September 7, 2025 • 44 mins
Dave MacKillop finds himself in an enviable yet challenging position after his wife Jen drew both elk and moose tags in Saskatchewan this season - a statistical anomaly that has hunters across the province both impressed and envious. With consecutive hunting seasons approaching rapidly, Dave shares his comprehensive preparation strategy for these high-stakes hunts.
The conversation dives deep into the realities of Saskatchewan's hunting system, where progressing through the pool status (from D to Super A) typically takes years for a single species tag. For Jen to draw both coveted either-sex tags simultaneously is practically unheard of, setting the stage for an extraordinary hunting season for the MacKillop family.
As an experienced moose hunter facing his first elk hunt, Dave details his meticulous approach to scouting, calling practice, and understanding animal movements. His elk bugling practice sessions have become a family joke, with his children heading outdoors whenever he reaches for the bugle call. Between strategic trail camera placement, mineral site preparation, and understanding wind patterns, Dave's comprehensive preparation showcases the level of dedication serious hunting requires.
The podcast reveals fascinating insights about wildlife behavior, habitat preferences, and the differences between hunting solo animals like moose versus herd animals like elk. Dave's trail cameras have already captured impressive footage of a six-by-six bull elk, providing valuable intelligence about movement patterns and potential ambush locations. Meanwhile, their Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 stands ready, a proven performer that Jen will use for both hunts.
Beyond the technical aspects, the conversation touches on something deeper - the multi-generational nature of hunting traditions and the challenges of introducing young people to hunting in today's digital world. With Dave's 12-year-old daughter also beginning to hunt this season, we witness a father thoughtfully balancing his role as husband, guide, and mentor during what promises to be their most memorable hunting season yet.
Subscribe to Hunts On Outfitting podcast for the follow-up episode where we'll hear directly from Jen about how these hunts unfolded and whether she managed to tag out on both these magnificent animals.
Check us out on Facebook Hunts On Outfitting, or myself Ken Marr. Reach out and Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
this is hunts on outfitting podcast.
I'm your host and rookie guide,ken marr.
I love everything hunting, theoutdoors and all things
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Welcome to the podcast, allright, hey, thanks for tuning in
(00:35):
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So if you look at the profilepicture on this week's podcast,
you will see a smiling gal witha great buck she harvested.
That's Jen McKillop, but it'snot her voice you're going to
(01:17):
hear in this episode.
Jen was very lucky to get drawnfor her Saskatchewan elk and
moose tags this year.
So after the hunt we'll bechatting with her to see how it
went down.
But this week we are talking tothe guy behind the scenes to
hopefully help her tag out onboth species.
He is the man with the plan tohelp his woman, her husband,
(01:41):
dave McKillop.
He's going to tell us about howhe is prepping for his first
elk hunt and also another mooseseason.
There is a lot to do but as weget into it, I think these two
are going to have a great season.
Dave has been on the podcastbefore, episode 56.
If you enjoyed listening to himon this one, you can check that
one out.
Also, for those of you who areregular listeners, thanks, and
(02:05):
you probably noticed by now, abrand new podcast is up every
Tuesday morning.
Well, this one's going to beout early because Monday I am
leaving for Alberta for a weekto go with a friend of mine,
chris, on a bighorn sheep huntin the Rockies, which I will
tell you guys all about upon myreturn.
Also, if you're looking to geta hold of me, you can email me
(02:28):
huntsonoutfitting at gmailcom orfind me on Facebook or
Instagram, ken Meier or FacebookHunts on Outfitting.
All right, let's talk to Dave.
Yeah, so, dave, master HunterMcKillop, you know excited.
I'm sure that's what your wifeis hoping that you are, as soon
(02:49):
as you are already a masterhunter, because, uh, I'm excited
to talk to you about thepreseason hunt and then, uh, in
scouting and all that.
And then you know we're goingto have a post season podcast.
Um, because she got two tagsthis year that, uh, I mean, what
are the odds of getting yourelk and moose tag in the same
year in Saskatchewan?
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Slim.
Yeah, a lot of people mad andjealous that she got them.
The same kind of system youguys have for moose, I guess, is
lottery system, but the elk'sodds are pretty slim but moose
are kind of the same.
With them, like there's notmany moose tags but doesn't seem
(03:31):
like as many people put in forthem.
So it's you kind of get betterodds, getting those earlier, and
super a is what it's called.
So we, our system starts out bgo, c, b a, then super a, and
like when you hit super a yourodds go up quite a bit.
So for moose, I got I got moosekind of the same deal second
year, third year, super a and uh, but I still haven't got an
(03:54):
octag.
So but we have a, a group ofguys that I have on a group chat
, I guess.
So when it comes out here youusually get an email, but we
have an app as well and on theapp you can check your status,
your pool status, and it'll kindof pop up there a few days
earlier than you get your email.
So our group chat popped up onenight when I was at work and all
(04:17):
the guys were asking if anybodygot anything.
I think one out of the I thinkthe seven, eight guys in the
chat, one of them.
One of them got a moose tag.
So I'm like, all right, I canhelp him out and I had nothing.
So then later on I'm like, oh,I better get Jen to check see if
she she got anything.
So she sends me a screenshot ofher status and it was just like
(04:38):
the list of the animals andbeside moose and elk it says D.
And I'm like, well, she wassuper a when I put in this
what's going on, or whatever.
And so I I told her to click onmoose and see what happens.
And she clicked on it.
She's like, oh, right on, I gotmy moose tag.
I'm like, uh, click on elk andsee what it says.
So, yeah, she ended up drawingboth.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Um, I haven't had the chance to get it out yeah, very
slim odds.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Yeah, to get both, especially like second year
super a for her.
So she's, yeah, very slim odds.
Yeah, to get both, especiallylike second year Super A for her
.
So she's, yeah, very slim odds.
Should have bought a lotteryticket instead, maybe.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, well, yeah, that would have been cool too.
Then you could do even morehunting.
Yeah, exactly that's how thatwent.
So what area of Saskatchewanare you in?
You just moved.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
You don't have to give the exact zip code but uh,
just a general area.
I'm uh southeast saskatchewan,so like we're pretty close to
the manitoba border where we'reat and uh there's a good
population of elk like we lived,kind of where we're planning to
hunt.
We lived out there for sevenyears so I got a good idea of
the area and like the elkpopulation for sure has gone up
quite a bit since since we movedout here.
(05:48):
Um, it's kind of you've seenthe elk once in a while.
It's a big deal, and now if yougo for a drive out there in the
evening, it's, it's nothing tosee and they're quite a few elk
they're wreaking a bit of havoctoo on the farmers.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I mean, in the wintertime, these farmers that
are trying to do bale grazingand such, I mean you get, you
know, hundreds of elk.
It's, it's going to cause anissue yeah, that's kind of where
I'm hunting.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
It's what he does.
He bale grazes, uh, and he it's.
Alfalfa is what he has, butbasically as soon as the snow
hits, he's got to have hiscattle in there.
He's losing a bale a night toelk.
Yeah, that's a lot of money.
Yeah, they've opened up moretags this year because of that.
So the more claims they get, Ikind of think they go off that,
(06:31):
but checking their elk numbersand stuff.
So this year I think it's 20 or40 antlerless tags they
released as well.
So that ups your odds.
That way If you want an elk tag, you can put in for the analyst
tag and you have betteropportunities than going for the
(06:52):
either sex, which I think forour zone still only 20.
But I think the more claimsthey get, the more numbers they
get.
That way they will uh, theywill up the tags.
But right.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
so ask your local farmer to complain, no matter
what.
So what did she get?
Did she get either sex?
And then you said the elkpopulation is more than stable
there, it's thriving, you mightsay.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, it's doing good .
She did get either sex for both, so that's the other part of it
that makes it more rare to getboth of them, I guess.
So she got the harder tag tosex for both, so that's the
other part of it that makes itmore rare to get both of them, I
guess.
Okay, yeah, so if you get theharder tag to get for both
animals, but moose, they don'tdo the antlerless right now,
just because our moose numbershave dropped a bit, but the uh,
the elk have gone up quite a bit.
(07:38):
So you would have good oddsgetting in it, uh, antlerless
elk.
But now where you're're?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
at where you're at hunting out there are the moose
and elk competing for the samefood, because I know here the
deer and the moose uh, they'renot in the same area generally,
but out there, I mean, you'reseeing pictures of moose and
fields and stuff like that andthat's.
You know, obviously, where theelk are is.
Is there a bit of competitionthere for food?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
um, I wouldn't say like a huge competition.
You'll find them both in thesame area, okay.
Um, like we'll be hunting mostlikely the same quarter of land
for for both animals okay yep,your, your elk and your moose
will be relatively close.
Um, the moose are definitelygoing to stick around our splews
and stuff.
(08:23):
I've seen them around a lot ofwater.
We spotted one the other nightin the middle of a canola field
eating canola.
They'll eat the same feed, butI wouldn't say competitive for
land.
Moose will be more content in asmall chunk of bush.
Here you'll see the elk.
(08:43):
They like being in the bush ina small chunk of bush here.
Then you'll see the elk likethey like definitely being.
Yeah, they like being in thebush, but like cause they're.
I think the herd numbers isbigger, so they're going to be
probably more clustered in alarge chunk of bush compared to
the moose.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Right, just because they've got that.
Yeah, the large numbers wherethe moose are more solo.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, the moose will run solo, so they'll be
scattered kind of all over theplace where the elk will be
clustered in certain areas.
A lot along the valley, justmore bush along the valley, but
they'll be spread out anywhere.
Usually it's just a matter ofhaving that good chunk of bush
to hide in.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
So I mean, when you found out that she got both her
tags, she was excited, and I'msure you were too, and then you
quickly realized that's a lot ofwork.
That's a lot of work for twobig animals, back-to-back
hunting basically.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So what are the seasons there?
Yeah, I realized it before.
She did 100%.
So she knows she'll be pullingthe trigger and then the work
will happen.
But she doesn't realize howmuch it is, so she's never been
on a moose or all cunts, I guess, so it's gonna be all new to
her.
But uh, elk here actuallystarts september 15th.
