New elk hunting opportunity in Sask. Thoughts?

[306carpenter]

This is a knee jerk reaction. If the elk are an issue now, they were an issue in the spring and more draw tags could have been issued for antlerless elk. I have seen huge culls on mules deer and antelope back in the day. Neither were sound management decisions.i

 

[306carpenter]

I agree, it’s been an increasing problem for more than a couple of years now. Typical wait until it’s larger problem vs being proactive. The govt can’t manage a good s#it let alone the elk population. Sorta like the bear population in the east kootneys. The counts say they aren’t a problem but I’ve personally chatted with a couple hunters in the Elkford and Fernie areas and the numbers are way higher then what’s listed.

 

[Denver Steve]

I’m a little confused by this. I own land in 48 and was just there during elk season to clean up and get my cabin ready for winter. I did a few hikes for elk but didn’t see any. Anyway, that zone and many others have been switched to a bulls only zone but now they have a separate anterless season? Why not just leave it as an either ### zone and season like it was for years? They also ran that spring cull in that area. Do we have too many elk or not?

Not opposed to the anterless season at all but it just seems weird how they’re running some of these zones and populations.

In zone 48 it's like that because they are clear cutting the forest from basically Round Lake, straight east. Right up to and against the farmland, or wildlife lands. So it's bumping the elk even further east, or west. Lots of elk around. Just not where they usually are.

 

[Denver Steve]

I grew up in 48, Hi Tor area.

 

[Mr.Rigpig]

theyve done this
my zone 42E was normally 75 cow tags then the past few years it jumped to 250.
the landowners couldnt cope with the amount of hunters and the pressure sent the elk nocturnal.

open ALL seasons up from sept15th straight thru til jan31st

stop fckn around around with a month here and week there.
it makes no sense to me atleast.

if this nov week fails the gov is bring in the indigenous to cull the elk

What do you mean "Bringing in?"
They will be out the week prior to the season and no one will see an elk during the week offered.

 

[KLS]

What are you shooting now?

Gophers….

 

[BigUglyMan]

I was speaking to a work colleague who has a friend that works at SERM. That friend told him that SERM had divested the Limited Entry Draw process from their office to SGI. That should worry everyone because SGI only cares about reducing the number of collisions that they are responsible to repair. If that motivation is what is driving the tag allotment (and from speaking to others it would seem to be) then conservation is no longer the motivator for wildlife management in Saskatchewan. That's a message that people should be hammering home to the government.

 

[keith mokry]

And crop insurance has their say in to it also. In some zones in the past, where it is possible to get two deer tags it is because of insurance companies want to reduce vehicle accidents. Same in every province

 

[9.3 Hunter]

Let me know if you know any land owners giving permission - I do not know any ... There are no Elk on our grain farmed family 27 1/4s, just Moose + deer + some bears; lots of birds.

I just don't know any land owners giving permission for Elk - but I sure do know alot who complain about Elk crop damage ... go figure

 

[saskgunowner101]

Let me know if you know any land owners giving permission - I do not know any ... There are no Elk on our grain farmed family 27 1/4s, just Moose + deer + some bears; lots of birds.

I just don't know any land owners giving permission for Elk - but I sure do know alot who complain about Elk crop damage ... go figure

Not sure if you're referencing me, or one of the fellas above, but my sister in law is the one in charge of getting permission as we'd be hunting in her stomping grounds (42W I believe) if I grab a tag.

 

[Suther]

In my opinion that’s pure folly to think killing a bunch of animals is going to stop the spread of cwd. It’s never worked anywhere it’s been tried as far as I know. We had those big culls here in SK to no effect, pretty sure AB tried it and the US tried it many years ago.

I could be wrong, if I am I’d like to see some evidence that it works.

Meat eater Podcast did a big CWD episode recently. I haven't listened to all of it yet and it was a few weeks back, but IIRC they do say killing deer is an effective management tool in some circumstances. I want to say it depends on prevalence rates?


I doubt it's CWD though. Sounds like a move to appease farmers to me. Lose their support and the Sask Party is ####ed.

 

[Zakattack30]

Just heard about this on a fb hunting page. I'm not an elk hunter, but might consider it. Antlerless only.

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2025/october/02/short-term-hunting-opportunity-for-antlerless-elk-in-southern-saskatchewan#:~:text=Short-Term Hunting Opportunity for Antlerless Elk in Southern Saskatchewan,-Released on October&text=The Government of Saskatchewan is,elk damage to agricultural products.

Dive in buddy! Elk hunting is an absolute blast. Once you get into you’ll always be thankful you gave it a shot.

Just heard about this on a fb hunting page. I'm not an elk hunter, but might consider it. Antlerless only.

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2025/october/02/short-term-hunting-opportunity-for-antlerless-elk-in-southern-saskatchewan#:~:text=Short-Term Hunting Opportunity for Antlerless Elk in Southern Saskatchewan,-Released on October&text=The Government of Saskatchewan is,elk damage to agricultural products.

Dive in! Elk hunting is an absolute blast. Once you start you’ll never stop. It becomes more of an addiction than passion and it’s not a bad addiction to have!

 

[jbmauser]

Meat eater Podcast did a big CWD episode recently. I haven't listened to all of it yet and it was a few weeks back, but IIRC they do say killing deer is an effective management tool in some circumstances. I want to say it depends on prevalence rates?


