Just came back yesterday from hunting deer in Eastern Alberta 151. I spotted a cow and calf elk in a coulee. Pretty neat, I've never seen them in that kind of area before. Is this fairly common? The guy I was hunting with had been shooting in that are for over 20 years, first he'd seen too.
elk on the prarie
- Thread starter RoscoeT
- Start date
I am always amazed at what turns up on the prairies.
This year I saw two big bull elk and 30 or so cows and spikers in 108 during a sharptail hunt. Last year I ran into a Grizzly sow and cub near Devil's Coulee. Most baffling was a couple of ewes and a young ram down on the flats near Head Smashed In.
This year I saw two big bull elk and 30 or so cows and spikers in 108 during a sharptail hunt. Last year I ran into a Grizzly sow and cub near Devil's Coulee. Most baffling was a couple of ewes and a young ram down on the flats near Head Smashed In.
Suka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Not sure why, but in the last 10-15 years there's more and more elk and moose spotted all over.
Even 40yrs ago occassionally you'd see one or the other, but I was told at the time they "followed the coulee from the hills to the mountains".
No idea why the increase, but while there's not "lots", it's definietly not what I'd call "uncommon" anymore. I'm in about as "prairie" an area as you can get, and I can show you both moose and elk most any day of the week within a short drive.
If I was to guess, my guess would be the drastically increased tourism and acerage numbers in both the foothills/livingston range and in our area the cypress hills, and the "bench".
Add to that the high number of grizzlies in the hills, and releasing all those cougars in the cypress hills.
I'm not complaining, told my son he'll likely be taking his (future)son elk/moose hunting locally in 20 or 30 yrs.
Those sheep have to take the cake, though. I never would've guessed that.
Even 40yrs ago occassionally you'd see one or the other, but I was told at the time they "followed the coulee from the hills to the mountains".
No idea why the increase, but while there's not "lots", it's definietly not what I'd call "uncommon" anymore. I'm in about as "prairie" an area as you can get, and I can show you both moose and elk most any day of the week within a short drive.
If I was to guess, my guess would be the drastically increased tourism and acerage numbers in both the foothills/livingston range and in our area the cypress hills, and the "bench".
Add to that the high number of grizzlies in the hills, and releasing all those cougars in the cypress hills.
I'm not complaining, told my son he'll likely be taking his (future)son elk/moose hunting locally in 20 or 30 yrs.
Those sheep have to take the cake, though. I never would've guessed that.