It goes for two weeks.
(09:55):
Um, then we switch over tomoose right after it starts
october 1st and it's also twoweeks.
It goes to the 15th, and ifwe're not lucky enough to get an
elk in that early season,there's also a late season for
us okay, cool so she can go outagain december 10th to the 19th.
(10:20):
And then for moose there'sanother late season for them as
well, and it goes nove November1st to the 14th.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
So that's different.
Do you know why they break itup like that?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I honestly don't know why they break it up, so it'll
be two different hunts obviously.
Yeah, like deer season will begoing through the middle Deer
season ends December 2nd outhere.
So like elk season, the secondround of elk season.
I guess we'll go later thanthat, but it'll be two different
seasons, like the first one'syour rut for both of them.
So it'll be the calling andpulling them in that way, which
(10:54):
is more exciting hunt obviously,and then that late season.
I could hunt the same spotbecause I know they hammer the
farmer's bales so I've seen themin there every night on those
bales.
So it'll be more hunting overthat.
Um, the moose late season.
It's going to be a basicallyspot in stock.
(11:14):
It's looking around trying tofind the moose and narrowing
where they're at.
But I think early season isdefinitely a better chance for
moose.
I think elk it's going to beall new to me, same thing.
But I think elk, you'reprobably still a better chance
in the rut if you're doing somecalling and stuff.
And then late season.
(11:35):
I still think we have prettygood odds where we know where
they.
They winter for the winter onthe on the bales.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah.
So I mean, are you going to be,uh, are you going to be, the
new bugle boy in the area?
Have you been practicing withthat?
I think we were talking theother day and I was saying how I
was practicing, you know, forthis, when we had the Springs
turkey season with my turkey,call the diaphragm and I just go
(12:03):
to in a room in the basement,shut the door and I can squawk
away at.
It's not too bad.
Or, you know, I drive truck, doit in there, the, the elk
scream or bugle.
Uh, it's a little different, itcan annoy people.
Uh, slightly quicker, I thinkyeah, the elk bugle itself.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
I've been practicing with lots and I think I'm
probably driving my neighborscrazy at this point with it,
because it's not, yeah, elkbugle itself.
I've been practicing with lots.
I think I'm probably driving myneighbors crazy at this point
with it, because it's notsomething you can just go in the
basement and hide.
Yeah, the kids see me grab itand they just kind of head
outside.
It's not as easy.
It's not something you can justdrive down the road and
(12:35):
practice, either like a duckcall or something like that, if
you get a great big bugle inyour mouth.
But yeah, I've been practicingwith it and I'm getting better.
So it's, I don't know.
It'll be a learning experiencefor me.
So I'm kind of taking advantageof her getting her tag first,
cause I should be coming up herein the next couple of years,
cause you go to a legacy poolafter 10 years, super a okay and
(12:58):
it's pretty much a guaranteedtag.
So I know within the next twoyears I should have a good shot
at getting my elk license.
So I'm kind of taking advantageof her getting hers now and
practice, practicing up andlearning how to call and
watching lots of videos on it.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
So I think we'll be ready.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Is it kind of weird?
Because I mean, like I said,with the turkey stuff you're
squawking, but with the elkyou're really taking in a breath
and just just screaming it.
I mean it's it's amazing tohear I've been fortunate enough
to hear it in person and it justgives you goosebumps like man.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
That is cool yeah, like, out here there's lots of
actually elk farms too.
So we had an elk farm rightdown the road from our place and
if you went down there duringthe rut it was wild to listen to
them.
But I've seen them in the wildtoo doing it and there's
definitely an art to it.
(13:50):
I can play with this call and,like it, make different noises,
and it's I.
Just the hard part for melearning is like what call to
use when, with elk, like it'snot like moose, where you're
you're hammering a cow callnon-stop, that's what you're
going with is to do the oddgrunt for a bull, but like, yeah
(14:10):
, this one here you kind oflocate and then you're you're
trying to play with them to seewhat they're interested in more
cow or bull, and back and forth.
So, yeah, it's a lot oflearning to go with his elk.
So I'm going to going to keeppracticing and hopefully I'm
ready here by the 15th anyway,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Well, you know.
Just uh, Sam or Dan, bring itinto work, have it in the
lunchroom, You'll get the placeto yourself.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Yeah, exactly, clear the place out.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Yeah.
So your wife Jen, what I mean?
She's got her moose tag, she'sgot her elk tag.
What's her hunting experiencethus far?
Speaker 3 (14:45):
So she started.
She did start hunting in NewBrunswick with me, but mostly up
Lambert she sat with me deerhunting.
So when we moved out here, um,the opportunity for deer hunting
is crazy.
So I was getting her more intodeer hunting and, uh, she shot
two deer out here.
So far she's she's done a bitmore hunting and stuff.
(15:08):
She's gone out on her own a bitand she's definitely into it.
So she's she's really morepumped for the elk, I think,
just because I think it'ssomething I haven't even get to
shoot.
So she's trying to make mejealous, but she can shoot a gun
, she's good.
So we're going to get to therange here a few times here in
(15:28):
the next couple of weeks too andmake sure she's fine tuned.
But yeah, every time she had acrack at a deer she hasn't had a
problem shooting them.
So elk and moose are bigger butdefinitely more adrenaline.
So hopefully she can pull itoff and we can get lucky anyway,
yeah, well, I mean.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
So Jen is a smaller gal, moose and elk are large
animals.
So what is she using for arifle?
Because you want something withenough kick to hit them, good,
but she doesn't want to, youknow, hit herself right back,
kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yes, um, she's had no issue shooting my uh 30 odd six
.
So I have a 30 odd six uhWinchester model 70.
Yep, and she shot both her deerwith that.
No issue, she shot the gunenough, so I think no issue.
She shot the gun enough, so Ithink she'll be comfortable with
(16:19):
it.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Um, the big change will be bumping it up to like a
180 grain.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
So I'll get her to the range and I'll I'll be
shooting some more 180 grainwith her and making sure she's
comfortable with that before, uh, before we hit the season.
Yeah, um, I think she'll haveno issue with it.
I think 180 grain she wasshooting 165, I think was what
she shot her deer with.
So the bump up really shouldn'thave much more kick or anything
(16:43):
.
No, not too bad, no, I think.
Just it's a matter of figuringout yardages and what not,
because it's going to have alittle more drop to it.
But I'm thinking when we'rehunting she shouldn't be
shooting too crazy far.
So it should be all right towork with yep and uh, yeah,
she's definitely comfortablewith the gun, so I want to kind
(17:06):
of stick with that one.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yeah and not change things up too much with her
perfect caliber too.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yeah, species yeah, yeah, I've shot a couple moose
with that gun, like it's bumpedup the same thing to 180 grain.
I was using the WinchesterBallistic Silver Tips 180 grain
and it shoots those bullets nice.
And I've shot a couple moosewith it and, yeah, I have no
issue taking a moose down.
(17:34):
Yeah, oh, yeah, it should begood set up.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Okay, yeah, no, I was curious.
Yeah, that's, that's a goodsite.
That's, yeah, that's lots ofgun, great caliber for that.
So I mean, you've got these twobig animals that you're hunting
.
One of them you don't reallyhave any experience with it.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Um, the kind of nice part of where we're hunting is I
can hit it from east or west,so it'll basically depend on the
wind.
Especially with elk, I thinkthe wind's going to be a huge
factor.
So I think if we're hitting itbasically the day of, we'll see
which way the wind's going to behitting a lot of times out here
prominent winds or west wind.
So we'll hit it from the eastside.
We'll walk in, do a location,call for for elk and see if we
(18:24):
can start locating some bullsand work from there.
Um same thing.
I guess, if you're getting youreast wind that day, we can
attack from the west side.
We can come in, do the calling.
Um, we do have a few backupspots not as easy to attack from
either side, so they'll be alittle bit tougher.
(18:44):
So, depending on how we make itthere the first couple days, if
we're not locating any elk, umwe'll be moving, I guess.
But it'll be based off weatheron those spots.
So so like one spot a littleeasier to attack from the west
wind, the other spot's a littleeasier to attack from the east
wind and then one's more of anorth wind I guess.
(19:06):
So it's honestly going todepend a lot on the weather for
us, on how we're going to hitour spots.
But we have our main spot.
We can kind of hit any day ofthe week, just depending on the
wind.
So we'll we'll be basicallylooking at the weather and going
from there but, um, hoping,thinking we're we're going to be
good where we're going, but I Ihave a hard time leaving spots
(19:32):
because I know like one day tothe next can change so much and
uh, so sticking it out there iskind of our, our plan right now.
But we do have a couple otherspots we can, we can go and we
can try.
Um, they're more of a spot thatI'll kind of move through.
So it's, it's another deal.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
That day of you might not catch anything, but if you
get there the right day youcould definitely get lucky and
catch them in there at the righttime well, yeah, and it's good
that you've got you seem to havethe winds dialed in, because I
mean, the thing with the elkherds is that it's a herd, it's
like hunting geese.
You know you've got a decoyspread.
You're not trying to fool oneset of eyes, you're trying to
fool a whole bunch with the elk.
(20:14):
You know you've got all theseextra eyes, all these extra
noses, all these extra ears.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
It's not like moose, where it's just, uh, you know a
solo animal you've got, you know, a herd that you're competing
against to try to sneak in thereyeah, if you're definitely
going for a herd bull and you'regoing to have, you know, a
bunch of cows and calves inthere at the same time, it's
going to be a challenge to getthem close enough for a shot and
(20:39):
make that shot.
But for the, for the uh, theodd satellite bowl and stuff,
you might get lucky.
Pulling in it might be a littlebit easier, but it's all how
picky she's going to be at theend of the day.
For me.
But yeah, I think I think thefirst decent bowl she sees is
definitely going to be on theradar.
But we'll see what happens.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Well, I mean you did have that nice one on trail
camera that you'd sent me apicture of, and I mean that bowl
.
You put the camera in theperfect spot.
Was that a good active gametrail, could you tell, because
you just got great pictures ofthis big?
Was it a six by six?