I doubt it's CWD though. Sounds like a move to appease farmers to me. Lose their support and the Sask Party is ####ed.

I’ll have to see if I can find it then find time to watch it lol. Thanks

 

[scruffee]

The majority of landowners I know who have elk problems all say they're an issue in winter when they go through feed lots, bales or grain bags. Pushing them around during hunting season, ahead of another draw season, will likely result in displaced elk and few tags getting filled.

Instead of calling an all out war on elk (which is bound to fail) with little public and private access, why not invest in proper wildlife fencing to protect such ag areas as well as creating a private access program? Our neighbours to the South have great programs such as AccessYes, Walk-in Areas, Hunter Management Areas, Block Management Programs, etc.

Also, I'm appalled that landowners who receive Provincially funded crop insurance as well as being recipients of Federal aid, can do so and unilaterally deny access to hunters! "i OwN tHiS lAnD aNd fEeD tHeM yEaR rOuNd" Yeah? Well the rest of Canada makes sure your family business doesn't go under and enables you to maintain your farm and prevents it from being bought out by the highest bidder. Also, what about all those farmers who prevent access to leased Crown Land? These are public lands that are leased to framers/ranchers who MUST PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCESS to them. I've been denied access to leased crown land more than I can count for reasons like "we only allow family and friends". That doesn't sound like reasonable access to me?!?

I've met a lot of great landowners who provide access to hunters, and most of them don't complain about wildlife all that much. You know who I hear complain the most about wildlife damages though? The landowners who refuse access to anyone but close friends and family... They're usually the ones who have the most to say about it but refuse to do what it takes to take care of the problem and want more handouts.

 

[Grain]

Recent interviews with the mi

The majority of landowners I know who have elk problems all say they're an issue in winter when they go through feed lots, bales or grain bags. Pushing them around during hunting season, ahead of another draw season, will likely result in displaced elk and few tags getting filled.

Instead of calling an all out war on elk (which is bound to fail) with little public and private access, why not invest in proper wildlife fencing to protect such ag areas as well as creating a private access program? Our neighbours to the South have great programs such as AccessYes, Walk-in Areas, Hunter Management Areas, Block Management Programs, etc.

Also, I'm appalled that landowners who receive Provincially funded crop insurance as well as being recipients of Federal aid, can do so and unilaterally deny access to hunters! "i OwN tHiS lAnD aNd fEeD tHeM yEaR rOuNd" Yeah? Well the rest of Canada makes sure your family business doesn't go under and enables you to maintain your farm and prevents it from being bought out by the highest bidder. Also, what about all those farmers who prevent access to leased Crown Land? These are public lands that are leased to framers/ranchers who MUST PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCESS to them. I've been denied access to leased crown land more than I can count for reasons like "we only allow family and friends". That doesn't sound like reasonable access to me?!?

I've met a lot of great landowners who provide access to hunters, and most of them don't complain about wildlife all that much. You know who I hear complain the most about wildlife damages though? The landowners who refuse access to anyone but close friends and family... They're usually the ones who have the most to say about it but refuse to do what it takes to take care of the problem and want more handouts.

Putting conditions with government handouts is a slippery slope. Next its mandatory birth control and sobriety while on welfare and unemployment etc etc. Not all bad ideas when your party of choice is running things, but when it's the other guys...

 

[Melvin]

Total waste of time. Just politics to pretend they are helping farmers with elk issues. Worst week of the year to put more hunters out on the landscape and add more pressure to us landowners that still maintain wildlife habitat. That is one of the few weeks out of the year I will have to say no. Prime rifle white tail hunting week.
I bet they cancel it before the Nov 3 tag sale date.

 

[Melvin]

The majority of landowners I know who have elk problems all say they're an issue in winter when they go through feed lots, bales or grain bags. Pushing them around during hunting season, ahead of another draw season, will likely result in displaced elk and few tags getting filled.

Instead of calling an all out war on elk (which is bound to fail) with little public and private access, why not invest in proper wildlife fencing to protect such ag areas as well as creating a private access program? Our neighbours to the South have great programs such as AccessYes, Walk-in Areas, Hunter Management Areas, Block Management Programs, etc.

Also, I'm appalled that landowners who receive Provincially funded crop insurance as well as being recipients of Federal aid, can do so and unilaterally deny access to hunters! "i OwN tHiS lAnD aNd fEeD tHeM yEaR rOuNd" Yeah? Well the rest of Canada makes sure your family business doesn't go under and enables you to maintain your farm and prevents it from being bought out by the highest bidder. Also, what about all those farmers who prevent access to leased Crown Land? These are public lands that are leased to framers/ranchers who MUST PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCESS to them. I've been denied access to leased crown land more than I can count for reasons like "we only allow family and friends". That doesn't sound like reasonable access to me?!?

I've met a lot of great landowners who provide access to hunters, and most of them don't complain about wildlife all that much. You know who I hear complain the most about wildlife damages though? The landowners who refuse access to anyone but close friends and family... They're usually the ones who have the most to say about it but refuse to do what it takes to take care of the problem and want more handouts.

You must be from Alberta. Here in Saskatchewan ag producers do not have to grant any access to crown ag lease land. We should have to but don’t.
Also ragging on about how bad landowners treat you is one of the prime reasons why more and more access is denied.