bpbowhunter
Member
Thank you, I do really appreciate the referral...will certainly check them out.
Saskatchewan Whitetail Hunt
- Thread starter bpbowhunter
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Thank you, I do really appreciate the referral...will certainly check them out.
Oct-Lull
Well-Known Member
You thinking rifle or bow? I have hunted Manitoba and I know you can only hunt thru an outfitter. I also know you cant hunt the best part of Saskatchewan unless you live there. For my money in Canada I would go early season with bow. That would mean not going to far north.
Spysar
Well-Known Member
I disagree. Going early for bow would not be your best bet. And why avoid the north bush land? It's not nessesarily the best where only residents hunt.(you don't have a choice anyway) I've been there 3 times, which aint that much time in the grand scheme of things, but what I observed, the 3rd and 4th week of Nov were always the best. Plus if you hunt in Sask, you will probably be hunting over oats and alfalfa (bait). The colder it gets, the more they want to eat. If you want to bowhunt, I'm sure your outfitter can arrange a couple close baits for bow shots. It doesn't matter that it's gun season, most of the deer in the northern fringe probably rarely if ever see a human. It's so quiet up there you can hear a pin drop. There nothing like sitting all day in the fridgid cold waiting for your monster, it's just plain awesome up there. A must do for any whitetail fanatic....
Spysar
Well-Known Member
That's it! Fern.....man I miss that place. Do you have any splake pics you could post? They are so beautiful.
camo658
New Member
Wow, that sounds like my kind of hunt. I've read something similar about Deer in the Maine, Andironicks regions where they aren't use to being around Humans. It's sound like a dream hunt to me.
bpbowhunter
Member
I am leaning more towards a bow hunt...that is my passion. I can't imagine anything better than having one of those majestic, ghostly monsters come within bow range. Since I started bowhunting, I have always dreamed of going to Sask on a whitetail hunt. Its hard to believe that I am actually going to get the opportunity. The coolest part is that I am going with my best friend, who got me into bow hunting for whitetail, and who also has shared the same vision of going there one day. Even if we don't put one down...I am positive that it will be one of the greatest trips I will ever go on. Even though I have never been there, as far as my hunting experiences goes, I beleive the rut, or late/post rut will be our best chance of harvesting a buck. I shot a giant last season on December 15th at 4:15 in the afternoon, chasing a late estrous doe. He was with 3 other bucks, and was the one in the back. All the deer were headed into a soybean food plot. Those late season food plots, I truly believe have a higher chance of success. Here is a pic of the beast, or what most of the Hunters around here called, "Blade".
SaskGuy
Active Member
Here is my two cents, for what it is worth.
First of all, any place that is really good is going to be booked for this fall. Secondly, do some research to see what numbers are like, the past couple winters have killed a lot of deer. All areas that are open to non resident hunters are not created equally. Some are located in higher deer number areas and others are simply located in the further reaches of the forest. The farther you get from the "forest fringe" the farther away you'll get from high concentrations. No offense to spysar or Keeley lake, as he got some great bucks and I love Keeley Lake for fishing, but that area would be a joke in terms of deer numbers when compared to where I am, roughly 60 miles south. It is simply too lacking in food sources being all forested land and also has higher predator numbers and the further north one goes, the longer the winter the deer will have endured.
As for timing, I'd have to say that spysar is likely correct in his assessment of late Nov. By then the rut will have slowed and the bucks will be needing calories and will have to hit the bait. Yes, with an outfitter, you'll be hunting bait. Their locations do not have the same luxuries that mine do where agriculture dictates where the deer will be and how they will move therefore they use that tactic to ensure they move where the wish to. Without it, I think success at outfitter camps would be less than 20%.
Anyways, whatever you decide I wish you luck. I truly doubt there is anywhere on earth better for hunting whitetails and I also feel like you'd leave thinking "wow..that is a beautiful part of the world, what an adventure". My friend Brad is an outfitter and a successful one at that but I think he is booked a yr or two in advance. www.hunttheoutback.com Good luck.
First of all, any place that is really good is going to be booked for this fall. Secondly, do some research to see what numbers are like, the past couple winters have killed a lot of deer. All areas that are open to non resident hunters are not created equally. Some are located in higher deer number areas and others are simply located in the further reaches of the forest. The farther you get from the "forest fringe" the farther away you'll get from high concentrations. No offense to spysar or Keeley lake, as he got some great bucks and I love Keeley Lake for fishing, but that area would be a joke in terms of deer numbers when compared to where I am, roughly 60 miles south. It is simply too lacking in food sources being all forested land and also has higher predator numbers and the further north one goes, the longer the winter the deer will have endured.