Speaker 3 (21:17):
yeah, he's a six by six, real good fronts on him.
He uh.
I set that camera up becausethe farm farmer I'm hunting on
mentioned that there was a bigbull moose down there.
So my plan there was to set upmore so for the bull moose.
So it was a, it was a good gametrail and it's been along a big
(21:39):
, uh big beaver dam in there,lots of water, so it is really
good moose habitat.
But I know the elk are in theretoo, like I have another camera
probably 500 yards away fromthat one where I get lots of elk
on it and uh, so I set that oneup.
It's more in the bush, but it'skind of a trail that was cut
down through to this uh beaverdam and uh, so I set it up,
(22:03):
thinking I was most likely goingto get a moose on it or a
couple moose on it, hopefully.
But I ended up getting him theday after I set the camera up.
So, yeah, he's, uh, he woulddefinitely be a target bull, but
yeah, I have other ones oncamera now that uh, she's even
thinking about that are quite abit smaller than him.
So so I don't think it's goingto take much, but I'd like to
(22:26):
like to challenge her a bit andsee if we can get her a good
size bull.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yeah, I mean, does this put a damper on your if she
takes out in both?
I mean you guys got a lot of, alot of butcher, a lot of meat
to deal with.
Do you still plan on deerhunting?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
So that's.
It's put a huge damper on mydeer hunting.
For sure, I've become afull-time guide this year
because my daughter's turned 12and out here you can hunt at 12.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
And he's in there now too, right Now you can do
Brunson cat.
They just changed it recently.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Right, so yeah.
So my daughter, she turned 12.
She's doing up her huntersafety now and she'll be able to
hunt in october because she'llbe hunting with crossbow, so a
little bit earlier than rifleand uh.
So yeah, it's kind ofconcentrating on getting a bull,
elk and a moose and I'll bediving right after those two
(23:19):
seasons right into crossbow withher.
Um, I have a couple weeks tostart September here that I can
bow hunt myself, so I'llprobably take advantage of those
.
But I'm not thinking we'regoing to need the meat Hopefully
not.
So yeah, if we fill ourfreezers up that quick, it'll
take a big buck for me to pullthe trigger, I think at this
(23:41):
point.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Well, I mean, that is the land to do it in
Saskatchewan.
I think that's great.
So we've talked on this podcastbefore about how you know
crossbows.
I mean it's got a trigger, it'sgot a scope on it, it's
cheating.
You know, you can't callyourself a man if you're
perfectly, if you have an injuryor something, it's different.
But if you're perfectly healthy, capable to pull back a
compound or traditional, do that.
(24:03):
But this is where I do agreewith crossbows is say, like your
daughter, she's 12 crossbow.
That's great, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Yeah, she can't pull back the legal weight.
Exactly that's perfect.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yep, and I'm the same boat.
Like, I prefer my bow and Iwant to get her to that point.
So I'm going to let her start.
I want to get her into hunting,I want her excited about
hunting.
So this is kind of the way todo it and, uh, I want her to
enjoy it, be comfortable doingit, not be shaky on the bow.
So we'll start out with acrossbow and when she's
(24:37):
comfortable with a bow that canpull back your 45 pounds and
shoot a deer, then she'll beswitching over to that 100%.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Yeah, no, I think that's great At her age to have
crossbow, that's the perfectweapon.
Or, you know, if you're olderor have a bad shoulder injury or
what have you, but other thanthat, you know, put in the
people like, oh, I don't havetime to practice, or something
like well then you shouldn't getto bow hunt.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, if she gets her, the perfect
part for her is once you canshoot with a bow, like you can
start september 1st.
So yeah, yeah, she'll get amonth and a half more hunting in
decent weather where she's notfreezing.
So it's, you hit october 15th.
It's going to cool off quite abit, which the hunting to me
that's my favorite two weeksanyway with my bow is that last
two weeks of oct.
So she's not missing out on awhole lot, but you get a good
(25:27):
deer on camera and something youwant to shoot.
It's September 1st.
Well, bow is the way to do it.
So she'll get there eventually.
But right now she's going tohave to start with crossbow and
wait until the 15th.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
So it's muzzleloader and crossbow kind of kicking on
the 15th for two weeks okay yeah, so they're kind of the same
boat, so we'll we'll let herstart with the crossbow, see how
she does the back yeah, yeah,no, I think that's great, um,
you know, so they changed theage here to 12, which is good
for the kids.
But I find it's kind of scaryin a way, because the fact that
(26:00):
they changed it to that number,I think, is kind of a sign that
there's not enough youthinterested in hunting.
So they're lowering the age tolike hey, you know, let's get
them started even earlier.
And I find it's like that waywith hunting in general.
It's like is it?
Well?
It's hard to tell, is it dyingor is it not?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
I think they got to do get more creative with ways
to get young hunters intohunting.
Yeah, I know, when I firstmoved here, um, our draw system,
so, like I said, it started outdcba, super a.
Yeah, so the draw system when Ifirst came here, the way they
had it set up, is you startedout in a because they wanted to
(26:41):
get young hunters into it.
So that was kind of theirpurpose of switching to A and I
kind of benefited from it, Iguess, because I started out in
A.
I wasn't a young hunter but itwas the first time I put in.
So I started in A, went toSuper A right away and I had my
Moosey license within four yearsof being here, which is great,
(27:02):
but for me it didn didn't.
I'm not saying it didn't matter, but it would have been more
beneficial.
Yes to a young hunter.
So if you're 12 years old, fouryears in, 16 years old, you're
getting a moose tag.
It's pretty exciting for a 16year old to go after a moose
well, you think that'd get youhooked for life.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Really, yeah, something 100 percent.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
So, yeah, and I like I ran into a young guy at
cabela's one time and yeah, hewouldn't have been much more 16,
17, got his first moose tag andwas pumped to go out and like I
think it is a, it's a way toget the younger crowd into it.
I think we got to get a littlemore creative than that to try
and get them out hunting.
Um, we have some local archeryclubs as well here that that do
(27:47):
like a youth night, so they'regetting more and more kids into
that.
So hopefully I can talk my kidsinto joining I think hannah
will definitely not now thatshe's hunting and and, uh, it's
a good way to to bring them intoit.
Um, stuff like that with gunclubs maybe start introducing to
a younger crowd would help.
(28:08):
But the hunting aspect itselfit's it's hard, the hard one to
sell on everybody because noteverybody hunts right.
So, yeah, try and get kids intoit.
It's a tough one when theparents aren't into it.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
So well, I think part of it too is, uh, social media
has made us like this.
You've got your tiktok and yourshort little reels on youtube
or facebook and all that andeverything's just so quick and
it's.
It's right there.
Quick, see one thing, boom ontothe next thing, onto the next
thing, and hunting it's a littlemore, um, patience, it's not
everything happening so quickand it's just uh.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
You've got to kind of rewire some people's brains to
to get them into that yeah, youcan go off youtube so much, but
really you got to get up thereand learn it right.
So it's it's exposing them todo it and exposing them to you.
Know your your claws to it andexposing them to you.
Know your your claws to it andyour wins, like it's not.
(29:08):
It's not that easy to go outand shoot a big animal.
Like it's.
You got to put some work in andlearn the process of it.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I think waterfowl is a good entry.
Entry for it because it's a lotmore uh, for the most part
action packed.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Yeah, well, it's like fishing for kids like, yeah, if
you're taking them out andthey're catching fish, they're
having fun, but if you're takingthem out looking for a fish
that you're not catching everycast, then they kind of dies off
for them, right.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
so yeah, I'm still like that.
I like catching yeah exactlyI'll admit it but yeah, yeah,
that's why I like small gamehunting more you're gonna find
them right.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's, that's the other
thing.
Like I'll take her downpheasant hunting, hopefully this
year at some point.
I think she'll enjoy that.
Like it's more action there.
You're moving, you're, you'reup and you're going, so you got
the dogs.
I know too which makes it yeah,she'll get to see the dogs.
Yeah, it's definitely.
It's definitely to me likesomething that's more
(30:08):
stimulating if you're if you'relooking for the excitement part
um, deer, it's going to beexciting when the deer walks out
that you're looking for, or abig deer walks out or whatever
like she's been with me enoughin the blind and stuff that
she's seen lots of deer so she'sbeen there and got past the
(30:30):
excitement part.
But it'll be different,definitely when she's on the
trigger and something comes outthat you want to shoot.
So hopefully she likes it andwe can keep her in it.
But time will tell, I guess.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
If not, you'll just have to tell her she's adopted.
But but even leading up to thehunt, I find it so much fun.
I mean, like I was talkingabout your the elk and the moose
hunt, I mean I find, and likewe were talking before the
podcast, even moving the trailcameras around trying to figure
out where are they bedding,where is their consistent food
source, that they're going tosetting up blinds, cutting
(31:08):
branches, you know for here, forme, for deer season, putting
the food plot in, I mean allthat leading up to it I find
it's more fun than the hunt,sometimes even just the
preparation.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Yeah, nothing's more exciting to me than a camera day
, when you're going out andchecking cameras and come back
and get to see what's on them,or like the cell camera, like
you said, if you get that alertin the middle of the night kind
of wakes you up.
You're checking in the middleof the night.
Well, my wife.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
She's like why don't you just set that to airplane
mode?
I'm like, and miss the deer.
No way, no, I'll just.
I'll sleep lightly and I hearthis.
I'm like it's okay's okay.
She's like go to sleep.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Yeah, I got to check it.
Yeah, I got to check it, yeah,yeah, and it gets worse and
worse the nicer deer you get oncamera, right?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
So you just want to see where they're at.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Or you get worked up.
It was like last night.
I was like oh, the fuckingcoyotes right In the old food
plot there.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
But you know, yeah, then you're pissed off and you
can't sleep right Punchingpillows.
But yeah, no, I like thefiguring out the land is a big
thing for me, like I was tellingyou earlier, like I've hunted
some of these pieces for sevenyears out here and like I'm
(32:19):
still learning, I'm still movingcameras, I'm still trying to
figure out patterns and wherethey're going and where they're
coming from it, and it canchange year to year here,
especially like, um, like I'mhunting one creek bed that's
between an organic farm andconventional on one side and it
kind of depends on what cropthey have on one side that the
(32:40):
deer will be traveling eitherside of that creek.
