swan hills alberta
- Thread starter jcbruno
- Start date
I was out for almost a week in Whitecourt and the deer numbers were really low. Went up to swan hills one day and it was bad as well. Not sure what its like this year.
Talked to a Fish-Cop last year while in Whitecourt and he said deer were down 70% due to the cold winter.
Talked to a Fish-Cop last year while in Whitecourt and he said deer were down 70% due to the cold winter.
Republic of Alberta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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I live and work in the area for the past 10 years. When speaking as an overall view of the areas I travel the white tail numbers are very low.
This is due to 2 reasons. The first being the past few winters and the second the issuing of 2 doe tags and extending of the antler less season.
There are some "strong hold" areas where the deer have, and will always winter well partly due to the natural weather patterns but mostly due to unusual (unnatural) growing conditions for feed. But these areas have very easy access. As a result in the increase in hunter numbers and especially the 2 doe tags there is a definite decrease in deer numbers in these areas as well.
There has also been a marked increase in all the species of predators the past few years.
This year I have only seen 1 set of twin fawns, in years where the population increases significantly, seeing twins in consecutive years is very common. I don't predict the population is on the rebound quite yet.
The end result is I used to be able to take a rookie hunter out and have him fill 3 white tail tags in a day. Now it may take a week.
I will also add that last year was the first season in 17 years I made a decision not take a deer, mostly due to the low numbers of deer I was seeing.
This is due to 2 reasons. The first being the past few winters and the second the issuing of 2 doe tags and extending of the antler less season.
There are some "strong hold" areas where the deer have, and will always winter well partly due to the natural weather patterns but mostly due to unusual (unnatural) growing conditions for feed. But these areas have very easy access. As a result in the increase in hunter numbers and especially the 2 doe tags there is a definite decrease in deer numbers in these areas as well.
There has also been a marked increase in all the species of predators the past few years.
This year I have only seen 1 set of twin fawns, in years where the population increases significantly, seeing twins in consecutive years is very common. I don't predict the population is on the rebound quite yet.
The end result is I used to be able to take a rookie hunter out and have him fill 3 white tail tags in a day. Now it may take a week.
I will also add that last year was the first season in 17 years I made a decision not take a deer, mostly due to the low numbers of deer I was seeing.
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RoA...,,
sad to hear that....back in the day-ummmm mid '70's, we hunted the House Mt area every year. Never failed to get camp meat (doe), and a good buck or two. Along with a moose or two, of course.
Hope things come back up there.....by the way, I know how you feel about not taking any last year. We will be recovering from CWD in Edgerton for some time!
LeRoy
sad to hear that....back in the day-ummmm mid '70's, we hunted the House Mt area every year. Never failed to get camp meat (doe), and a good buck or two. Along with a moose or two, of course.
Hope things come back up there.....by the way, I know how you feel about not taking any last year. We will be recovering from CWD in Edgerton for some time!
LeRoy
like no there is no tomorrow = low deer numbers in the Swan Hills.
There is a lot of hunters hnting the roads, plus lots who quad alot.
There is an extreme amount of oil and gas activity in the area which does not help the road hunting impact.
Lots of good quad access makes the deer spooky.
If you get out and walk your chances are better.
There is an extreme amount of oil and gas activity in the area which does not help the road hunting impact.
Lots of good quad access makes the deer spooky.
If you get out and walk your chances are better.
Might be different if there were any farms in the Swan Hills wilderness, but there aren't. The doe season here was not needed IMHO, there were never really enough deer to support that.
As soon as they brought that doe tag out most of the guys I know went and bought those GD tags, which pissed me off then and now. They shot every stupid doe that stuck it's head out. So not only are you losing those animals, their fawn survival would certainly also go down, plus you lose the fawns they would have thrown!
Then we had 2 hard winters in a row and now guys are surprised the numbers are down? It was short-sighted.
Gimme a break.
Edit: Btw I suppose I blame the Gov't more then the hunters...
