gonna be a tough hunt this year

two-dogs

two-dogs

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I've been out grouse hunting and scouting for the up and coming Deer hunting seasons. Haven't seen a Buck for ages. Didn't see any rubs anywhere. The usual beaten down deer paths show very little sign of traffic. Only saw a few does over time. The recent tough winters that we've had, I believe has take their toll on them. A friend told me that the huge Sandilands area where he lives has very few deer left there. The wolves are plentiful out there. I'd like some fresh meat, but I'm sort of thinking about sitting this season out. A tough call to make. I've hunted every year of my life since it was legal to do so. I'm old now and prolly don't have many hunts left in me. I do love being in the bush and have looked forward to it every year. What are you doing this year?
 
Manitoba has been hit very hard by bad winters, increased predator #'s and increased Metis/First Nations pressure....Season should have been closed instead of the compromise they came up with...I am going to go out this weekend and have a look around but don't expect to see much sign...
 
I don't know what you guys have for wolves but around here, as the wolves seem to like the cutlines, cutblocks, and roads, I'm finding a lot more deer way back in the bush. Last year was a tough one for me, I hunted over 20 days to tag a decent 4x4 but that guy is one of my favorite racks in the shed as a result. This year I've been hunting the topography instead of the open areas, finding ridges way back in the bush, and despite the game population being no better than last year I'm having a way better season.

Best advice, hunt lots and don't give up, things will probably look a little better by mid November. Use the time between now and then to burn boot leather and look at tracks.
 
Same here in western sask. I'll concentrate on grouse till seasons end, if this winter isn't too bad I will probably shoot one next fall, depending on the numbers I see next summer.
 
two-dogs said:
I've been out grouse hunting and scouting for the up and coming Deer hunting seasons. Haven't seen a Buck for ages. Didn't see any rubs anywhere. The usual beaten down deer paths show very little sign of traffic. Only saw a few does over time. The recent tough winters that we've had, I believe has take their toll on them. A friend told me that the huge Sandilands area where he lives has very few deer left there. The wolves are plentiful out there. I'd like some fresh meat, but I'm sort of thinking about sitting this season out. A tough call to make. I've hunted every year of my life since it was legal to do so. I'm old now and prolly don't have many hunts left in me. I do love being in the bush and have looked forward to it every year. What are you doing this year?
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Same here; ironically there are about 8000 too many elk in the Block ( real number too) but Fish and Wildlife are sitting on the fence with their thumb stuck up their arse.
It's going to be an ecological disaster of legendary scale if they don't do something. The Engineering Corp will be bulldozing some big pits to make that go away...
 
I've hunted 11 days this month, by my early estimations id say the deer population in my area is down about 1/3 from last year but won't know for sure till the first week of November when things get moving... I have seen more moose and elk in my WMU this fall than ever before tho so I'll take the good with the bad.

Use your early deer scouting time to pick off any predators you see, even a few dead yote's can take quite a bit of pressure off the deer population... I watched 2 this morning stalking a farmers cow's but they were too close to the herd to shoot... Seen a nice timber wolf looking for mice about 1000M into a stubble field... My target rifle now rides on the back seat.
 
We'll likely shoot a couple this year, but big areas including most of my own land will be left alone. Where we will be hunting has a decent pocket population, mostly because they got fed last winter. Part of that was an old guy who likes watching deer, and a lot was them hitting a grain tube all winter. This year much of my share of the hay crop never left the field, and if those pesky deer happen to find them, then that's the way it goes.

Cameras are showing fairly good activity and some decent up and comers if they live. Winters have been a #####.
 
Here in ontario in the moose hunt last week so about 25 does total and 3 bucks. I hope we some more buck during our rifle hunt. The weather is suppose to be marginal at best so we will see what the dogs pick up.
 
I spent 13 days in western MB earlier in the month and maybe saw 20 does (not a single buck) in that entire time. I have one small, repeast small, spike on a camera but nothing else. The rut had better make some things appear from thin air or this will be an epic fail. The only positive I have is that I did see a number of fawns this fall and I haven't seen many of them in the lat few years.
 
Yes dosnt look good around Piney, Sprague, Woodridge for deer. More grouse then I've seen in years and years but few does and bucks nonexistent. Have been spending every weekend out there and not much on the trail cams too. Probably wont buy a deer lisence this year and just stick to the grouse.
 
At home and in my hunting area , normal amounts of fawn, doe and bucks. Haven't seen much for wolf , but coyote is way up last year and this year. I will not be hunting this year at all in manitoba because of the " restrictions"
 
Sounds like some of you guys need to take some time to do some serious predator hunting. Be a threat to the wolves and they will move on.
Do your deer and moose a favour.
 
45ACPKING said:
Sounds like some of you guys need to take some time to do some serious predator hunting. Be a threat to the wolves and they will move on.
Do your deer and moose a favour.
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In my case it borders on a national park. Kill one bear and 10 come to his funeral. All the coyotes you could shove down a hole. Wolves if you can ever see them. Unless they walk into a wire they're pretty safe.
 
Wolves have no effect whatsoever on deer numbers. Wolves are good for the deer population. Habitat loss and last winter's length and snow depth has a far greater effect.
 
Here in my region of BC (5-1) we are fortunate enough to have plenty of game around. Wolves here in 5-1 are No closed season/no bag limit, I'll be spending my winter out on the ice thinning out some numbers so we can keep seeing good game numbers.
I'm new at predator hunting and the adrenaline rush is like nothing else I've experienced. I recommend getting into it :D
 
Bah, I don't even have good grouse hunting left... I'm almost thankful to have my hunting options limited by the future hunter (I hope) that showed up this summer. Was out all day Saturday sighting rifles in and scouting/prepping. Only saw one for with fawn right at dusk on the next property over. Complete lack of buck sign and not so much for does either. Should've went bear hunting, at least their numbers seem decent right now. Coyotes are coming to the Foxpro like a hot damn though, so maybe I'll clean a few out. Shoulda had one one the weekend, need to get my offhand shooting up to par again....
 
Deer are starting to yard up in western Manitoba, those fawns that were birthed in the spring seem to have largely survived the summer but the bucks are few and far between

Only way I am giving a deer a dirt nap this year is if a old boywith a big rack crosses my patrh
 
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