All that’s really left open now is the plentiful Coyotes and rabbits.
Guest, Brad K’s bull moose taken during the Nov. LEH
Tunkwa December whitetail.
Remember our deer season is open until Dec.10th for any-buck white-tails and 4pt or better muley bucks.
I had a chance to finally get out this morning, a light dusting of snow, would hopefully help show me some whitetail activity. Lots of track and activity in the thicker bush was apparent, but it appears the whitetail deer are avoiding breaking cover and stepping into the openings or fields, sticking just inside the tree edges. On my walk out, mid morning, just off the edge of a trail, I had a medium sized white tail buck locked up, had in my cross-hairs at under 30yds, but a bit of hesitation on my part (and him not being our giant whitie ‘ghost’, I have been looking for), meant a lost opportunity, perhaps one I will be regretting on Dec.11!
Hunting pressure looks like it will be light this week, and the bucks should be rutting hard.
Guest’s nice bull moose from the week prior.
Our area, like much of the province this past week, has been battered by high winds, and lots of percipitation, far from ideal hunting conditions. Some snow has been accumulating up higher, but not enough to drive the deer down. Guests are still reporting seeing lots of track in the snow up higher. We have had 3 more medium sized, 4×4 muleys, and 2 muley does(LEH), come in by guests since the last report. Reports of deer movement, and large number of does being seen, but big buck sighting are just fleeting, with not enough time for a shot. Some bucks are exhibiting rutting behaviour, but many are not. Things seem to be a tad late around here, but we expect the rut to come on stronger this week…it’s time!
We had a bit of snow come down late in the day Friday. This fresh snow sure helped hunters seeing track and finding animals. We had a guest fill his LEH bull moose draw on Friday eve, and another guest, punched his doe draw the same day. Yesterday and today, we’ve had many reports of quite a few bigger bucks being seen, including a couple of giant whitetail bucks, out in the open, during mid afternoon. We had another 4×4 muley taken by a guest yesterday afternoon, this deer did not have a swollen neck, nor a strong smell. Reports of fresh rubs/scrapes are coming in from guest out in the bush. Saturday we awoke to -20C, a bit chilly, but this morning we were at 0C, and the snow down lower is melting off.
Still some cow and calf moose being spotted out there, but bull sighting are not coming in.
Weather has turned very warm the past few days, with some very stong winds. Snow only remains at the higher elevations, with quite a bit more fresh stuff falling last night up higher in the hills surrounding Tunkwa. Hunting pressure has been relatively light the past week, with only a handful of hunters around with moose draws. Reports coming in are indicating the moose are being elusive, and the lack of snow is making seeing fresh track/sign, next to impossible. Still seems to be a good number of whte tails being spotted, and reports of a whitey buck hot on the tail of some does came in, the first indication of the rut starting that we’ve heard of, so far.
Nice 4×5 Mule deer down!
Snow is melting quickly, soft snow making for tough quading in the back country this morning, roads were in good shape for vehicles.
The white tail’s are becoming more active, also after a month of hiding, 8 does and a small button buck, stood just outside the front gate of the resort late yesterday afternoon, also 3 more white tail does were spotted nearby. The bucks should be right behind them very soon.
Mel with a nice muley!
After the weekend rains and none or very few sighting or signs the game appears to be more active last night and this morning with numerous tracks in the muddy roads and the trails. One very large buck startled a couple of hunters and was over the hill in seconds.
A buck came in this morning as the sun shone over the foggy hills, visibility is good, weather has cleared somewhat and the forecast of some snow tonight has the newly arrived hunters at Tunkwa excited as seeing tracks keeps spirits up and eyes peeled to the bush and clearcuts.
Grouse were out in good numbers yesterday afternoon drying their bodies from the last few days of wet weather.
