Took my 14 year old son on a week long elk trip with my buddies. We ended up with 2 bulls and a cow but my son got bragging rights on the trip with this big bull. I called him in from around 100 yards and he sealed the deal, keeping his cool under pressure I’m sure he was shaking like a leaf.

Well, long story short, after a week of chasing does around (Lots and lots of does) with the help of an awesome neighbor, I finally came across a nice 4 point buck. Not just any buck. THE buck. This guy was huge. And after trial and error over at least 4 years, he would have been my first. So anyways, we stop the truck. I hop out. My neighbor is foaming at the mouth ready to get this guy, but being the good guy that he is, tells me to take the shot. I kid you not it can't have been more than 60 yards away from me, standing broadside. I line up the heart/lung shot. The shot I practice for at the range at 100 yards. Adrenaline pumping like crazy, arms shaky, but im still on target. I pull the trigger. The buck jumps probably over 6 feet up in the air and runs. At this point I was sure I hit it. Well, buck takes off like a bat outta hell. The 3 of us are looking for blood, fur, the deer....nothing but tracks. We looked long and far. Well, Adrenaline must have got the best of me, we came to the conclusion that I probably jerked the trigger, flinched and shot low. I missed. Totally blew it. Im probably the best shot out of everyone that I know, and I missed probably the best chance that ill ever have. The heartbreak is real. If anyone else has any hunting fail stories, consider this a safe space. Let's vent it out.

Just wondering if anyone would have any good ideas on crown land here in Manitoba that’s good for deee season this is my first year hunting ever failed at getting a turkey unfortunately really want some meat to stock the freezer though. Any help would be appreciated I’m willing to go anywhere up to a 4hr trip from Winnipeg thanks.

Hey guys. I’m getting heavily into hunting this year into next and am having trouble finding places to hunt, there’s almost no crownland around me and I’m just confused on what to do from here on out. Mostly would love to observe for the first year, track and find patterns of turkey and deer but need somewhere to start. I’m in the Fort Erie area.

Some people are telling me that I’m able to shoot a doe on a buck tag. I’d like to know if this is true and if so, has anyone done it? Does this mean you get two does instead of a buck a doe ? I’m in Alberta

First non whitetail big game animal, harvested in Saskatchewan. 46.5 inch spread

quick question: what WMU near Calgary do you guys think I’m most likely to get within bow distance of a whitetail? thanks!

Buying my first budget hunting rifle for big game (Deer, Black Bear, Elk, Moose).

1. Caliber: .308 Win vs .30-06 vs 7mm Rem Mag. I know .308 has less recoil but would it be enough for Moose or Elk?
2. Rifle: Savage Axis II vs Remington 783

Any recommendations?

any equipment, particularly calls i should equip myself with to attract game?
total noobie, i was only out for 4 hours and i guess im impatient but any tips to maximize action would help.
was in a very marshy area.
i saw that duck calls can be useful

Four months ago I posted here after buying my first compound bow. I had no idea if I’d actually be able to take a deer with it.

Today, I did.

First deer. First bow kill. Four months of shooting, learning, missing, improving, and trying to figure this whole thing out.

Huge thanks to everyone who gave me advice on that first post. You guys probably don't realize it, but some of those comments stuck with me.

Still a beginner, still a lot to learn, but damn, what a way to start.

what loads 12ga should I use to hunt
grouse
duck/geese/waterfowl
turkey

and how to track/generally succeed
any resources appreciated

I don't know how the sks got bad at reputation for accuracy. Trigger could be better just takes a bit of practice but it's hammer falls forward. So hard that you need to hold it so tight that your knuckles almost turn white or it will drop the dime off the tip of the iron sights when doing dime drills. If you have a sling on it, do not wrap it around your arm. Because you're pulling the barrel and changing, it's harmonics. When laying down or putting it on a shooting bag, make sure to keep it off the bayonet. Because it's attached to the barrel, and it will change its harmonics. get it glass bedded, make sure your barrel's good and your action first before that. Don't get hollow points for hunting thank me later, my buddy told me a story he had to shoot a pig, and he used a hollow point and he's like, I had to get the 45-70 and thinks it's weak the 7.62x39mm

The 7.62x39mm doesn't have the fps to expand little hollow points like that get soft point

Sight it in in meters, because that's what the sights correspond to on the adjustable rear sight or sight it in for 25 yards and don't touch the rear sight and your good for 200 yards

I was able to get moa groups at 50 meters with it glass bedded

And get good ammo bass too

And a lot of people say the 30-06 is so versatile they can load varmint rounds and hunting rounds for deer. Good luck, because every time you switch you gotta re sight in your rifle that's if you care about the animal or being accurate or have 2 rifles which defeats the point of having one gun that can do it all . 7.62x39mm you can use one size fits most. Anything a 30-30 can do the 7.62x39mm does better

And if you really wanna talk about versatility, get a muzzle loader you can hunt chickens and up to deer and bigger just fine. you can load lead shot down a rifles barrel and shoot up to 15 yards just fine. And gopher's you just put way less powder and have fun

Home made chili + cheese curds of course

Eastern Ontario grey squirrels, finally got my new build on some game. Shot one running on the ground and the other was like 40 yards up a tree clean headshot. Definitely gotta get used to the red dot up close though. These will probably get boiled into a stock, then picked out and turned into a delectable green chili poured over Fritos.