So it's it can change year toyear.
It kind of depends on what feedis on either side of them.
Um, I got another couple thatthey're more cattle land and
same thing with those.
Like, depending on what cropsare around, they get better or
worse.
This time of year my camerasare going to start heating up
(33:04):
with different deer becausewe're in harvest out here, so as
the crops come off they're,they're moving around a little
more.
So there's a lot of strategy, alot of learning, a lot of
figuring it out.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Um, as far, as early season really yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
And, like you know, depending on what you're hunting
here, if you're, if you don'thunt bow and you're not hunting
early season, um, you could have20 does on camera, 30 does on
camera.
That's probably the best casescenario for you because once
the end of october hits andthose bucks start looking for
their does, you're going tostart getting more and more
(33:43):
bucks on camera non-stop.
So it's I don't know, there's astrategy to it and there's a
lot of thinking.
You can overthink it sometimesand that's the hard part moving,
moving cameras, moving setupswhen you're unsure and, uh, you
can kind of think it's the wrongmove at the end of the day and
(34:04):
it could be the wrong move, butit could be the right move and
it's benefited me sometimes.
So it's hard not to.
You don't have so many camerasout there, I guess.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yeah, well, I mean, the strategy can sometimes turn
into self-madness really, butthat's all part of the fun.
Yeah, you can overthinkeverything, but that's all part
of the fun.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Yeah, you can overthink everything.
That's the hard part.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
It's a cat and mouse game, though that can be fun.
If you're after a particularanimal moving the cameras around
here Is he there, and then youget him on camera.
Okay, I got him.
Got him there.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
So, now where.
If you're getting him on atnight, then camera like okay, I
got them, got them there, yeah,so now where?
And then you're trying tofigure out.
Yeah, if you're getting them onat night, then you're like,
okay, how am I going to getdaylight?
So then you're trying to pick away he's coming and you're
moving further and further away.
Yeah, and it's for me like Ihunt a lot of stands, I'll hunt
(35:07):
blinds in certain spots,depending on where I'm at, but
like I like both, but I kind oflike my stands a little more.
I can just see and heareverything better and yeah, kind
of the way I like it.
And, um, so it's the strategyfor me is trying to learn the
land, I guess.
So certain pieces out here Ican't use cameras.
I was telling you that earlier.
I guess, like I've hunted thatland.
Yeah, so he's not a big cameraguy, which is fine foil hat kind
(35:31):
of no, like it's, it's just andhe's.
He says fair chase, he believesin fair chase, which is fine,
and so it's kind of his, the wayof his thinking it's, and I'm
good with that because it limitshow many people really want to
hunt there.
Some guys don't really want tohunt where they can't have a
camera.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
No, I respect the fair chasing and seeing that I
didn't know if he was like Idon't want those alien machines
on my tools or something.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
But okay, no, that's fine yeah that's a good reason.
Yeah, and I'm good with that.
And I I've hunted it for years,like basically since I've been
here.
But I was telling you like,yeah, it's more, you got to be
there and figure it out.
So that's, that's the trick tothat land.
I've hunted it years where I'vehad nothing but does all boasts
(36:17):
and you're like, okay, whereare the bucks?
Like this doesn't make sense.
And then move around.
He's got a cluster of quartersof land.
There's a good chunk of land,probably three or four quarters
of land there, like 108 acresapiece.
Yeah, so you kind of movearound and like, so the last
(36:37):
couple years I've been on oneit's uh, alfalfa, and we've had
good rain the past couple ofyears.
So he gives it one cut andbales it and then it'll come up
pretty good.
So the deer want to hit that.
So I was hunting the edge ofthat last year and two years ago
I guess, and seeing a reallygood buck, and wanted nothing to
(37:00):
do with where I was at andwho's heading the other way.
So I moved everything over towhere he kind of came out in the
field.
So like you can bait all youwant, but when you have nice
fresh alfalfa, that's whatthey're going for anyway yeah
and so I moved everything overthere this past year and like
yeah, we've had nights out theresitting seeing seven, seven
(37:22):
bucks a night.
But like multiple deer, lots ofdifferent bucks, and like I
wasn't seeing any does, I foundkind of where where the bucks
were hanging out and hopefullyit sticks that way.
But like over the years I'vebeen seeing like lots of does,
I've shot nice deer there.
But like later in the year whenthey're more seeking their does
(37:43):
and stuff, but it's uh, there'sa game to it and like you got
to learn it, learn the land andkeep playing it like move around
.
It's the hard thing to move,sometimes when you think you're
making the wrong decision.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
But yeah, it is, and and too.
I want to get someone on thepodcast.
Uh, find somebody sometimewe'll talk about.
You know, everyone thinks thewins, the wins, the wins and I
always did too.
But they're saying, I mean, bigbucks live and die by thermals,
that's what they play, that'swhat they, that's what they use,
you know, to keep to survive.
So it's, it's it.
(38:18):
Yeah, there's a lot, there's alot to it.
That's what makes it so muchfun.
But I mean it's awesome beingin such a game rich environment
that you're in saskatchewan,where I mean you like you're
saying you set up that trailcamera for moose and here comes
this big six by six bull elk.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
You know, yeah, it's awesome like on that one piece
of land itself, I get reallynice deer, really nice moose,
really nice moose, really niceelk.
It's crazy, but when you'regetting into that you are
definitely getting less deer,like when you're in elk
territory, like the elk.
Like where I'm getting bestdeer on camera is north-south,
(38:57):
where there's like not as manyelk or moose or anything like
that, and so they definitelydon't hang out together as much,
but like you'll have everythingthere.
So like I had like my lastcamera check out where I'm at,
I've had moose, elk, deer andbear on the same camera.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
wow, yeah you're getting a variety of everything
for sure makes it fun checking.
I mean, so yeah, to a lot ofpeople around here for moose
season to get the pictures andall that on the camera.
They're putting out a saltblock or something like that
mineral block and that's wherethey're getting the moose.
Do you try that strategy outthere with the deer, or sorry,
with the moose and the elk outthere?
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Yeah, oh, like early season for sure.
Like, if I'm putting camerasout early, I'll put them out
here.
Maybe even before June I'll putmineral, for sure.
I've had a lot of luck withmineral.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (39:53):
using?
Are you using cattle stuff?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I use kind of both, it depends.
I've used the I don't even knowwhat you call it red salt block
, I guess.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Yep, the Redmond's Reacher's Choice, redmond's.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
I've used those here and I've had like moose and elk,
both like those okay um, andthen it used to be called code
blue.
It's a rack stacker, the bluemineral, and uh, I've used that
for deer here for years and it'smore, you pour us like an old
rotten stump.
Yep, and uh, I've had a lot ofluck with that for deer.
(40:30):
Um, not just deer, I guess.
If it moves around they'll,they'll be at it as well, but
like it's, it's been a goodmineral to use here.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Shout out to rack stacker, I guess yeah, rack
stacker, here you go.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Yeah, it's uh, but I've used that.
I've used that like I don'tknow.
I tried a few minerals.
I used that before when I wasout east and I've had a lot of
luck with here for that.
So you gotta find the rightspot.
Like it definitely works betteron a uh on an old stump.
Yes, like I've had out here,I've used it on an old stump and
, like you, come back the nextyear to set up a camera and like
(41:03):
they've already hit it in thespring a year later and they
basically dug the whole stumpout of the ground.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Like it's pretty crazy I had that with deer.
Um, I put a salt block out lastyear.
I just had an extra one fromthe cattle and I put it up my
food plot and you know they wereliking it, using it and then,
uh, it was dissolved over winterand everything.
And then this spring, lookingfor it, they dug up the dirt all
around there and everythingyeah, I've had that happen a few
(41:32):
times out here.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Same thing like I dug a huge hole like the stump's
gone.
I guess if you have any stumpin your yard you want to get rid
of, just throw some of that onit.
But yeah, yeah, it's.
Uh.
No, I I don't know what it iswith the stump.
I don says right on it to pourit on a stump, which is fine.
They go at it pretty hard overthe year.
They hit it earlier than Ithought they would.
(41:54):
I thought it was more likeduring antler growth and stuff
like that I know does will evenhit it when they have their
fawns and stuff.
They'll dig the stump right outof the ground.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, a bunch of deer running around with splinters
in their tongue, like that'sreally good.
But, yeah, yeah, you think theywould get them.
Maybe they do, I don't know,and they just push through it.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
But oh, I can't be it See it being a real lost meat
in a stump or the ground.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
No, no, yeah.
Well, I mean it sounds likeyou've got a good handle on
things and that it could shapeup to be a really good season
with the elk and the moose.
I wish you guys all the best,and then I'll be interested to
hear how that goes.
And then if you end up doingmuch deer hunting, but for the
post-podcast, definitely goingto have to have your wife jen on
(42:48):
with you.
Uh, after the season, win, loseor draw I want to hear about it
from both of you yeah, 100.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I'll get her talking there for you, so I mentioned it
to her already, since she's abit nervous more about it, but
she may not want to shootanything now.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Yeah yeah, no, don't let that stop her um yeah, I uh.
No, I'm excited to uh.
Like I said, after you know wedid the moose one the other week
there about the pre hunt, I'mexcited to hear about the post
hunt on that, and then with youguys too, out there in
saskatchewan, I mean this thisis really cool.
You're hunting two big gameanimals like that, one of them
of which you have no experienceand you know, your wife having
(43:26):
never shot either one, so prettycool yeah, yeah, no, it'll be
exciting, it'll be exciting forher and, uh, for me, the
experience of elk, definitely,like moose, will be fun too.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
Like I mean, no way you want to pass up a moose
season.
Yeah, yeah, it'll be.
It'll be interesting lookingforward to a couple weeks from
now, I guess, guess when we getstarted.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
You're going to get her an early present, an Outdoor
Edge knife setter, somethinglike that.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Yeah, we'll see, get them sharp.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
Yeah, we'll get practicing on cutting the elk.