Temps have climbed to 3-8 deg with showery cloudy skies around the region, the upper hills recieved some wet snow this morning and the ceiling looks to be around 4500 feet as the southerly flow inundates the area. Two bucks came in yesterday afternoon and two bucks came in already this morning with home run baseball expresions on the hunters faces. Weather is on the improve Sunday and Monday with the next few days being mild and wet with showers from the southerly weather flow.
Another 2-3 cm of snow fell last night and dawn brought out fog in the hills making for difficult glassing the clearcuts. Temps went up during the day to 9 Deg with clearing skies, a two point came in around 1p.m. and just in is a very large two point. After 30 years from last hunting the hunter made a clean heart shot, just as the buck went down large four point stood in it’s place, in astonishment the fellow just shook his head as the odds of that happening. Daytime temps are forecast to rise the next few days. The snow is melted now this evening as the sun sets behind Forge mountian.
More seasonal weather arrived overnight along with 2-3 cm of snow at the resort, upper hills recieved 3-5 cm with flurries during the day at all elevtions. Lows were -3 this morning and temps went up to 7 deg during the day. Ungulates were not moving much from the morning reports. Last night an imature moose arrived in our game shed along with a spike mulie a few hours earlier. Grouse were not seen as well along the kilometers of fsr and trails around the region. Flurries expected for the next few days of 1-3 cm will provide for excellent tracking of animals as some are pairing up to mate. One afternoon report just in has some game activity.
-20C This morning!!!
Three more muley bucks taken this morning.
Seasonable weather in the area, with very cool morning temps. Guests brought in two more muley bucks since the last report. Another large 2×2 immature bull moose was taken in the area on Thurs. morning. Reports coming in indicating more game on the move, and moose have started to rut. Small ponds have frozen, pushing watefowl onto the larger bodies of water with open water.
We have had some cold nightime temps since the last report, with Monday morning dipping to -10C with an extremely heavy frost. This morning we were back to a more normal -2.
We had another muley buck brought in on Sat. evening, but none on Sunday or Monday, with reports of very little movment out there those days. We had another spike Mule buck come in this morning, guests reporting seeing a bunch of does, with this being the only buck around them. No reports of any moose taken as of late. Moose rut should soon be starting here. Temps are in the teens today, with lots of sun, and the forecasted winds and big temperature drop, not materializing as of yet. Todays warm temps has appeared to melt the last of the snow in the hills around the lake.
Rich and his dad, Ted with a nice 2×3 Immature Bull moose.
A happy Camper with a 2×2 Tunkwa muley, good eats!
The hills recieved 2-3 cm of snow before it tapered off around noon today, game was bedded down during the arrival of the snow as the trails and roads were void of sign. Sunny with cloudy breaks should put the move on the animals this afternon and into the evening.Tempuratures are near 0 Deg at lake level and daytime highs of 8-10 Deg.
Yesterday evening a small spike mulie came in and an imature moose came in in the afternoon.
Seasonal weather is predicted for the next 4 days as fall sets in, the grouse are coming out.
Another spike mulie just came in the meatshed, beautiful heart shot dropped him.
The hills above Tunkwa saw their first substantial snowfall this morning from 1-4 cm fell providing for some viewing of fresh tracks which made for an exciting morning of hunting and looking for animal movements. The larger ungulates appeared hunked down for the most part before 8:00 a.m. there were some doe tracks or small buck tracks across the roads where food is still available. Some tracks were also on the edges of clearcuts with a few right down the middle just after sunrise. Cooler weather is upon us here at Tunkwa with fall finally ariving the past couple of days. Any buck opens tomorrow and being a Thursday pressure may be light until the weekend when most are off work and able to hunt, we do have a few cabins left for this weekend, a split between hunters and fishermen or both will be enjoyng what is forecast to be a sunny weekend with much lower tempurateres than we have had in the past few weeks.
