Here it is guys. As I'm sure some of you know, I'll be hunting in the Edmonton Bow Zonefrom Nov 24-29 this year. I want you to put yourself in my shoes.
I'm a FIRM believer in hunting ALL DAY during the rut, as the biggest buck I've ever seen was rattled in at 12:05 PM 3 years ago while I was huntingin Alberta. That guide was also a believer in hunting all day. Here's where my question comes in to play.
Last year I hunted with a different guide, the one I'll hunt with again this year. He is known throughout the Bow Zone as "the man" in this region for big bucks. He has the #2 typical bow killed whitetail (192" net)in all of Alberta! He knows this area! His walls are full of proof of his success.
However, he doesn't think sitting in the same stand all day is the best way to kill a big buck.Hehas his hunters dropped off (via electric quad) before first light, and picked up around 11:00 AM, brought back to the lodge for an awesome meal, then your second shower of the day (likes his hunters to shower 3 times a day), and dropped off at a different stand site around 1:00PMfor the evening hunt, until dark.
He says doing it this way keeps an area from becoming contaminated. It makes sense, but I see it as2 hours a day, times 6 days, equaling 12 hours of lost hunting time for the week.Am I looking at this the wrong way? Also, spending $4200 for the hunt, would yourequest to hunt the wayYOU want, or would you go with his "program"?
I hunted his way all week last year. I saw good bucks from all but one stand site. I hunted 11 different sites. I just look at the "down time" as equaling another days hunt, that's where I'm coming from.[&:]