Yeah, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
She's going to get her hands dirty with the last
two deer so we'll see how itgoes Well with the moose and elk
, you're literally, I remember,gutting our moose.
I was up to my chin basicallyyeah, Yep, getting guts out and
all that.
So, yeah, you definitely got todig in.
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
It's nice and warm in there.
Yeah, that that's the trick.
She probably won't be thinkingof it, but where she shoots this
animal and where it could diecould change a lot of things.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
We'll see how it goes , hopefully everything works out
.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
I wish you guys the best of luck with it.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Thanks, hopefully everything works out.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
We'll be talking again soon.
Dave, sounds good Ken.
this is hunts on outfitting podcast.
I'm your host and rookie guide,ken marr.
I love everything hunting, theoutdoors and all things
associated with it, from storiestotos.
You'll find it here.
Welcome to the podcast, allright, hey, thanks for tuning in
(00:35):
.
Also, those of you who haveleft us ratings and reviews on
Apple and Spotify, thanks forthat.
It helps get us out there a bitbetter.
Also, canadians, do we haveaccess to firearms?
Well, yes and no.
It's fleeting monthly, it seems.
But we do have the CanadianAccess to Firearms magazine that
you guys can check out.
They'll send it right to yourdoor.
It's cheap.
It's got all the latest andgreatest stuff in it.
(00:56):
What's going on for gun showsnew guns, optics it's all in
there.
Lots to check out.
I'd highly recommend you knowlooking them up.
Lots to check out.
I'd highly recommend you knowlooking them up Also.
So if you look at the profilepicture on this week's podcast,
you will see a smiling gal witha great buck she harvested.
That's Jen McKillop, but it'snot her voice you're going to
(01:17):
hear in this episode.
Jen was very lucky to get drawnfor her Saskatchewan elk and
moose tags this year.
So after the hunt we'll bechatting with her to see how it
went down.
But this week we are talking tothe guy behind the scenes to
hopefully help her tag out onboth species.
He is the man with the plan tohelp his woman, her husband,
(01:41):
dave McKillop.
He's going to tell us about howhe is prepping for his first
elk hunt and also another mooseseason.
There is a lot to do but as weget into it, I think these two
are going to have a great season.
Dave has been on the podcastbefore, episode 56.
If you enjoyed listening to himon this one, you can check that
one out.
Also, for those of you who areregular listeners, thanks, and
(02:05):
you probably noticed by now, abrand new podcast is up every
Tuesday morning.
Well, this one's going to beout early because Monday I am
leaving for Alberta for a weekto go with a friend of mine,
chris, on a bighorn sheep huntin the Rockies, which I will
tell you guys all about upon myreturn.
Also, if you're looking to geta hold of me, you can email me
(02:28):
huntsonoutfitting at gmailcom orfind me on Facebook or
Instagram, ken Meier or FacebookHunts on Outfitting.
All right, let's talk to Dave.
Yeah, so, dave, master HunterMcKillop, you know excited.
I'm sure that's what your wifeis hoping that you are, as soon
(02:49):
as you are already a masterhunter, because, uh, I'm excited
to talk to you about thepreseason hunt and then, uh, in
scouting and all that.
And then you know we're goingto have a post season podcast.
Um, because she got two tagsthis year that, uh, I mean, what
are the odds of getting yourelk and moose tag in the same
year in Saskatchewan?
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Slim.
Yeah, a lot of people mad andjealous that she got them.
The same kind of system youguys have for moose, I guess, is
lottery system, but the elk'sodds are pretty slim but moose
are kind of the same.
With them, like there's notmany moose tags but doesn't seem
(03:31):
like as many people put in forthem.
So it's you kind of get betterodds, getting those earlier, and
super a is what it's called.
So we, our system starts out bgo, c, b a, then super a, and
like when you hit super a yourodds go up quite a bit.
So for moose, I got I got moosekind of the same deal second
year, third year, super a and uh, but I still haven't got an
(03:54):
octag.
So but we have a, a group ofguys that I have on a group chat
, I guess.
So when it comes out here youusually get an email, but we
have an app as well and on theapp you can check your status,
your pool status, and it'll kindof pop up there a few days
earlier than you get your email.
So our group chat popped up onenight when I was at work and all
(04:17):
the guys were asking if anybodygot anything.
I think one out of the I thinkthe seven, eight guys in the
chat, one of them.
One of them got a moose tag.
So I'm like, all right, I canhelp him out and I had nothing.
So then later on I'm like, oh,I better get Jen to check see if
she she got anything.
So she sends me a screenshot ofher status and it was just like
(04:38):
the list of the animals andbeside moose and elk it says D.
And I'm like, well, she wassuper a when I put in this
what's going on, or whatever.
And so I I told her to click onmoose and see what happens.
And she clicked on it.
She's like, oh, right on, I gotmy moose tag.
I'm like, uh, click on elk andsee what it says.
So, yeah, she ended up drawingboth.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Um, I haven't had the chance to get it out yeah, very
slim odds.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Yeah, to get both, especially like second year
super a for her.
So she's, yeah, very slim odds.
Yeah, to get both, especiallylike second year Super A for her
.
So she's, yeah, very slim odds.
Should have bought a lotteryticket instead, maybe.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, well, yeah, that would have been cool too.
Then you could do even morehunting.
Yeah, exactly that's how thatwent.
So what area of Saskatchewanare you in?
You just moved.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
You don't have to give the exact zip code but uh,
just a general area.
I'm uh southeast saskatchewan,so like we're pretty close to
the manitoba border where we'reat and uh there's a good
population of elk like we lived,kind of where we're planning to
hunt.
We lived out there for sevenyears so I got a good idea of
the area and like the elkpopulation for sure has gone up
quite a bit since since we movedout here.
(05:48):
Um, it's kind of you've seenthe elk once in a while.
It's a big deal, and now if yougo for a drive out there in the
evening, it's, it's nothing tosee and they're quite a few elk
they're wreaking a bit of havoctoo on the farmers.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I mean, in the wintertime, these farmers that
are trying to do bale grazingand such, I mean you get, you
know, hundreds of elk.
It's, it's going to cause anissue yeah, that's kind of where
I'm hunting.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
It's what he does.
He bale grazes, uh, and he it's.
Alfalfa is what he has, butbasically as soon as the snow
hits, he's got to have hiscattle in there.
He's losing a bale a night toelk.
Yeah, that's a lot of money.
Yeah, they've opened up moretags this year because of that.
So the more claims they get, Ikind of think they go off that,
(06:31):
but checking their elk numbersand stuff.
So this year I think it's 20 or40 antlerless tags they
released as well.
So that ups your odds.
That way If you want an elk tag, you can put in for the analyst
tag and you have betteropportunities than going for the
(06:52):
either sex, which I think forour zone still only 20.
But I think the more claimsthey get, the more numbers they
get.
That way they will uh, theywill up the tags.
But right.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
so ask your local farmer to complain, no matter
what.
So what did she get?
Did she get either sex?
And then you said the elkpopulation is more than stable
there, it's thriving, you mightsay.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, it's doing good .
She did get either sex for both, so that's the other part of it
that makes it more rare to getboth of them, I guess.
So she got the harder tag tosex for both, so that's the
other part of it that makes itmore rare to get both of them, I
guess.
Okay, yeah, so if you get theharder tag to get for both
animals, but moose, they don'tdo the antlerless right now,
just because our moose numbershave dropped a bit, but the uh,
the elk have gone up quite a bit.
(07:38):
So you would have good oddsgetting in it, uh, antlerless
elk.
But now where you're're?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
at where you're at hunting out there are the moose
and elk competing for the samefood, because I know here the
deer and the moose uh, they'renot in the same area generally,
but out there, I mean, you'reseeing pictures of moose and
fields and stuff like that andthat's.
You know, obviously, where theelk are is.
Is there a bit of competitionthere for food?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
um, I wouldn't say like a huge competition.
You'll find them both in thesame area, okay.
Um, like we'll be hunting mostlikely the same quarter of land
for for both animals okay yep,your, your elk and your moose
will be relatively close.
Um, the moose are definitelygoing to stick around our splews
and stuff.
(08:23):
I've seen them around a lot ofwater.
We spotted one the other nightin the middle of a canola field
eating canola.
They'll eat the same feed, butI wouldn't say competitive for
land.
Moose will be more content in asmall chunk of bush.
Here you'll see the elk.
(08:43):
They like being in the bush ina small chunk of bush here.
Then you'll see the elk likethey like definitely being.
Yeah, they like being in thebush, but like cause they're.
I think the herd numbers isbigger, so they're going to be
probably more clustered in alarge chunk of bush compared to
the moose.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Right, just because they've got that.
Yeah, the large numbers wherethe moose are more solo.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, the moose will run solo, so they'll be
scattered kind of all over theplace where the elk will be
clustered in certain areas.
A lot along the valley, justmore bush along the valley, but
they'll be spread out anywhere.
Usually it's just a matter ofhaving that good chunk of bush
to hide in.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
So I mean, when you found out that she got both her
tags, she was excited, and I'msure you were too, and then you
quickly realized that's a lot ofwork.
That's a lot of work for twobig animals, back-to-back
hunting basically.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So what are the seasons there?
Yeah, I realized it before.
She did 100%.
So she knows she'll be pullingthe trigger and then the work
will happen.
But she doesn't realize howmuch it is, so she's never been
on a moose or all cunts, I guess, so it's gonna be all new to
her.
But uh, elk here actuallystarts september 15th.
It goes for two weeks.
(09:55):
Um, then we switch over tomoose right after it starts
october 1st and it's also twoweeks.
It goes to the 15th, and ifwe're not lucky enough to get an
elk in that early season,there's also a late season for
us okay, cool so she can go outagain december 10th to the 19th.
(10:20):
And then for moose there'sanother late season for them as
well, and it goes nove November1st to the 14th.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
So that's different.
Do you know why they break itup like that?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I honestly don't know why they break it up, so it'll
be two different hunts obviously.
Yeah, like deer season will begoing through the middle Deer
season ends December 2nd outhere.
So like elk season, the secondround of elk season.