We think it’s safe to say, fall has finally arrived! Saturdays huge wind storm brought more seasonal weather into the Tunkwa area. Sunday morning we awoke to -7C, but clear and calm. The upcoming weather forecast is looking favorable, with more fall like temps and even snow in the forecast. This should get the animals moving, and set up for the ‘any-buck’ season that starts this Thursday(Oct.1). Reports coming in from the field, indicating lots of does around, a few small bucks being seen, as well as quite a few moose sightings. Bird shooting as been a bit slower for guest searching along the roads, with all the heat, the birds are really tucked back in the thicker bush seaking the shade, a working dog will earn it’s keep under these conditions. Still ducks passing through, and we’ve noticed many Sandhill cranes heading south this past week, as well.
Jay Oswald with a nice Immature bull moose from the area.
Opening day of moose season is upon us, but hunter pressure is light. I was out for a cpouple hours this morning, looking for a spiker moose, seen in recent ravels, but to no avail. I didn’t hear any shots going off this morning either, but haven’t heard reports back from friends out in the area. Temps were right at the freezing this morning, and today turned into a magnificent fall day. Some cooler fall weather should help get things going. We are seeing a lot more ducks passing through the past couple days. Grouse are still being taken by guests targetting them.
Sorry, not much to report. Extremely warm temps sure kept it from feeeling like hunting season. Guests out scouting, reported seeing some deer, but ‘non shooter’ bucks, and a couple moose, one of them a spiked immature. Guests bird hunting brought in some beautiful, big Blue grouse yesterday. That’s about it.
Oh, a nice 4 pointer Muley in my backyard this morning was nice to see, but he seemed to know, he’s in a non-shooting area.
Mix reports came in form bird hunters, but most connected with a few, the blues proved to be a challenging target, as usual. I managed to get out for a few hours in the morning, and finally hunted our new springer, Major. He earned his keep and helped to fill limits of spruce and ruff grouse after a few hours walking some seldom used trails, sure felt good to finally get out and feel the rush from flushing birds. The recent rains in the area has softened up the ground, allowing us to see some fresh track. I noticed a fair bit of deer track, but mostly doe/fawns, as best as I could tell. I saw no rubs/scrapes on my jaunt. I did see some very fresh moose track and sign, and did hear a bigger animal moving throught the bush just out of sight. Still quite a few bear sightings coming in, all reporting them sporting some beautiful coats. The nicer weather has seemed to slow the watefowl movement through here. This upcoming weekend weather forecast is looking to be very summer like, with high’s projected to be in the upper 20’s, maybe low 30’s, not ideal hunting weather, but should make some good fishing conditions.
The meat shed has officially opened this afternoon as a 4 x 4 whitetail was brought in by a junior hunter. Scouting has been favorable around the area as cooler weather has temporarly moved in, we had a slight dusting of snow on Forge mountian so fall is near on the plateau.
We have had several mornings with temps dipping below freezing, amkes it sure feel like hunting season, it is just around the corner! Conditions are still extremely dry up here, we have had no rain to speak of in several weeks. the dry conditions are keeping us out of the backwoods and from doing any scouting. Trips on some for the main forestry roads, or the paved roads have been about it. rain is in the forecast later this week, so our fingers are crossed we get some.
Many mule deer are being seen our area, mostly does with one or two fawns, but the odd group of bucks in velvet are being spotted around. many 2 points, but enough 4 points to get one excited. Not manyWhite-tail deer spottings as of late, but that seems typcial for this time of year, they are still in the area but tucked back in the thicker woods. Earlier in the summer, we saw a couple different cows with calfs in the area around the resort, but no recent sightings of them since. Waterfowl are starting to group up and are passsing through the area in good numbers. Looks like the grouse have had good broods this year, as some good sized groups have been seen along the roads, the past couple weeks. Hope to have some reports form the ‘juniors’ and archers in the woods who have a jump start, on the regular opener.
Just a reminder to get those LEH tags filled in and mailed out, the June 12th deadline is fast approaching!
Remember Tunkwa Lke Resort is located on the 3-18 and 3-19 boundary, the Tunkwa Lake Road.
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