Saskatchewan Spring Elk Hunt

Dear Hunter,

Due to reported wildlife damage and to obtain samples for bovine tuberculosis testing, the following areas have been identified for an extended antlerless elk hunting season:
  • WMZ 39: 125 licences
  • RM of Stanley (215): 25 licences
  • RM of Leask (464): 25 licences
The hunt will take place March 10 to 31, 2025.

Licences are only available to Saskatchewan residents online through the Hunting, Angling and Trapping licencing system on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 9:00 a.m. on March 7, 2025.

Licences are $30 (including GST).

Important note: Any animal taken from RM of Stanley (215) or WMZ 39during this window is subject to mandatory head submission for testing for bovine tuberculosis. Heads must be submitted by March 31, 2025.

Confirmed drop-off locations include Preeceville, Yorkton, Regina and Saskatoon. Additional locations will be confirmed and shared prior to the start of the hunt March 10.
In any zone or RM, hunters are encouraged to submit samples for CWD testing. CWD testing is not mandatory.

As always, hunters should practice routine hygiene precautions while handing wildlife, including regular hand washing and cleaning of knives and other equipment. Meat should always be well cooked.

Please note that hunters are responsible for obtaining land access permission. The Ministry of Environment and the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation are unable to release landowner information to hunters.

It took a decade and in some cases decades to increase elk populations from extirpated (nearly extinct from an area) to only a couple hundred animals in a given herd. Very few Rural Municipalities have enough large intact areas to even support a small herd of elk. In any case an entire Municipality of a couple hundred square miles may only have a herd of 200 elk. Most RM's don't have herds of elk if they even have elk at all.

In very harsh winters like the last few we've had, the animals have been migrating out of the large former PFRA pastures which may be between 7500 acres to 15,000 acres and into private farm yards to find food. Farmers without protective fences around their bale stacks are making easy meals for starving elk. The main problem occurs when a herd of 50-200 animals decides to move in and feed.

I still can't understand how most farmers that live near stable populations of elk and deer are either too lazy or too cheap to put up a few hundred yards of fencing capable of keeping these animals from accessing their bales. Of course making a phone call to Saskatchewan Environment to complain about losing a few $50 bales is much easier than taking some responsibility for yourself by removing the potential conflict between your bales and the public's wildlife.

This is yet another example of why wild populations of big game, especially large herd animals like elk (we already pretty well got rid of wild bison) can never co exist with people. It goes without saying an unusually large proportion of trophy elk, moose and deer find their way into farmers rec rooms and freezers in such ways as explained above.

As an obvious solution to the problem outlined above, supplemental feeding programs for certain wildlife species and populations in certain areas would be a reasonable and inexpensive compromise. Bales placed strategically in large tracts of habitat inhabited by elk, deer and moose could go a long way to minimizing human-wildlife conflicts as well as keeping herds healthy through harsh winters. This would both improve herd health in general but also improve and increase the overall amount of calves that would be born and survive in the spring, mostly because the cows would maintain better health throughout the winter.

One thing that struck me as particularly sad was the value of what the government put on an elk's life...a measly $30. The entire lot of 175 tags is less than my used snowmobile. It's absolutely shameful how value-less our wildlife is. Why even have a price to the tags of you're only going to get $30? It probably cost a heck of a lot more to administer the whole process of drawing the additonal tags.

Clearly I am not in support of the cull, especially females who may have calves in utero, however, those tags should have been auctioned off and the proceeds gone to make the farmers losses whole. Any proceeds leftover should have gone to habitat aquisition through the Fish and Wildlife Fund or establishing a supplemental feeding program with the intention of minimizing human-wildlife conflict but also keeping our wildlife herds healthy, strong and growing.

There's no damn reason a Sask resident should have to wait 10 years or more to draw an elk tag. It is incompetent decisions such as this by so called professional wildlife managers that have created a shortage of wildlife, calling into question whether wildlife can even successfully remain a public resource. Clearly, wildlife cannot sustain the demand by hunters and either we must increase the price of tags to compensate or increase the amount of animals to supply the demand.
 
