Hi guys I'm from quebec and want to come to your province for a whitetail hunt during the last week of Nov next year. Is there crown land available to hunt on? And which area is the has the highest concentration of big bucks? I like hunting in farm country is it available and are the farmers willing to give permision to hunt on their land, any help is appreciated. Thanx
Dino

Post

Its hard to say Elmer, there is big bucks everywhere in Saskatchewan its hard to just come for a week and expect results buy yourself. If your not hunting with an outfitter you have to do your own scouting and usually get permission from landowners. As far as public hunting areas im not to sure there's a few by my farm and their have been some nice bucks taken out of there but I wouldn't rely on those areas.

Good luck with that.

I hope theres some landowners willing to give permission?

elmer. I know a guy who took a few years to find someone who could refer him to landowners. He was a sales guy working in Ontario that ended up being from Saskatchewan. he got to know him and got a referral to some guys who hunt some farms where this sales guy was from. They mainly hunted the feild and open areas so they were fine with this guy coming and going into the "thick stuff" . Too much work for them so he was given the go ahead. he also participated in a few drives with them to get to know them as well. As far as scouting went it didn't take much. A quick look to confirm buck sign and he would rattle. He and his buddy both have a wall full of huge racks hanging from a few years of unguided Saskatchewan hunts.

A few key points to the tale. It took him a few years to find someone to get him in with a hunting group. It was the locals in this group who secured the permission. As Hiawatha implied it might be tough to just find that on your own. He also determined from the locals key spots. By putting himself where he knew there was bucks the time to scout was not as important with the rattling technique.

You know the saying about "six degrees of seperation". The thing that says we are connected to everyone by no more than 6 degrees of seperation. That means you proabably know somebody who knows somebody who might know somebody who already hunts in Saskatchewan LOL

Elmer with all respect, the canadian season (lack of better term: free for all) is a bit of bone of contention here with resident hunters and number of farmers. Some areas have experienced some unfortunate events therefore making it hard for any hunter to gain access to private lands. Equally hard is getting someone who lives here fulltime to freely dole out info on the internet, sorry but thats how it is.

As far as public lands we have a fair share namely wildlife lands and PFRA(Community Pastures) in the farmlands of the province. Of course the forest is open to all with an extended season as well. The only way to know if you will get permission on private lands is ask, even for a resident such as myself it is a yearly occurance and not always am I granted permission the following year. I take nothing for granted and always ask each time I will be hunting an area.

Follow up which may relate to Skeeters message. They have not hunted there for 3 years or so because the specific area has been closed to non-residents.

Don't ask me where this is as I don't know exactly but they are just waiting for it to open up again.

Thx for replying gentlemen,well if there is some public land to hunt on in good areas I do not mind going in deep, if there are other hunters around, further away from the crowd. I would like to know how big the blocs of public land are around the saskatoon area? I hunt in a area that is 6sq miles forested surrounded by corn and soya, there are easy 25 hunters there, I tag out every year. But the quality of deer has gotten bad rare to see a mature buck, no one lets them grow, a little sad. Thats why I would like to go somewhere for a week and see some nice bucks hopefully I can come down there and manage a hunt without an outfitter save some money. Thanks again gents.
Dino

PFRA's(pasture lands - bush and grazing areas) such as the Rudy Rosedale, Dundurn, Montrose, Laural, Aberdeen, Borden etc are all crown land close to s'toon. Yes being close and public they get decent hunter pressure but if your willing to put on boot miles that will eliminate much of the factor. Be advised they are also home to Mule Deer as well as Whitetails. Contact SERM they should be able to give you a list of these pastures and possibly sizes. I can't give you any great detail on hunting whitetails during rifle in these particular area since it has been a number of years since I did so myself.

Thats the most nfo I have ever seen the Westners come out with ! Elmer you did good ...BT