I guess we'll go later thanthat, but it'll be two different
seasons, like the first one'syour rut for both of them.
So it'll be the calling andpulling them in that way, which
(10:54):
is more exciting hunt obviously,and then that late season.
I could hunt the same spotbecause I know they hammer the
farmer's bales so I've seen themin there every night on those
bales.
So it'll be more hunting overthat.
Um, the moose late season.
It's going to be a basicallyspot in stock.
(11:14):
It's looking around trying tofind the moose and narrowing
where they're at.
But I think early season isdefinitely a better chance for
moose.
I think elk it's going to beall new to me, same thing.
But I think elk, you'reprobably still a better chance
in the rut if you're doing somecalling and stuff.
And then late season.
(11:35):
I still think we have prettygood odds where we know where
they.
They winter for the winter onthe on the bales.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah.
So I mean, are you going to be,uh, are you going to be, the
new bugle boy in the area?
Have you been practicing withthat?
I think we were talking theother day and I was saying how I
was practicing, you know, forthis, when we had the Springs
turkey season with my turkey,call the diaphragm and I just go
(12:03):
to in a room in the basement,shut the door and I can squawk
away at.
It's not too bad.
Or, you know, I drive truck, doit in there, the, the elk
scream or bugle.
Uh, it's a little different, itcan annoy people.
Uh, slightly quicker, I thinkyeah, the elk bugle itself.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
I've been practicing with lots and I think I'm
probably driving my neighborscrazy at this point with it,
because it's not, yeah, elkbugle itself.
I've been practicing with lots.
I think I'm probably driving myneighbors crazy at this point
with it, because it's notsomething you can just go in the
basement and hide.
Yeah, the kids see me grab itand they just kind of head
outside.
It's not as easy.
It's not something you can justdrive down the road and
(12:35):
practice, either like a duckcall or something like that, if
you get a great big bugle inyour mouth.
But yeah, I've been practicingwith it and I'm getting better.
So it's, I don't know.
It'll be a learning experiencefor me.
So I'm kind of taking advantageof her getting her tag first,
cause I should be coming up herein the next couple of years,
cause you go to a legacy poolafter 10 years, super a okay and
(12:58):
it's pretty much a guaranteedtag.
So I know within the next twoyears I should have a good shot
at getting my elk license.
So I'm kind of taking advantageof her getting hers now and
practice, practicing up andlearning how to call and
watching lots of videos on it.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
So I think we'll be ready.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Is it kind of weird?
Because I mean, like I said,with the turkey stuff you're
squawking, but with the elkyou're really taking in a breath
and just just screaming it.
I mean it's it's amazing tohear I've been fortunate enough
to hear it in person and it justgives you goosebumps like man.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
That is cool yeah, like, out here there's lots of
actually elk farms too.
So we had an elk farm rightdown the road from our place and
if you went down there duringthe rut it was wild to listen to
them.
But I've seen them in the wildtoo doing it and there's
definitely an art to it.
(13:50):
I can play with this call and,like it, make different noises,
and it's I.
Just the hard part for melearning is like what call to
use when, with elk, like it'snot like moose, where you're
you're hammering a cow callnon-stop, that's what you're
going with is to do the oddgrunt for a bull, but like, yeah
(14:10):
, this one here you kind oflocate and then you're you're
trying to play with them to seewhat they're interested in more
cow or bull, and back and forth.
So, yeah, it's a lot oflearning to go with his elk.
So I'm going to going to keeppracticing and hopefully I'm
ready here by the 15th anyway,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Well, you know.
Just uh, Sam or Dan, bring itinto work, have it in the
lunchroom, You'll get the placeto yourself.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Yeah, exactly, clear the place out.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Yeah.
So your wife Jen, what I mean?
She's got her moose tag, she'sgot her elk tag.
What's her hunting experiencethus far?
Speaker 3 (14:45):
So she started.
She did start hunting in NewBrunswick with me, but mostly up
Lambert she sat with me deerhunting.
So when we moved out here, um,the opportunity for deer hunting
is crazy.
So I was getting her more intodeer hunting and, uh, she shot
two deer out here.
So far she's she's done a bitmore hunting and stuff.
(15:08):
She's gone out on her own a bitand she's definitely into it.
So she's she's really morepumped for the elk, I think,
just because I think it'ssomething I haven't even get to
shoot.
So she's trying to make mejealous, but she can shoot a gun
, she's good.
So we're going to get to therange here a few times here in
(15:28):
the next couple of weeks too andmake sure she's fine tuned.
But yeah, every time she had acrack at a deer she hasn't had a
problem shooting them.
So elk and moose are bigger butdefinitely more adrenaline.
So hopefully she can pull itoff and we can get lucky anyway,
yeah, well, I mean.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
So Jen is a smaller gal, moose and elk are large
animals.
So what is she using for arifle?
Because you want something withenough kick to hit them, good,
but she doesn't want to, youknow, hit herself right back,
kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yes, um, she's had no issue shooting my uh 30 odd six
.
So I have a 30 odd six uhWinchester model 70.
Yep, and she shot both her deerwith that.
No issue, she shot the gunenough, so I think no issue.
She shot the gun enough, so Ithink she'll be comfortable with
(16:19):
it.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Um, the big change will be bumping it up to like a
180 grain.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
So I'll get her to the range and I'll I'll be
shooting some more 180 grainwith her and making sure she's
comfortable with that before, uh, before we hit the season.
Yeah, um, I think she'll haveno issue with it.
I think 180 grain she wasshooting 165, I think was what
she shot her deer with.
So the bump up really shouldn'thave much more kick or anything
(16:43):
.
No, not too bad, no, I think.
Just it's a matter of figuringout yardages and what not,
because it's going to have alittle more drop to it.
But I'm thinking when we'rehunting she shouldn't be
shooting too crazy far.
So it should be all right towork with yep and uh, yeah,
she's definitely comfortablewith the gun, so I want to kind
(17:06):
of stick with that one.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yeah and not change things up too much with her
perfect caliber too.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yeah, species yeah, yeah, I've shot a couple moose
with that gun, like it's bumpedup the same thing to 180 grain.
I was using the WinchesterBallistic Silver Tips 180 grain
and it shoots those bullets nice.
And I've shot a couple moosewith it and, yeah, I have no
issue taking a moose down.
(17:34):
Yeah, oh, yeah, it should begood set up.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Okay, yeah, no, I was curious.
Yeah, that's, that's a goodsite.
That's, yeah, that's lots ofgun, great caliber for that.
So I mean, you've got these twobig animals that you're hunting
.
One of them you don't reallyhave any experience with it.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Um, the kind of nice part of where we're hunting is I
can hit it from east or west,so it'll basically depend on the
wind.
Especially with elk, I thinkthe wind's going to be a huge
factor.
So I think if we're hitting itbasically the day of, we'll see
which way the wind's going to behitting a lot of times out here
prominent winds or west wind.
So we'll hit it from the eastside.
We'll walk in, do a location,call for for elk and see if we
(18:24):
can start locating some bullsand work from there.
Um same thing.
I guess, if you're getting youreast wind that day, we can
attack from the west side.
We can come in, do the calling.
Um, we do have a few backupspots not as easy to attack from
either side, so they'll be alittle bit tougher.
(18:44):
So, depending on how we make itthere the first couple days, if
we're not locating any elk, umwe'll be moving, I guess.
But it'll be based off weatheron those spots.
So so like one spot a littleeasier to attack from the west
wind, the other spot's a littleeasier to attack from the east
wind and then one's more of anorth wind I guess.
(19:06):
So it's honestly going todepend a lot on the weather for
us, on how we're going to hitour spots.
But we have our main spot.
We can kind of hit any day ofthe week, just depending on the
wind.
So we'll we'll be basicallylooking at the weather and going
from there but, um, hoping,thinking we're we're going to be
good where we're going, but I Ihave a hard time leaving spots
(19:32):
because I know like one day tothe next can change so much and
uh, so sticking it out there iskind of our, our plan right now.
But we do have a couple otherspots we can, we can go and we
can try.
Um, they're more of a spot thatI'll kind of move through.
So it's, it's another deal.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
That day of you might not catch anything, but if you
get there the right day youcould definitely get lucky and
catch them in there at the righttime well, yeah, and it's good
that you've got you seem to havethe winds dialed in, because I
mean, the thing with the elkherds is that it's a herd, it's
like hunting geese.
You know you've got a decoyspread.
You're not trying to fool oneset of eyes, you're trying to
fool a whole bunch with the elk.
(20:14):
You know you've got all theseextra eyes, all these extra
noses, all these extra ears.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
It's not like moose, where it's just, uh, you know a
solo animal you've got, you know, a herd that you're competing
against to try to sneak in thereyeah, if you're definitely
going for a herd bull and you'regoing to have, you know, a
bunch of cows and calves inthere at the same time, it's
going to be a challenge to getthem close enough for a shot and
(20:39):
make that shot.
But for the, for the uh, theodd satellite bowl and stuff,
you might get lucky.
Pulling in it might be a littlebit easier, but it's all how
picky she's going to be at theend of the day.
For me.
But yeah, I think I think thefirst decent bowl she sees is
definitely going to be on theradar.
But we'll see what happens.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Well, I mean you did have that nice one on trail
camera that you'd sent me apicture of, and I mean that bowl
.
You put the camera in theperfect spot.
Was that a good active gametrail, could you tell, because
you just got great pictures ofthis big?
Was it a six by six?
Speaker 3 (21:17):
yeah, he's a six by six, real good fronts on him.
He uh.
I set that camera up becausethe farm farmer I'm hunting on
mentioned that there was a bigbull moose down there.
So my plan there was to set upmore so for the bull moose.
So it was a, it was a good gametrail and it's been along a big
(21:39):
, uh big beaver dam in there,lots of water, so it is really
good moose habitat.
But I know the elk are in theretoo, like I have another camera
probably 500 yards away fromthat one where I get lots of elk
on it and uh, so I set that oneup.
It's more in the bush, but it'skind of a trail that was cut
down through to this uh beaverdam and uh, so I set it up,
(22:03):
thinking I was most likely goingto get a moose on it or a
couple moose on it, hopefully.