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I know of around 1500-2000 head of cattle that have been culled due to the bovine tuberculosis in that area. There’s some big elk herds out there and they’re worried that it maybe came from the elk. Total #### show working with the feds as it’s a health Canada and CFIA issue so I’ve heard.
 
the rm of leask is in zone 54 a very small airea zone 54 has a elk season from oct 12- nov 19 i'm not sure about the number of tags given out about 100 the point is many unsuccessful hunters
the province had a extra draw in early dec i believe 30 or 50 tags now again in march
this alone shows the poor management
the unsuccessful hunters from the first draw should have been the ones to hunt the extra elk
not opening the rm up twice with new hunters
the other thing is it's a small airea and a very small number of elk 100-200 elk maybe and they live in the north sask river bottom impossible to hunt
i live in the airea and i would not apply for a tag simply because your odds of winning the 649 are better
 
MiG25 said:
The big bulls drop their horns first starting late March, small bulls can carry them into May.

As of today, March 20, probably close to 0% of bulls have cast their horns.
Click to expand...

They are all bald heads around here, deer, moose and elk drop in late January and February for the most part. Interesting that they drop late, further west... in May here, they have already grown new horn.
 
umchorn2 said:
Dear Hunter,

Due to reported wildlife damage and to obtain samples for bovine tuberculosis testing, the following areas have been identified for an extended antlerless elk hunting season:
  • WMZ 39: 125 licences
  • RM of Stanley (215): 25 licences
  • RM of Leask (464): 25 licences
The hunt will take place March 10 to 31, 2025.

Licences are only available to Saskatchewan residents online through the Hunting, Angling and Trapping licencing system on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 9:00 a.m. on March 7, 2025.

Licences are $30 (including GST).

Important note: Any animal taken from RM of Stanley (215) or WMZ 39during this window is subject to mandatory head submission for testing for bovine tuberculosis. Heads must be submitted by March 31, 2025.

Confirmed drop-off locations include Preeceville, Yorkton, Regina and Saskatoon. Additional locations will be confirmed and shared prior to the start of the hunt March 10.
In any zone or RM, hunters are encouraged to submit samples for CWD testing. CWD testing is not mandatory.

As always, hunters should practice routine hygiene precautions while handing wildlife, including regular hand washing and cleaning of knives and other equipment. Meat should always be well cooked.

Please note that hunters are responsible for obtaining land access permission. The Ministry of Environment and the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation are unable to release landowner information to hunters.

It took a decade and in some cases decades to increase elk populations from extirpated (nearly extinct from an area) to only a couple hundred animals in a given herd. Very few Rural Municipalities have enough large intact areas to even support a small herd of elk. In any case an entire Municipality of a couple hundred square miles may only have a herd of 200 elk. Most RM's don't have herds of elk if they even have elk at all.

In very harsh winters like the last few we've had, the animals have been migrating out of the large former PFRA pastures which may be between 7500 acres to 15,000 acres and into private farm yards to find food. Farmers without protective fences around their bale stacks are making easy meals for starving elk. The main problem occurs when a herd of 50-200 animals decides to move in and feed.

I still can't understand how most farmers that live near stable populations of elk and deer are either too lazy or too cheap to put up a few hundred yards of fencing capable of keeping these animals from accessing their bales. Of course making a phone call to Saskatchewan Environment to complain about losing a few $50 bales is much easier than taking some responsibility for yourself by removing the potential conflict between your bales and the public's wildlife.

This is yet another example of why wild populations of big game, especially large herd animals like elk (we already pretty well got rid of wild bison) can never co exist with people. It goes without saying an unusually large proportion of trophy elk, moose and deer find their way into farmers rec rooms and freezers in such ways as explained above.

As an obvious solution to the problem outlined above, supplemental feeding programs for certain wildlife species and populations in certain areas would be a reasonable and inexpensive compromise. Bales placed strategically in large tracts of habitat inhabited by elk, deer and moose could go a long way to minimizing human-wildlife conflicts as well as keeping herds healthy through harsh winters. This would both improve herd health in general but also improve and increase the overall amount of calves that would be born and survive in the spring, mostly because the cows would maintain better health throughout the winter.

One thing that struck me as particularly sad was the value of what the government put on an elk's life...a measly $30. The entire lot of 175 tags is less than my used snowmobile. It's absolutely shameful how value-less our wildlife is. Why even have a price to the tags of you're only going to get $30? It probably cost a heck of a lot more to administer the whole process of drawing the additonal tags.

