Weather has been milder, with rain and freezing rain in the area. Some fresh snow is finally in the forecast. Hunting pressure has been very light to non-existant the past week. Another mulie doe on a an LEH was taken and more whitetail run ins a e being reported, even in the middle of the day.

One of our part time workers Bo, dropped this beauty local WhiteTail buck this week.

Reports from the field indicate the mulie rut has slowed down, with ‘buck running does’ encounters less frequent.  Guests with LEH’s brought in four more mulie does.
Backroads are very slippery, with some warmer weather packing down/polishing up the roads, access is getting limited. Whitetails are a bit more active, moving and are rutting, lots of action by sign in the snow, but unfortunately most taking place under the cover of darkness.

Not to be out done by his brothers WT buck last week, Clay dropped this beauty Tunkwa WT buck this morning.

Temps aren’t quite as cold but still well into the negatives!
Deer activity has really increased, with the mulie rut starting on strong. Lots of bucks on does, and some bigger ones starting to show up! Some nice Whitetails showing up as well.
A couple more 4pt mulies, and couple more WT bucks have been harvested since the last report.
Great time to be in the bush seeing all the activity.

Paul’s WT Buck

Cody’s cranker Whitetail buck shot on Wednesday.

Ruts on!Swollen neck on this guy.

AP’s 4pt.

Tunkwa area has had snow everyday, but no real accumulations. Forestry roads are hard packed snow and passable, some lower forestry roads are icy. Tire chains are a good idea to have, this time of the year.Temps have been above seasonable, but we are heading into a more seasonable trend, and cooler temps.
Much more deer movement being reported from guests afield, and more buck sitings. Smaller bucks have been pestering does, who have been non receptive.
Since the last report we have had guests harvest 5 muleys bucks(4x’s), 2 WT bucks, and a couple more LEH mulie does. We are expecting to see some big bucks get harvested in the upcoming week.

John Wells, from Hindsight Charters, with a nice Tunkwa whitetail buck.

A bit more activity being seen out there, with more reports of bucks around. Still tons on track and sign in the bush. Guests harvested 6 mulie does on LEH’s, and we’ve had a couple of 4pt mulie bucks coming in, including a nice one taken this morning by guests on there way in before check in!

A surprise snow storm dropped about 6″ of heavy wet snow on the Tunkwa area this morning. Reports from the field are indicating not much movement this morning or much fresh track. Last afternoon, early eve, there was much movemrnt and deer were very active. A hoke through the bush away from the road, showed incredible track and much sign from the deer(muleys), but movement in the snow is noisey and deer are well aware of approach. Still no real signs of rutting activity.
Many moose being spotted, but all cow calves.

A stormy weekend, dropping lots of snow in the area. About 6″ around the resort and up to 18″ when you go higher. Lite dustings continue daily. Temps have stayed constant around -4 at night to about freezing in the days. Animals seemed to be lying low during the storms, over the weekend, but looks like they are starting to get active again based by all the fresh track. Whitetails seem to be especially active, but mainly during the low light and night. Lots of fresh moose sign around. We had a couple LEH mule does harvested on Sat, one of Sunday and another on Monday. hunter activity in the bush has really quieted down, but it will be busy this upcoming long weekend. Be sure to have good snow tires or chains if you plan to take your vehicle off the paved roads.

We awoke to about 3″ of snow this morning, a welcome site for the hunters. Temps are cooler just hovering around freezing, and a steady snow still coming down.
Yesterday, we had guests fill there LEHs and brought in a couple of mulie does, and a other guests brought in a couple of moose!
Good to see things picking up a bit!

Hunting pressure has been lighter this past week. Above seasonal daytime temps have seemed to really slow animal movement down, with fewer sitings being reported.
I watched a smaller WT buck chase a couple of does last evening, which was a good sign of rutting activity starting. I also found numerous fresh rubs and scrapes following an active game trail in some thicker bush. Again, good signs of things to be starting up.
This weekends weather forecast is calling for snow and more seasonable temps, which will be very welcomed by the hunters.

Stormy condition with rain in the basin and snow up top early this morning and through the morning until noon with high winds made for some unusual stories in the bush today.
While field dressing a buck another buck approached within 10 feet and grunted at the hunter, another large buck ran towards a hunter and passed him within feet, on a hot trail we guess, unable to take a shot as it went running away.
A white tail buck and 2 mule deer bucks came in since the last report.

14 year old Jackson with his first deer!

A weather change is finally approaching the region. We will see wet snow in the basin with higher accumulations the higher you go. Tracking and easier spotting will result as the animals move with the cooler weather.
2 mule bucks, a white tail buck and a white tail doe have been harvested since the last report. Sign of bucks on doe’s have been reported.

A white tail doe and a large bodied spike mule deer were harvested  since the last report and as we type this a 2 X 2 mule deer was also taken and is now being hung in our meat shed.
Night time temps are hovering around 0 in the basin and up to 12 in the sunshine.
EDIT:
A spike fork moose just came in along with a nice size 3 X 3 mule deer.
Edit: another 2 X 2 mule deer just in and there’s a line up at the meat shed this morning.EDIT:  another one just came in….Congrats to Rhonda on her first buck !!

3 Mule deer bucks in since the last report, largest being a 2 X 3.
Warm days and night temps around -4 along with the full moon made it tough for hunters the past weekend. Forecast for more of the same also.

2 mule deer bucks and a spike moose in yesterday afternoon/evening and 3 mule deer bucks in this morning. The full moon making it a bit tough as the animals are feeding at night so a short time frame but sme of the bucks were out late morning and early afternoon. Mule buck were a 2 X 2 and smaller.