As for timing, I'd have to say that spysar is likely correct in his assessment of late Nov. By then the rut will have slowed and the bucks will be needing calories and will have to hit the bait. Yes, with an outfitter, you'll be hunting bait. Their locations do not have the same luxuries that mine do where agriculture dictates where the deer will be and how they will move therefore they use that tactic to ensure they move where the wish to. Without it, I think success at outfitter camps would be less than 20%.
Anyways, whatever you decide I wish you luck. I truly doubt there is anywhere on earth better for hunting whitetails and I also feel like you'd leave thinking "wow..that is a beautiful part of the world, what an adventure". My friend Brad is an outfitter and a successful one at that but I think he is booked a yr or two in advance. www.hunttheoutback.com Good luck.
So winter die off seems to be an issue I've heard many times up there - how much of the herd does it get at it's worst and what would a "normal year" look like for die off?
Do you guys have EHD up there at all? I like that website, never did a guided hunt in my life but if I do Canada, I'd prefer it even if I didn't have to. Soon!!!
Do you guys have EHD up there at all? I like that website, never did a guided hunt in my life but if I do Canada, I'd prefer it even if I didn't have to. Soon!!!
SaskGuy
Active Member
At it's worst it'll kill as many as 75% of the deer. The last three yrs have been bad, likely pushing 50%. I don't think there is a "normal" so to speak. I went years with killing great bucks and seeing many more when winters were kind and kill was virtually non existent.
No ehd. Winter is the big killer.
No ehd. Winter is the big killer.
bpbowhunter
Member
I agree with you to a certain extent. I USED to think, Hunting over bait, is simply not fair chase, but I was younger, and ignorant of the facts of different geographical areas. If some redneck were to go his 20 acre, 100 acre, or whatever amount of timber, say in Iowa or Illinois, or really anywhere in the midwest, where food is plentiful, then dump a pile of cut corn out and start slingin arrows, that is certainly not fair one bit. However, areas such as "Saskatchewan", or Texas, basically somewhere there is an extremely large amount of land, and a minimal amount of natural food for the wildlife, there are not many other choices. If you want to harvest a deer, you have no other choice than to bait for them. You must remember that some people/areas are not as fortunate as we are, having the deer numbers we have, cover, food, or water. Hopefully you can remove the blinders and see the difference.
Bowtech84
Well-Known Member
If you want to harvest any deer or if you want to harvest a big deer? I personally don't have a problem with it. Not a whole lot different than a food plot IMO. The difference is a combine.
bpbowhunter
Member
Any deer....I believe it is safe to say, no food = no deer. A fact.....deer must eat. I am very curious.....where is this magical place you kill deer where they don't eat?
Bowtech84
Well-Known Member
Ok so your telling me if I grab a weapon of my choice and head to anyone of the above mentioned areas I won't be able to kill a deer unless I have a bait pile in front of me? Now I'm curious.
I'm going to tell you a secret. There is such a place that's better for hunting whitetails. But remember, it's a secret. I don't want a bunch of TV celebs buying up all the land and jacking up prices. Ok, are you ready?
It's Iowa...
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hoosierhunter
Active Member
Not if you had 3-5 deer on your wall at or over 200 inches...... I'm pretty sure this guy doesn't get outta bed for anything under 180........
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
I've followed this discussion from afar until I saw this post. I don't think truer words have ever been spoken! The stuff Kaare passes on would make most hunters cringe! I remember him telling the story of taking what he considered a "sub-par" buck only because his son(s?) were with him and the memories were worth it. That "sub-par" buck was a buck of a lifetime for some!
Hi Pat, where ya been? Panhandling for change to buy NR Iowa deer tags?
Just kiddin buddy, don't get bent out of shape (too much anyway).
I am aware of the size of deer up north of the border. They make our deer look like the deer commonly found in Texas...
Thanks for trying to square me away though.
hoosierhunter
Active Member
Well not too long ago someone told me to "worry about the deer in my own state." I took them up on that suggestion. I'm on the BOD Fort Wayne IWLA chapter and we are organizing a movement to petition the DNR and politicians regarding our deer herd. We have been asked to present to the Indiana Bowhunters Association and other chapters we contacted. We also had national come to our June meeting and we are pursuing having National back us which they seemed excited about. We have put a presentation together after extensive research about how our Indiana herd is managed and what needs changed. Our head biologists of the DNR , Chad Stewart, has also expressed interest in meeting with us to discuss our plan. That in itself is a major accomplishment that we turned his head so early in this process.
camo658
New Member
Great work, hoosier! Hopefully, things will come through for you guys. I have a cousin that Deer hunts Indiana. I'm sure he would appreciate hearing this.