But I ended up getting him theday after I set the camera up.
So, yeah, he's, uh, he woulddefinitely be a target bull, but
yeah, I have other ones oncamera now that uh, she's even
thinking about that are quite abit smaller than him.
So so I don't think it's goingto take much, but I'd like to
(22:26):
like to challenge her a bit andsee if we can get her a good
size bull.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yeah, I mean, does this put a damper on your if she
takes out in both?
I mean you guys got a lot of, alot of butcher, a lot of meat
to deal with.
Do you still plan on deerhunting?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
So that's.
It's put a huge damper on mydeer hunting.
For sure, I've become afull-time guide this year
because my daughter's turned 12and out here you can hunt at 12.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
And he's in there now too, right Now you can do
Brunson cat.
They just changed it recently.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Right, so yeah.
So my daughter, she turned 12.
She's doing up her huntersafety now and she'll be able to
hunt in october because she'llbe hunting with crossbow, so a
little bit earlier than rifleand uh.
So yeah, it's kind ofconcentrating on getting a bull,
elk and a moose and I'll bediving right after those two
(23:19):
seasons right into crossbow withher.
Um, I have a couple weeks tostart September here that I can
bow hunt myself, so I'llprobably take advantage of those
.
But I'm not thinking we'regoing to need the meat Hopefully
not.
So yeah, if we fill ourfreezers up that quick, it'll
take a big buck for me to pullthe trigger, I think at this
(23:41):
point.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Well, I mean, that is the land to do it in
Saskatchewan.
I think that's great.
So we've talked on this podcastbefore about how you know
crossbows.
I mean it's got a trigger, it'sgot a scope on it, it's
cheating.
You know, you can't callyourself a man if you're
perfectly, if you have an injuryor something, it's different.
But if you're perfectly healthy, capable to pull back a
compound or traditional, do that.
(24:03):
But this is where I do agreewith crossbows is say, like your
daughter, she's 12 crossbow.
That's great, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Yeah, she can't pull back the legal weight.
Exactly that's perfect.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yep, and I'm the same boat.
Like, I prefer my bow and Iwant to get her to that point.
So I'm going to let her start.
I want to get her into hunting,I want her excited about
hunting.
So this is kind of the way todo it and, uh, I want her to
enjoy it, be comfortable doingit, not be shaky on the bow.
So we'll start out with acrossbow and when she's
(24:37):
comfortable with a bow that canpull back your 45 pounds and
shoot a deer, then she'll beswitching over to that 100%.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Yeah, no, I think that's great At her age to have
crossbow, that's the perfectweapon.
Or, you know, if you're olderor have a bad shoulder injury or
what have you, but other thanthat, you know, put in the
people like, oh, I don't havetime to practice, or something
like well then you shouldn't getto bow hunt.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, if she gets her, the perfect
part for her is once you canshoot with a bow, like you can
start september 1st.
So yeah, yeah, she'll get amonth and a half more hunting in
decent weather where she's notfreezing.
So it's, you hit october 15th.
It's going to cool off quite abit, which the hunting to me
that's my favorite two weeksanyway with my bow is that last
two weeks of oct.
So she's not missing out on awhole lot, but you get a good
(25:27):
deer on camera and something youwant to shoot.
It's September 1st.
Well, bow is the way to do it.
So she'll get there eventually.
But right now she's going tohave to start with crossbow and
wait until the 15th.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
So it's muzzleloader and crossbow kind of kicking on
the 15th for two weeks okay yeah, so they're kind of the same
boat, so we'll we'll let herstart with the crossbow, see how
she does the back yeah, yeah,no, I think that's great, um,
you know, so they changed theage here to 12, which is good
for the kids.
But I find it's kind of scaryin a way, because the fact that
(26:00):
they changed it to that number,I think, is kind of a sign that
there's not enough youthinterested in hunting.
So they're lowering the age tolike hey, you know, let's get
them started even earlier.
And I find it's like that waywith hunting in general.
It's like is it?
Well?
It's hard to tell, is it dyingor is it not?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
I think they got to do get more creative with ways
to get young hunters intohunting.
Yeah, I know, when I firstmoved here, um, our draw system,
so, like I said, it started outdcba, super a.
Yeah, so the draw system when Ifirst came here, the way they
had it set up, is you startedout in a because they wanted to
(26:41):
get young hunters into it.
So that was kind of theirpurpose of switching to A and I
kind of benefited from it, Iguess, because I started out in
A.
I wasn't a young hunter but itwas the first time I put in.
So I started in A, went toSuper A right away and I had my
Moosey license within four yearsof being here, which is great,
(27:02):
but for me it didn didn't.
I'm not saying it didn't matter, but it would have been more
beneficial.
Yes to a young hunter.
So if you're 12 years old, fouryears in, 16 years old, you're
getting a moose tag.
It's pretty exciting for a 16year old to go after a moose
well, you think that'd get youhooked for life.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Really, yeah, something 100 percent.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
So, yeah, and I like I ran into a young guy at
cabela's one time and yeah, hewouldn't have been much more 16,
17, got his first moose tag andwas pumped to go out and like I
think it is a, it's a way toget the younger crowd into it.
I think we got to get a littlemore creative than that to try
and get them out hunting.
Um, we have some local archeryclubs as well here that that do
(27:47):
like a youth night, so they'regetting more and more kids into
that.
So hopefully I can talk my kidsinto joining I think hannah
will definitely not now thatshe's hunting and and, uh, it's
a good way to to bring them intoit.
Um, stuff like that with gunclubs maybe start introducing to
a younger crowd would help.
(28:08):
But the hunting aspect itselfit's it's hard, the hard one to
sell on everybody because noteverybody hunts right.
So, yeah, try and get kids intoit.
It's a tough one when theparents aren't into it.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
So well, I think part of it too is, uh, social media
has made us like this.
You've got your tiktok and yourshort little reels on youtube
or facebook and all that andeverything's just so quick and
it's.
It's right there.
Quick, see one thing, boom ontothe next thing, onto the next
thing, and hunting it's a littlemore, um, patience, it's not
everything happening so quickand it's just uh.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
You've got to kind of rewire some people's brains to
to get them into that yeah, youcan go off youtube so much, but
really you got to get up thereand learn it right.
So it's it's exposing them todo it and exposing them to you.
Know your your claws to it andexposing them to you.
Know your your claws to it andyour wins, like it's not.
(29:08):
It's not that easy to go outand shoot a big animal.
Like it's.
You got to put some work in andlearn the process of it.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I think waterfowl is a good entry.
Entry for it because it's a lotmore uh, for the most part
action packed.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Yeah, well, it's like fishing for kids like, yeah, if
you're taking them out andthey're catching fish, they're
having fun, but if you're takingthem out looking for a fish
that you're not catching everycast, then they kind of dies off
for them, right.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
so yeah, I'm still like that.
I like catching yeah exactlyI'll admit it but yeah, yeah,
that's why I like small gamehunting more you're gonna find
them right.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's, that's the other
thing.
Like I'll take her downpheasant hunting, hopefully this
year at some point.
I think she'll enjoy that.
Like it's more action there.
You're moving, you're, you'reup and you're going, so you got
the dogs.
I know too which makes it yeah,she'll get to see the dogs.
Yeah, it's definitely.
It's definitely to me likesomething that's more
(30:08):
stimulating if you're if you'relooking for the excitement part
um, deer, it's going to beexciting when the deer walks out
that you're looking for, or abig deer walks out or whatever
like she's been with me enoughin the blind and stuff that
she's seen lots of deer so she'sbeen there and got past the
(30:30):
excitement part.
But it'll be different,definitely when she's on the
trigger and something comes outthat you want to shoot.
So hopefully she likes it andwe can keep her in it.
But time will tell, I guess.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
If not, you'll just have to tell her she's adopted.
But but even leading up to thehunt, I find it so much fun.
I mean, like I was talkingabout your the elk and the moose
hunt, I mean I find, and likewe were talking before the
podcast, even moving the trailcameras around trying to figure
out where are they bedding,where is their consistent food
source, that they're going tosetting up blinds, cutting
(31:08):
branches, you know for here, forme, for deer season, putting
the food plot in, I mean allthat leading up to it I find
it's more fun than the hunt,sometimes even just the
preparation.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Yeah, nothing's more exciting to me than a camera day
, when you're going out andchecking cameras and come back
and get to see what's on them,or like the cell camera, like
you said, if you get that alertin the middle of the night kind
of wakes you up.
You're checking in the middleof the night.
Well, my wife.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
She's like why don't you just set that to airplane
mode?
I'm like, and miss the deer.
No way, no, I'll just.
I'll sleep lightly and I hearthis.
I'm like it's okay's okay.
She's like go to sleep.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Yeah, I got to check it.
Yeah, I got to check it, yeah,yeah, and it gets worse and
worse the nicer deer you get oncamera, right?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
So you just want to see where they're at.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Or you get worked up.
It was like last night.
I was like oh, the fuckingcoyotes right In the old food
plot there.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
But you know, yeah, then you're pissed off and you
can't sleep right Punchingpillows.
But yeah, no, I like thefiguring out the land is a big
thing for me, like I was tellingyou earlier, like I've hunted
some of these pieces for sevenyears out here and like I'm
(32:19):
still learning, I'm still movingcameras, I'm still trying to
figure out patterns and wherethey're going and where they're
coming from it, and it canchange year to year here,
especially like, um, like I'mhunting one creek bed that's
between an organic farm andconventional on one side and it
kind of depends on what cropthey have on one side that the
(32:40):
deer will be traveling eitherside of that creek.
So it's it can change year toyear.
It kind of depends on what feedis on either side of them.
Um, I got another couple thatthey're more cattle land and
same thing with those.
Like, depending on what cropsare around, they get better or
worse.
This time of year my camerasare going to start heating up
(33:04):
with different deer becausewe're in harvest out here, so as
the crops come off they're,they're moving around a little
more.
