wmu 402 in AB

[hansol]

Hey all,

Just wondering if any Alberta guys here do any hunting in 402? I've heard there is lots of crown land there, and am thinking of maybe heading out there this fall to try my luck.

Now I'm not asking for any honey-pot spots, or where your elk camp is set up, or anything of the sort. Just wondering what the general area is like, if there is a lot of hunting pressure because of it being generally public land, success rates, etc. Just what everyone's take on it is.

I should mention that I'm fairly new to hunting (been on a few trips up in 318/320 with my uncle before he moved away) but am still fairly green and am looking to find a decent spot to start. Looking mostly at whitetail/elk hunting.

And please, I just want to stress that I am not looking for someone to tell me the "bestest most incredible game-getting spot in all of Alberta" etc etc. I'm certainly not that naive. Just wondering what the general situation in 402 is for hunting pressure, access, success, and such. Hopefully that isn't too rediculous a thing for a new guy to ask. (And if it is, by all means, tear me a new one.)

Cheers guys, and thanks very much for humouring me and my silly questions -Cameron

 

[Scott_N]

I've done some hunting in 402, but not for a few years. You're right, the hunting pressure is fairly heavy because of all the crown land. There is also quite bit more oil / gas development than there was years ago, so there can be a lot of people in the area. It can be good for elk, but I don't think that there are many whitetails around. I have noticed over the years that the whitetails seem to be moving further west though. I don't think that the success rate is especially high, but there are a lot of elk in the area most years. Guys do get elk out of 402 every year though.

There are a lot of trails in the area, so if you are willing to walk off the beaten path a bit, you can probably get away from some of the crowds. The road that goes north from Allison Lake is a pretty good place to start. It follows South Racehorse Creek for quite a while and there are a number of trails off of it. The area known as "The Gap" is also a good place to start, you can access the area along Dutch Creek from that road. Access in 402 usually isn't a problem because the majority of it is crown land.

One advantage is the season opens early in September, so a guy can put a few extra days of hunting in. Be aware of grizzly bears in the early fall though, it's still berry season and there are quite a few of the big, mean bears in the area. WMU 400 is just south of Highway 3, and there are quite a few areas of crown land to hunt there two. You might consider picking up a copy of the "Backroad Mapbook Road & Recreational Atlas" for Southern Alberta. It contains topo maps and descriptions of most of the popular hiking / snowmobile trails in the area, and it can be useful to narrow down areas to hunt.

Good luck this fall if you go.

 

[hansol]

Thanks Scott,

Thanks for the info and quick response. That was pretty much what I was looking for. Yes, I am the kind of guy who parks his truck and then walks out into the back country, so hopefully that will help a guy get away from the "road warriors". My uncle and I used to use horses, so bush-wacking isn't anything new to me. And I just got a new garmin gps to try out, so 402 certainly sounds like it would be a good spot to use it.

It's heavy grizz country though eh? And not too many whitetails?

 

[Scott_N]

hansol, from my own observations there are a lot more mule deer than there are whitetails in 402, but I haven't hunted the area for at least 3 years. I've noticed more and more whitetails in 400 the last few years than previous seasons though, so it may be the same in 402. In all honesty I don't know what the actual populations are like. There seems to be a good population of moose, but it takes years and years to get drawn in both 402 and 400.

It's very pretty country down there, and if you like to fish, the summer is a good time to wet a line in some of the creeks / rivers and get some pre-season scouting for hunting in. You can also shoot columbian ground squirrels if you're into varmint hunting.... there are some good spots for that, and it gives you another excuse to get to know the area a bit.

As far as bears go, there aren't grizzlies in numbers like there are in Bella Coola, BC or anything. But they are there, so a guy should just be cautious. There was a couple hunting elk a few years ago and the lady got mauled after they killed an elk. She survived, but I'm sure getting mauled is a scary experience to say the least. There are also a few black bears around, but hunting blackies in the south doesn't seem to compare to Northern Alberta.