Saskatchewan Spring Elk Hunt

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...
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I’ve seen bull elk with antlers late April/early May. Spikes usually. That’s in the zone directly north of one of the “cull” zones.
 
Was there the same style hunt in dec/24 in the same zones as I remember something about it. Maybe the hunt did not get results wanted at that time if they wanted another one.
 
Perhaps snow depth and the caloric output to carry antlers through heavy snow is a contributing factor to when antler drop occurs... it seems that the areas that traditionally receive less snow are seeing later drops. We normally have 3-4 feet by January, and movement for browsing is becoming increasingly difficult. It is not hard to imagine that the need to conserve energy could lead to early antler dropping.
 
hoytcanon said:
Perhaps snow depth and the caloric output to carry antlers through heavy snow is a contributing factor to when antler drop occurs... it seems that the areas that traditionally receive less snow are seeing later drops. We normally have 3-4 feet by January, and movement for browsing is becoming increasingly difficult. It is not hard to imagine that the need to conserve energy could lead to early antler dropping.
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This is something I’ve considered as as reason for different drop times. In the area an hour north of me where the bucks always drop before the new year, it’s big bush/forest that typically gets more snow than the farmland. However, they have still been dropping their antlers months earlier than the farmland bucks even tho the last several years the forest has had milder winters with less snow than further south. Maybe it’s a genetic trait they’ve developed in response to historical snow fall depths and winter conditions that produces the early drops regardless of weather.
 
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.
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Shooting a pregnant Cow in the Spring is just not ethical. Saving Calves by comming after Bears hard, no problem.
 
Elk being social animals, perhaps horns are an advantage in more open country and a disadvantage in a thicker forest.
 
jbmauser said:
This is something I’ve considered as as reason for different drop times. In the area an hour north of me where the bucks always drop before the new year, it’s big bush/forest that typically gets more snow than the farmland. However, they have still been dropping their antlers months earlier than the farmland bucks even tho the last several years the forest has had milder winters with less snow than further south. Maybe it’s a genetic trait they’ve developed in response to historical snow fall depths and winter conditions that produces the early drops regardless of weather.
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I think this is likely.... another possible factor is nutrition. In traditional areas of heavy snowfall, the ungulates switch from grazing to browsing when the snow reaches a depth where they burn more calories digging down to the feed than they gain from ingesting it. This nutritional change can also be a contributing factor. For example our deer herds have migrated from their summer/fall ranges to the wintering yards by mid-December, and they are predominantly on browse at this time... generally withing a few weeks of this transition they have dropped their antlers.
 
Brassman66 said:
Shooting a pregnant Cow in the Spring is just not ethical. Saving Calves by comming after Bears hard, no problem.
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There is zero difference between shooting a cow in the fall or shooting one in the spring... the net demographic result is the same. Having said that, I have no issue with someone choosing to not participate based on whatever emotionally charged issues they have with the practice.
 
I doubt it's nutrition, winter killed dead heads complete with horns are often found. At least around here they don't do much digging, only eating the seed heads above the snow and browse.

This year the snow came weeks early and the snow melted I'd say middlin', the Elk look to be in fine shape other than one really rough looking Cow I saw a week ago, by herself, maybe unable to keep up or compete.
 
hoytcanon said:
There is zero difference between shooting a cow in the fall or shooting one in the spring... the net demographic result is the same. Having said that, I have no issue with someone choosing to not participate based on whatever emotionally charged issues they have with the practice.
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That is an Animal with feelings not so much different from you and me. Ethics come to mind like I dont support killing Woman and Children in a Warzone just becouse they are the Enemy.

Cheers
 
hoytcanon said:
What the heck are you doing in the hunting forum???

How did a Trudeau voter sneak in here???
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Just so you know my Friend, I am a legal and licenced BC Guide Outfitter with a very large Guide Outfitting Territory in Northern BC and have been for allmost 50 years. Our Clients hunt Ethically and the same goes for our Guides. If you wont hunt/dispatch Animals Ethicaly you are not welcome on our Campfires. And for you accusation being a Liberal, dont insult Ethical Hunters just becouse you are a Slob, now crawl back under your Rock !
 
Brassman66 said:
Just so you know my Friend, I am a legal and licenced BC Guide Outfitter with a very large Guide Outfitting Territory in Northern BC and have been for allmost 50 years. Our Clients hunt Ethically and the same goes for our Guides. If you wont hunt/dispatch Animals Ethicaly you are not welcome on our Campfires. And for you accusation being a Liberal, dont insult Ethical Hunters just becouse you are a Slob, now crawl back under your Rock !
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What's the name of your outfit?
 
struff55 said:
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
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Zone 39 is big ....
 
Brassman66 said:
Just so you know my Friend, I am a legal and licenced BC Guide Outfitter with a very large Guide Outfitting Territory in Northern BC and have been for allmost 50 years. Our Clients hunt Ethically and the same goes for our Guides. If you wont hunt/dispatch Animals Ethicaly you are not welcome on our Campfires. And for you accusation being a Liberal, dont insult Ethical Hunters just becouse you are a Slob, now crawl back under your Rock !
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Care to repeat what you said in the post that was deleted?
 
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