So there's a lot of strategy, alot of learning, a lot of
figuring it out.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Um, as far, as early season really yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
And, like you know, depending on what you're hunting
here, if you're, if you don'thunt bow and you're not hunting
early season, um, you could have20 does on camera, 30 does on
camera.
That's probably the best casescenario for you because once
the end of october hits andthose bucks start looking for
their does, you're going tostart getting more and more
(33:43):
bucks on camera non-stop.
So it's I don't know, there's astrategy to it and there's a
lot of thinking.
You can overthink it sometimesand that's the hard part moving,
moving cameras, moving setupswhen you're unsure and, uh, you
can kind of think it's the wrongmove at the end of the day and
(34:04):
it could be the wrong move, butit could be the right move and
it's benefited me sometimes.
So it's hard not to.
You don't have so many camerasout there, I guess.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yeah, well, I mean, the strategy can sometimes turn
into self-madness really, butthat's all part of the fun.
Yeah, you can overthinkeverything, but that's all part
of the fun.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Yeah, you can overthink everything.
That's the hard part.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
It's a cat and mouse game, though that can be fun.
If you're after a particularanimal moving the cameras around
here Is he there, and then youget him on camera.
Okay, I got him.
Got him there.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
So, now where.
If you're getting him on atnight, then camera like okay, I
got them, got them there, yeah,so now where?
And then you're trying tofigure out.
Yeah, if you're getting them onat night, then you're like,
okay, how am I going to getdaylight?
So then you're trying to pick away he's coming and you're
moving further and further away.
Yeah, and it's for me like Ihunt a lot of stands, I'll hunt
(35:07):
blinds in certain spots,depending on where I'm at, but
like I like both, but I kind oflike my stands a little more.
I can just see and heareverything better and yeah, kind
of the way I like it.
And, um, so it's the strategyfor me is trying to learn the
land, I guess.
So certain pieces out here Ican't use cameras.
I was telling you that earlier.
I guess, like I've hunted thatland.
Yeah, so he's not a big cameraguy, which is fine foil hat kind
(35:31):
of no, like it's, it's just andhe's.
He says fair chase, he believesin fair chase, which is fine,
and so it's kind of his, the wayof his thinking it's, and I'm
good with that because it limitshow many people really want to
hunt there.
Some guys don't really want tohunt where they can't have a
camera.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
No, I respect the fair chasing and seeing that I
didn't know if he was like Idon't want those alien machines
on my tools or something.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
But okay, no, that's fine yeah that's a good reason.
Yeah, and I'm good with that.
And I I've hunted it for years,like basically since I've been
here.
But I was telling you like,yeah, it's more, you got to be
there and figure it out.
So that's, that's the trick tothat land.
I've hunted it years where I'vehad nothing but does all boasts
(36:17):
and you're like, okay, whereare the bucks?
Like this doesn't make sense.
And then move around.
He's got a cluster of quartersof land.
There's a good chunk of land,probably three or four quarters
of land there, like 108 acresapiece.
Yeah, so you kind of movearound and like, so the last
(36:37):
couple years I've been on oneit's uh, alfalfa, and we've had
good rain the past couple ofyears.
So he gives it one cut andbales it and then it'll come up
pretty good.
So the deer want to hit that.
So I was hunting the edge ofthat last year and two years ago
I guess, and seeing a reallygood buck, and wanted nothing to
(37:00):
do with where I was at andwho's heading the other way.
So I moved everything over towhere he kind of came out in the
field.
So like you can bait all youwant, but when you have nice
fresh alfalfa, that's whatthey're going for anyway yeah
and so I moved everything overthere this past year and like
yeah, we've had nights out theresitting seeing seven, seven
(37:22):
bucks a night.
But like multiple deer, lots ofdifferent bucks, and like I
wasn't seeing any does, I foundkind of where where the bucks
were hanging out and hopefullyit sticks that way.
But like over the years I'vebeen seeing like lots of does,
I've shot nice deer there.
But like later in the year whenthey're more seeking their does
(37:43):
and stuff, but it's uh, there'sa game to it and like you got
to learn it, learn the land andkeep playing it like move around
.
It's the hard thing to move,sometimes when you think you're
making the wrong decision.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
But yeah, it is, and and too.
I want to get someone on thepodcast.
Uh, find somebody sometimewe'll talk about.
You know, everyone thinks thewins, the wins, the wins and I
always did too.
But they're saying, I mean, bigbucks live and die by thermals,
that's what they play, that'swhat they, that's what they use,
you know, to keep to survive.
So it's, it's it.
(38:18):
Yeah, there's a lot, there's alot to it.
That's what makes it so muchfun.
But I mean it's awesome beingin such a game rich environment
that you're in saskatchewan,where I mean you like you're
saying you set up that trailcamera for moose and here comes
this big six by six bull elk.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
You know, yeah, it's awesome like on that one piece
of land itself, I get reallynice deer, really nice moose,
really nice moose, really niceelk.
It's crazy, but when you'regetting into that you are
definitely getting less deer,like when you're in elk
territory, like the elk.
Like where I'm getting bestdeer on camera is north-south,
(38:57):
where there's like not as manyelk or moose or anything like
that, and so they definitelydon't hang out together as much,
but like you'll have everythingthere.
So like I had like my lastcamera check out where I'm at,
I've had moose, elk, deer andbear on the same camera.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
wow, yeah you're getting a variety of everything
for sure makes it fun checking.
I mean, so yeah, to a lot ofpeople around here for moose
season to get the pictures andall that on the camera.
They're putting out a saltblock or something like that
mineral block and that's wherethey're getting the moose.
Do you try that strategy outthere with the deer, or sorry,
with the moose and the elk outthere?
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Yeah, oh, like early season for sure.
Like, if I'm putting camerasout early, I'll put them out
here.
Maybe even before June I'll putmineral, for sure.
I've had a lot of luck withmineral.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (39:53):
using?
Are you using cattle stuff?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I use kind of both, it depends.
I've used the I don't even knowwhat you call it red salt block
, I guess.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Yep, the Redmond's Reacher's Choice, redmond's.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
I've used those here and I've had like moose and elk,
both like those okay um, andthen it used to be called code
blue.
It's a rack stacker, the bluemineral, and uh, I've used that
for deer here for years and it'smore, you pour us like an old
rotten stump.
Yep, and uh, I've had a lot ofluck with that for deer.
(40:30):
Um, not just deer, I guess.
If it moves around they'll,they'll be at it as well, but
like it's, it's been a goodmineral to use here.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Shout out to rack stacker, I guess yeah, rack
stacker, here you go.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Yeah, it's uh, but I've used that.
I've used that like I don'tknow.
I tried a few minerals.
I used that before when I wasout east and I've had a lot of
luck with here for that.
So you gotta find the rightspot.
Like it definitely works betteron a uh on an old stump.
Yes, like I've had out here,I've used it on an old stump and
, like you, come back the nextyear to set up a camera and like
(41:03):
they've already hit it in thespring a year later and they
basically dug the whole stumpout of the ground.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Like it's pretty crazy I had that with deer.
Um, I put a salt block out lastyear.
I just had an extra one fromthe cattle and I put it up my
food plot and you know they wereliking it, using it and then,
uh, it was dissolved over winterand everything.
And then this spring, lookingfor it, they dug up the dirt all
around there and everythingyeah, I've had that happen a few
(41:32):
times out here.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Same thing like I dug a huge hole like the stump's
gone.
I guess if you have any stumpin your yard you want to get rid
of, just throw some of that onit.
But yeah, yeah, it's.
Uh.
No, I I don't know what it iswith the stump.
I don says right on it to pourit on a stump, which is fine.
They go at it pretty hard overthe year.
They hit it earlier than Ithought they would.
(41:54):
I thought it was more likeduring antler growth and stuff
like that I know does will evenhit it when they have their
fawns and stuff.
They'll dig the stump right outof the ground.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, a bunch of deer running around with splinters
in their tongue, like that'sreally good.
But, yeah, yeah, you think theywould get them.
Maybe they do, I don't know,and they just push through it.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
But oh, I can't be it See it being a real lost meat
in a stump or the ground.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
No, no, yeah.
Well, I mean it sounds likeyou've got a good handle on
things and that it could shapeup to be a really good season
with the elk and the moose.
I wish you guys all the best,and then I'll be interested to
hear how that goes.
And then if you end up doingmuch deer hunting, but for the
post-podcast, definitely goingto have to have your wife jen on
(42:48):
with you.
Uh, after the season, win, loseor draw I want to hear about it
from both of you yeah, 100.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I'll get her talking there for you, so I mentioned it
to her already, since she's abit nervous more about it, but
she may not want to shootanything now.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Yeah yeah, no, don't let that stop her um yeah, I uh.
No, I'm excited to uh.
Like I said, after you know wedid the moose one the other week
there about the pre hunt, I'mexcited to hear about the post
hunt on that, and then with youguys too, out there in
saskatchewan, I mean this thisis really cool.
You're hunting two big gameanimals like that, one of them
of which you have no experienceand you know, your wife having
(43:26):
never shot either one, so prettycool yeah, yeah, no, it'll be
exciting, it'll be exciting forher and, uh, for me, the
experience of elk, definitely,like moose, will be fun too.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
Like I mean, no way you want to pass up a moose
season.
Yeah, yeah, it'll be.
It'll be interesting lookingforward to a couple weeks from
now, I guess, guess when we getstarted.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
You're going to get her an early present, an Outdoor
Edge knife setter, somethinglike that.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Yeah, we'll see, get them sharp.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
Yeah, we'll get practicing on cutting the elk.
Yeah, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
She's going to get her hands dirty with the last
two deer so we'll see how itgoes Well with the moose and elk
, you're literally, I remember,gutting our moose.
I was up to my chin basicallyyeah, Yep, getting guts out and
all that.
So, yeah, you definitely got todig in.
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
It's nice and warm in there.
Yeah, that that's the trick.
She probably won't be thinkingof it, but where she shoots this
animal and where it could diecould change a lot of things.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
We'll see how it goes , hopefully everything works out
.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
I wish you guys the best of luck with it.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Thanks, hopefully everything works out.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
We'll be talking again soon.
Dave, sounds good Ken.
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