Peace River Alberta for Big Whitetails

Adventurewriter

Adventurewriter

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A buddy of mine lives in Peace river region and I'm heading there Nov 20th for a rut hunt. He has a bunch of land and says he sees big bucks regularly. They have a hunter host program and we have been trying to get this going for a few years. Covid came along and then Vax requirement stopped me from traveling. Well surprisingly Canada dropped all covid restrictions and I'm going. Only hunted whitetails once...with my buddy and killed a small 10 point on his land when he lived near Edmonton. My rut whitetail hunting experience pretty much zero. He has one tree stand and ground blind he has some sheds for rattling. All ears for suggestions for hunting or thoughts on the area I'm all ears!
 
Congratulations AW. I’m so envious of you I’m beside myself. Peace River is the land of giants. Spent my first 28 years five hours south of there and never took the opportunity to go figure it out. Having a local contact, that’s a hunter dream……absolutely the best. I don’t think you could buy a better deal, if you tried.

I have over a hundred direct relatives that live in Alberta and I tired for 40 years to talk one of them into being a host hunter, to no avail. Maybe there’s a message in that…

Right now I actually have a couple of second generation kin folk who are willing but now I’m too old to do more than talk the talk cuz I can no longer walk the walk.

I had a invitation arranged with a large rancher, about 75 north west miles of Calgary, through my son’s business costumers, all set up with a host and the key to the gate but covid hit, half the ranch got sold, then the owner passed away and the arrangement melted away, into the twilight. Now my hips and knees are gone and so is my motivation.

I hope you find one of those ole Peace River whitetails, the size of a small saddle horse and a main frame as thick as a 2 1/2” pipe grill, with a dozen tines….. 14” long!!!
 
2 lumpy I was excited before and really excited with your post! When grew up hunting in Colorado everything was Muleys, Pronghorn and Elk and that fish with the pink stripe. Whitetails really were not in the picture so your passion get built in other directions. I have heard for years fo the big deer muleys and whitetails up there and now it is going to happen. Think I know what a big one looks like and usually in the past I know right away. If I find myself trying to convince myself its a big ones its not. We will be hunting right out of his house to a couple of stands...he also has another 400 acres lined up other than his place which I think is fairly big so I think patience is the game. Really only understand the basic is rut whitetail hunt and all ears for technique. There could be some really big ones I think as he kills a deer every year but the first one to come along as he doesn't care about antlers and such
 
There are monster whitetails up in the Spirit River area. The biggest issue with hunting up north is being warm and staying mentally positive on long hours of sitting and looking at the same patch of woods or field. I recommend picking up a heater body suit or IWOM for days when its bitter cold. I bought an IWOM and it was money well spent. Ive never had much luck with whitetail scents but I do absolutely say use rattling (sparingly) and pick yourself up a grunt tube. Plenty of good video's on Youtube on grunting. Good luck! Alberta is probably some of the best whitetail hunting in the world in my opinion.
 
Adventurewriter said:
2 lumpy I was excited before and really excited with your post! When grew up hunting in Colorado everything was Muleys, Pronghorn and Elk and that fish with the pink stripe. Whitetails really were not in the picture so your passion get built in other directions. I have heard for years fo the big deer muleys and whitetails up there and now it is going to happen. Think I know what a big one looks like and usually in the past I know right away. If I find myself trying to convince myself its a big ones its not. We will be hunting right out of his house to a couple of stands...he also has another 400 acres lined up other than his place which I think is fairly big so I think patience is the game. Really only understand the basic is rut whitetail hunt and all ears for technique. There could be some really big ones I think as he kills a deer every year but the first one to come along as he doesn't care about antlers and such
Click to expand...
Crap, you’re killing me Smalls. I may have to put you on my Ignore list, if you keep this up.

I believe the key to one of those 350 pounders with lots of bone marrow is the coldest damn days, and dead still wind. What ever it takes and what ever it costs to stay out there, in those temperatures, and keeping head, hands, feet and torso comfortable for 10 straight hours is they ultimate key to the buck of your dreams. Sometimes it take a long damn time to have it come together but they dang sure are there to be had.

Water, clothes and comfortable surroundings, a warm book and the patience of a field cat and you can do it AW.
 