Night time temps are -6 and day time temps are 12 Deg in the valley bottom. Higher elevation saw a warm night 2 nights ago whick turned frozen road with the snow melt and rain showers Tuesday night make some roads in very rough shape, main roads are in good shape though.
A white tail 2 X 3 came in Tuesday evening and a couple reports of spike forks being harvested. Does are bunching up noted by guests with some areas having little traffic with no other hunter seen to main fsr roads with more traffic pushing the animals into the jackpines/boreal forests. We have had a cancellation for rustic cabin #2 for this weekend starting tonight-250-523-9697

Opening day of spike fork moose arrived today and is open until  Nov. 15.
A large 3 point mule deer was harvested yesterday on a guests 1st day out, a great start for their hunting trip.
Temps dipped to -2 and is up to 9 this afternoon.

We had another mulie buck come in and big white tail doe, last evening. Then another white tail doe this afternoon.
Temps only dropped to 0 last night.
It is a busy weekend on the forestry roads.

Guests harvested 2 more mulie bucks last eve.
Temps dropped to about -2 this a.m.

guest harvested a couple more mulie bucks last evening.
Night time temps dropped down to -5 last night, making it sure feel like hunting season!

Another warmer night only dropping to 6 degrees.
More der moving fromreports coming in from guests.
We had 2 mulie bucks come in this morning, a nice wide, giant bodied 3×4, and a 2pt, a hunters first deer.

Tom P. with his first deer.
Egers nice 3×4 mulie.

Deer are getting a bit more active based on reports from guests in the field.
We had a nice 3×2 mulie come in last eve, and another 2 mulie bucks this morning, including a nice 4×4, which was his first deer ever!
Night times have been staying quiet warm, the past couple nights and the snow up top has all melted now.

We had guests harvest three more mulie bucks yesterday afternoon/evening. Sounds like a bit more deer movement later in the day.

A guest harvested another mulie buck last eve, but hunting has been slow. Lot of does and fawns being seen, and bucks have been elusive. Waterfowl hunters are reporting success.
Moose sightings are frequent as they are in full rut.
More snow fell yesterday in the higher elevations.
It was -5 here this morning, another clear cool night.

Pretty good opening day for any buck season, with guests harvesting 7 mulie bucks yesterday.

Father son Team having Opening Day(Any Buck) success!

A wet and windy weekend greeted Tunkwa guests. The snow from Friday morning is long gone. Very few people out there hunting, but from reports coming in, lots of smaller mulie bucks are being seen, and it’s looking good for the opening of the “any buck” season on Tuesday. More grouse are being seen this year which is great news. More waterfowl are starting to pass through the area as well.

Clay Fox dropped this nice 4×4 mulie in 3-18, Saturday morning.

the last few morning we have hit temps of -4 to -2, this morning the hills surrounding Tunkwa were covered in snow!
Sure feels like time to go hunting!

Hunting pressure has been light to non existent around here in the bush. Duck hunters have been out and doing well. Some scouting runs are seeing lots of mule deer around, but only smaller bucks or does. A few whiteTail does have been spotted along the roads, but no reports from anyone hiking looking for them. Quite a few bears being spotted the past couple weeks, and moose sighting have really increased, with the start of their rut.
Weather is more fall like, with cooler days, and nights dipping into the single digits. No frosts here yet. Rainfalls have made the bush much more quieter for walking.

Waterfowl spread and a RoboDuck bringing them in.

Crazy warm temps in this area this past week and weekend, saw very few hunters out and about. A few out scouting, and reporting only seeing game in the morning and evenings. Waterfowlers have been reporting some good action as more ducks and geese start moving through the area. Weather really took a change last night, with temps dropping to more seasonal, and some pretty heavy rains all through the area. It’s starting to feel like ‘hunting’ weather again!!

No guests hunting this weekend, just fishing. We have been out scouting and seeing game right at dawn or dusk only, the days have been very warm and not much moving. Sure seems to be lots of bucks around right now!

This 4 pointer from this morning, sure seemed to know he’s safe for another day!

Hunting pressure has been light since the early opener, but we had a guest harvest a nice black bear on Wed.

One of the young fellers that helps out here at the resort, Skyler Gilbert, harvested his first mulie buck last evening, a big bodied 4×3.

Great start Skyler!

This morning saw the 2013 hunting season start up for bow hunters or junior hunters.
Conditions are very warm, and summer like, but nights are dropping down to low single digits(only 3C degrees this morning!). Deer are moving at night and low light only.
We’ve had our first muley buck come in this morning, a nice 3×3 in velvet taken by Kurtis Mennie, a junior hunter staying with us.
We had two more 2×2 mulies come in late morning from junior hunters staying with us. Josh Gage with his first deer!

and Brett Irving with his Opening day Tunkwa mulie buck!
Another muley buck came in opening evening, taken by Brad Gage with his bow. Great to see father and sons sharing the hunting experience!
Not to be outdone by the boys, Alyssa Morneau, 11 years old, harvested her first buck on Sept 2 with 1 shot with a 308 savage axis at 75 yards near tunkwa lake. Great job Alyssa!

The spring bears are definitely out and about feeding on grass and fresh shoots emerging, spotting are coming in regularly now.

Don’t forget your LEH applications have to be in to the agency by the 24th of this month!

It’s LEH application time.

Tunkwa sits on the boundary between 3-18(west side) and 3-19(A) on the east side.

We have seen only a couple of black bears out so far, but it won’t be long. Mule deer are still lower in there wintering range, but looks like they, as well as the whitetails, fared well, with our mild winter!