I don't know the area too well but I'd venture a guess that there won't be much crown that close to Edmonton. Lots of acreages and private land.

Well for those of you who haven't seen or heard it yet, I got my first big game animal of the 2006 season last night.





Some friends and I were checking out some oat fields we just got permission on when we spotted this bear and another that looked slightly larger. I had a bear tag and after some encouragement by my friends (we were supposed to be grouse hunting), I decided to try to sneak up on them. They were both fairly close to each other about 500 yards across the oat field which had been cut for silage earlier in the summer. Both bears were feeding on uncut oats along the edge of the field in opposite directions from one another. Using some small rises in the terrain I was able to keep out of site of only one bear at a time. Since the larger of the two was walking away towards the bush, I made the decision to try to get closer to the smaller one. With the wind in my face and the aspen leaves providing some noise to cover my approach, Iwas able to get to about 90 yards of the bear. By this point I could go no further so i laid down and waited for the bear to give me a good shot.

After a few minutes of waiting, I was startled to hear the sound of footfalls and sniffeing directly behind me. I turned around expecting to see the second bear getting ready to take a chunk out of me only to discover a lone mulie doe standing 10yards behind me wondering what the heck I was up to. With that scare over, I focused on the bear and when he turned perfectly broadside I pulled the trigger. My .280Rem did it's job and he dropped in his tracks. I was told by a better bear hunter than me that if a bear gives you a second shot take it, so I did. It turns out it wasn't needed as my first shot broke a shoulder and got both lungs. The bad news is that my second shot hit him in the head, ruining the skull. In the end, I am very happy with my first bear and hopefully I can convince my wife to let me get another next year.

Very nice looking bear Sask, congrats!

Ag, lots of good places around NB but if you want to hunt to the west of NB, then maybe look to theSE or NEof Lloydminster and stay rightin Lloyd. If you want go N of NBcould head to Meadow Lake(stay) and then travel south to get to the fringe (Meadow Lake is just inside the forest border about 2 hours from NB). Of course you can try the riverhillsaround NB or head east and go N or S. I don't hunt much that way anymore, but my in-lawsare just SE of NB.I have seen some very nice territory and deer.Around the in-laws more mulie's than whitetails, in regards to horns.

I hunt E of NB, Spiritwood is the closet town to my cabin. Ihunt eitherNE of Spiritwoodor SE (NE of Mayfair, Sk.). Both areas are rolling/tough terrain with lots of bush, NE is mostly cattle lands in terms of agriculture and SE has a mix of crop anmd pasture land. Both are productive.

Myth,here big deer exist from E-W-N-S, the trick is getting one in the crosshairs. You generally see less deer in the north due to the terrain but the fact it is open 2 more weeks before you hunt doesn't help either...lots of mars bar hunters in the province (aka: roadhunters). I like the North b/c it is great terrain, know it well, past success and I can get seperation from such guys. Others like the prairie's and are equally successful.

Saskabush, congrats on your blackie and breaking the ........... for 06'! LOL

Thanks guys, I can't wait for next Sunday (opening day for elk and deer). Good luck to all you elk hunters!

AG, I just moved to Peace River from Lloydminster. If you're looking for a good forest fringe area around there try the Frenchman Butte area NE of Lloyd. Who knows, I may see you up there the last week in Nov.

Ya i am still alive and killin stuff. How y'all been sorry been gone for a long time but i am back in University now so i have plenty of time for yackin'. Congrats saskabush nice lookin yogi u got there. Awesome pics of hunting territory and setups guys looks like some sure things there, best of luck to you all. AHH and yes sask elk season is upon us i get all hot and bothered this time of year but sadly to say i am over in Brandon manitoba so i do not get to partake in the festivities. I had the best hunt of my life in archery elk back 2 weeks ago or so.All the boystagged out poking 2 cows and 2 bulls with the sharp sticks as well as laid a lickin on the geese and ducks one morning. Once i get my internet hooked up in my apartment i will write up the story and post all the pics. This is a little late for you JPF cause your probably sittin in the chelan bar right now but that is my home stompin grounds and could lend u a little advice. First off plenty of guys think they can kill elk there chocolate bar hunting well not possible in the regular season. There will be hunters there flockin' the land like tiny tim on a christmas ham so get a good spot scoped out and get permission early if hunting private land. Elk in rifle season there become very nocturnal so be in the field at least 1 hour b4 shooting time to get set up to avoid spooking anything. They were bugling awesome there last week but i am not sure if they have turned off a bit yet or not. There is a fair bit of public land to hunt off to the east of porcupine plain if private land ain't your gig. Thats actually not bad cause lots of folks don't wanna beat the bush for a bull, depending on the year there may not be much hunting pressure there. I stress the permission thing though on private land there are so many hunters there that things get pretty retarded and i have heard of fists flyin and what not over territory. we left a few elk runnin around there so no excuses eh. J/K. And as for Skeeter well can't wait to see pics of your bully this week, good luck to ya.

Does anyone have any knowledgeof a non-resident having to notify Canadian immigrations of any past DUIs a person may have had, no matter how long ago it was, in order to enter the country? This was brought to my attention by a friend. Unfortunately I'm in this catagory. I hunted in Alberta last season and nothing was ever mentionednor was I asked about it. Apparently you need a permit?
Is this something brand new, because I'm booked again for this season? I tried a 1-800 number for Airport immagrations but the recording said "the number you're trying to reach is blocked". Nov. is coming fast!

Welcome back Dan, good to hear from you again. So you stuck another elk...suprise,suprise. Congrats to you and your crew. You'll have to wait a week as elk doesn't open till the 18th for the big sticks this year. I have a little streak going that I don't like to make mention at this time of yearbut sure hope it grows - a 6x6 would be a nice memonto for the occasion[8D]. Bugling last week huh? Well that may be good news for us, we are typically later than other areas around us. Then again last 2 years has been real quietand we've still made out pretty well.

Early in, yes DUI as are considered criminal offences, which they can deny access. I know people from canada who were turned away in the US b/c of DUI's.Then again I know others who haven't had any troubles, much like you last fall. Canadians need a pardon but I have heard US immigration does not accept pardons after 9/11. As to where or what you need I am not sure, sorry. Maybe a travel agency can help you?

Thanks a bunch skeeter, this is all new to me. If I had been aware of this last year I would have looked into it sooner than now. My outfitter for this season hasn't even mentioned it to me yet. He'sguiding in BC for the time being.Does anyone else know of this?

Hmm yes odd isn't it. I was fighting with my bud yesterday afternoon weather rifle elk opened this monday or next monday. I argued that it always opens a week after bow ends. Well i discover in the bible last night every year but this year. Not sure why rifle is sooo late this year, prolly won't be much calling in my area by that time but still be strolling around on alfalfa, and second growth coming up on harvested fields. Ya they were screamin not bad be 2 weeks ago now or so. Second week of archery monday morning she got cool and had a bull calling quite a ways east of us though. Next night i moved over there and got the bull calling again and he stepped out into the field but i had already filled my tag, more of a scouting mission.He seemed to becoming into the cow call well but i bugled when he was 200 yards away or so and he started on a dead run for me then stopped, was pretty neat stuff.Had him going again the next night when my partner arrowed his smaller brother standing next to the bigger bull.