Keep the cold at bay and you will do fine. Prepare accordingly. I have hunted whitetails in very cold temperatures and the key is staying warm so you can be there when you need to be. Feet-hands and head get cold 1st, so have your bases covered here. Heat packs and layered socks with boots bigger then you usually wear so your feet can breathe and stay warm.
 
I have some warm stuff but gonna upgrade...been awhile since I used heat pack but my feet get cold first and they worked in the past warm and patience. During that time of year they roam all day I think?
 
Probably Several Brands Out There By Now?

As We Get Older We Just Can't Stay Warm As Well as We Usetacould!

And Sitting Still?

That's Perfect Conditions To Freeze Your Tail Off!

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Adventurewriter said:
Ahh so that's what a corded jacket handt a clue what you were talking about....might be worth its weight in gold
Click to expand...
 
I was looking so forward to my Bighorn hunt and it went so well I was feeling kind of lost not having something to really look forward to....now this comes along!
 
Here is my buck from hunter host I'm Alberta we hunted by lesser slave lake it was a blast and saw many big deer, trying to go back it was the best hunting trip I ever went on
16675291015952091357559779269575.jpg
 
HNTNFSH said:
Here is my buck from hunter host I'm Alberta we hunted by lesser slave lake it was a blast and saw many big deer, trying to go back it was the best hunting trip I ever went onView attachment 92178
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Whoo hoo they seem to be a different breed up there..yep he would do! I don't think my buddies place has ever been hunted for big bucks he doesn't care but says he see "Mega bucks" all the time so we will see thanks for the pic
 
mrc said:
Shot this one in Peace River. I saw him from behind and he was really narrow. Shot him the next day after getting a better look. He was only 15” wide .

View attachment 92223
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Very nice. I killed a very similar looking buck down on Berry Creek, north of Brooks in 1974. 13 to 14 inches wide, good tines and nice mass. Hauled the rack to Utah with me but lost track of it over the years. Should have had it mounted, your’s looks outstanding.

Had a polariod photo somewhere, misplaced it too. Just can’t have nice things.
 
To stay warm get yourself a Heater Body Suit , Stay toasty all day long Around $350 I have killed several Alberta bucks , the key is its a waiting game . Stay all day ,you cant kill them while your at the house drinking coffee .
 
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White tip looked at the link and for the life of me I couldn't see how the system work??? They talk lots about how great it is and sounds like it is. but how does it work?
 
Giant disappointment. The country looked amazing and to get the Hunter Host thing squared away we drove around through lots of AMAZING LOOKING country including the land I had access to. In five days of dawn till dusk sitting I saw a grand total of eight does and a tiny 3x3. I couldn't believe the low number of deer. On the way out we drove two hours to the airport again through amazing looking country and I saw one basket 4x4 a doe and a calf moose. His neighbor, a local legend had quite a trophy room so they do exist up there but I didn't see them
 
Maybe They've Been Managing Their Deer Like What's Going on Down here?

That's Gotta Hurt AW!

Mind If We Ask What Kind Of Clothing You Went With To Stay Warm?
 
Crap AW, I was really expecting a great picture and a great story. Not what I was expecting at all. That’s a lot of miles to come up empty. Hope the time spent with you buddy was at least somewhat rewarding.
 
Yeah bummer but got to spend time with my buddy....and might have made a connection for moose and bison hunting ( I need a Bison for my NA 10... last animal) it was cold but not killer cold..they have blizzard conditions all this week he was saying when the snow builds up more in the trees it forces the deer to the open fields more. I sat a on a crazy scrape and rub line for half the times. But had my amazing Ram hunt this year so all is good...
 
Adventurewriter said:
Giant disappointment. The country looked amazing and to get the Hunter Host thing squared away we drove around through lots of AMAZING LOOKING country including the land I had access to. In five days of dawn till dusk sitting I saw a grand total of eight does and a tiny 3x3. I couldn't believe the low number of deer. On the way out we drove two hours to the airport again through amazing looking country and I saw one basket 4x4 a doe and a calf moose. His neighbor, a local legend had quite a trophy room so they do exist up there but I didn't see them
Click to expand...
When I was up there I hunted with an outfitter. Whitetails were in pockets here and there but you had to travel long distances to find them. The whitetails are susceptible to winter kill up there so the population fluctuates.
 

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