intelligence to see this farce for what it is, and deny the next level of destruction...

Nog

[srupp]

Hmmmm my contact at Medicine Hat knows 3 ranchers with elk problems, now going on year 2 ?
enjoyed more time with the Miner league outdoors guys.
Srupp

[Blacktail]

quite a few of the elk have crossed the river and are reeking havoc between the river and the Sask border.
They end up pissing on the hay stacks and the cattle wont go near them.
There are a lot less on the base and the hunts are definately harder to be successful.
the hunts outside the base are better