Clearly I am not in support of the cull, especially females who may have calves in utero, however, those tags should have been auctioned off and the proceeds gone to make the farmers losses whole. Any proceeds leftover should have gone to habitat aquisition through the Fish and Wildlife Fund or establishing a supplemental feeding program with the intention of minimizing human-wildlife conflict but also keeping our wildlife herds healthy, strong and growing.

There's no damn reason a Sask resident should have to wait 10 years or more to draw an elk tag. It is incompetent decisions such as this by so called professional wildlife managers that have created a shortage of wildlife, calling into question whether wildlife can even successfully remain a public resource. Clearly, wildlife cannot sustain the demand by hunters and either we must increase the price of tags to compensate or increase the amount of animals to supply the demand.
Click to expand...
You started off strong, but really crashed and burned at the "tags should be auctioned off" part.
 
hoytcanon said:
They are all bald heads around here, deer, moose and elk drop in late January and February for the most part. Interesting that they drop late, further west... in May here, they have already grown new horn.
Click to expand...
Maybe further north - photo period, or maybe Founder Effect in Ontario, or maybe something else?
 
There have been elk herd reductions by cull and capture method in Manitoba around the Riding and Duck mountains starting nearly 30 years ago...Reason being loss incurred by ranchers because of TB and depredation.

The simple fact is...Elk numbers have never recovered even close to what they were before the province with their great ideas...Completely fvcked everything up...Probably what they intended to do all along.
 
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MiG25 said:
What's the difference between shooting a Cow in November (as in BC) or February (as in Montana) or in March?

Anybody that wants to "save" a calf should tag out on Bears every year. I've seen gangs of cow Elk without a single calf.
Click to expand...

The difference? In November that calve is likely the size of a big shrimp, by late March that calve is almost fully grown. Do you honestly not see the difference or just oblivious to how gestation periods work?

MiG25 said:
The big bulls drop their horns first starting late March, small bulls can carry them into May.

As of today, March 20, probably close to 0% of bulls have cast their horns.
Click to expand...

Where would that be? I've seen bull moose and elk, who have shed their antlers since January. Central and Northern, Saskatchewan... By May, everything buck or bull, have already started growing antlers...
 
scruffee said:
The difference? In November that calve is likely the size of a big shrimp, by late March that calve is almost fully grown. Do you honestly not see the difference or just oblivious to how gestation periods work?



Where would that be? I've seen bull moose and elk, who have shed their antlers since January. Central and Northern, Saskatchewan... By May, everything buck or bull, have already started growing antlers...
Click to expand...
Pregnant is pregnant, though they should be reducing the Cow herd earlier so as to preserve winter feed for others.

BC, I have never found a (new) shed Elk Horn before the last week of March and big bulls are often seen packing in April, the last to drop are spikes, which will carry them into May.
 
hoytcanon said:
They are all antlerless.
Click to expand...
I own land in the area and have seen elk with antlers a lot later than this. Where I live, I saw a whitetail last week with both antlers. Interestingly, an hour north of where I live every single buck I had on camera, including spikes had dropped before the new year. First one dropped both Dec 11th. Anyway, I just thought it’s interesting how different regions have vastly different shed times it seems.

As to the hunt, I’m not really opposed to it but I’m not going to try and buy a tag. Maybe if a guy could target bulls that had shed I would do it but I have enough meat and I don’t think the elk population needs to be culled that badly. Just my opinion.
 
Well, to be realistic it is not a cow tags that are being issued but antlerless tags, so a hunter could take an antlerless bull or a calf for that matter instead of a pregnant if they chose too .
Cat
 
hoytcanon said:
They are all bald heads around here, deer, moose and elk drop in late January and February for the most part. Interesting that they drop late, further west... in May here, they have already grown new horn.
Click to expand...
Our elk here in the East Kootenays still have their elk antlers. They usually drop around mid April. Spike bulls keep them until early May. We have lived here for eight years now.

From my experience living in the Okanagan, it's the same time frames there as well. I moved to the Okanagan in 1976, elk did not start keeping their antlers late into April until approximately the early 1990's. I have no idea what changed. Prior to 1990, the elk were bald by February 1st. Go figure......:)
 
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