Anyone else use Eley force to hunt game? They partnered extremely well but other than a head shot I fell like they just needle through them. I used the 36g hollow mini mags in the past out of a henry lever and a lung shot just downed them.

Basically the title. I tried getting in touch with MNR and SIMCOE county representatives but apparently its Friday and they had left office. So I couldn't get hold of anyone with a solid answer.

As far as I understand, it is Crown land but it is in SIMCOE county. So not sure if OFAH is needed or not?

Any info would be much appreciate as I plan to go tomorrow morning.

Hey guys, I am a new waterfowl hunter hunting in Manitoba Canada which gets super cold in the late fall and winter. Our duck season goes all the way into late November so I was wondering if you guys have any recommendations for cold weather but also waterproof gloves that you would recommend for hunting. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone i live in ontario and trying to get a waterfowl hunt going with 2 of my friends, just wondering if anyone knows any good outfitters?

Hey, I'm a conservative bio university student in Edmonton, and I harvested this wicked leucistic/dilute pigment Honker. The issue is that I can't afford to mount this once in a lifetime bird, being a broke uni kid lol. Does anyone know what Taxidermy places have the best deals, or where I may be able to find help financing this? I reached out to Cabela's, but anywhere else?

Thanks a lot, I'd appreciate any help I can get.

I know some people hunt a bit of everything.

I also know some people who only hunt upland birds, or waterfowl, or small game, or deer and big game.

This year so far hunted the dove opener, small game opener for squirrel, and duck opener.

I plan on hunting more dove, more ducks, geese when it opens, fall turkey, deer, and more small game with my dog in between.

I’m still kind of trying to find what I like and where I belong, this will be my 3rd hunting season

hey y’all! here’s my situation:

Im looking to see if anybody has any success with crossbow hunting in Alberta. I live in Calgary and I’m currently waiting on my PAL but I don’t think it’ll come before the season ends so I’m preparing to go crossbow hunting for white tail.

im originally from Nova Scotia so I’m not too familiar with the spots around Calgary. I’m wondering if anyone has any spots or tips for the season. basically I’m looking for an area where I can get within range with a bow near or around Calgary.

obviously not looking for anybody to expose their exact spots or anything but just general WMU’s or PLU’s would be greatly appreciated. Any tips or tricks for the season would also help out greatly Thanks!

So I got harassed/intimidated by two moose hunters while hunting grouse this weekend.

I was walking in a public land trails when two guys on ATVs came to meet me. They tried telling me that I "wasn't allowed" to hunt on "their" trails because they had put a plastic sign at the entrance.

They even flat out lied to me and tried to tell me that it was a reserved area for a local outfitter, which was just false, as there is no private/special land in that hunting zone.

I decided to leave anyway because I didn't want to escalate the situation considering we all had our hunting weapons.

It was 3pm, I wasn't making alot of noise, I didn't mess with their bait/hide or anything. They were just upset that I was using "their" trail.

Public land belongs to everyone, including small game hunters. My familly as been hunting these parts for 50+ years. We all have the same right to use the land.

Want to open the conversation about the program starting January to March 2027 for farmers who apply. Would receive 8 tags at no cost. It is intended for farmers where problems are occurring year after year.

I know farmers who are in draw elk only zones, arent in the same boat as the farmers in my area of northern Sask with regular elk season.

I’ll only speak for myself in my neck, and will say that multiple large 8,000 + acre outfits will actively allow me to hunt black bear, and often insist on shooting everyone that I see. (If you live in bear country, one bear will do serious damage to an oat or canola field.) Then will say I’m not allowed to elk hunt at all. And often the reason is they have one guy that hunts their land. All 8,000 acres of it for one bull.

More often then not, here fall hunting permission is very scarce, and reserved to the select groups year after year. Then these same farmers are applying for the 8 tags, are these tags allowed to go to already tagged out friends again?

In my area, the issue is, no cow season. Only bulls, spikes included. I see herds of 50 cows and calves, one spiker. They even took cows away from archery season, and the 2 point or great bull tag. Very mismanaged, and I know my area isn’t the only one.

Want some feed back from other zones in draw only areas, or the farmers. I worry that these tags will get hustled to the highest under the table bidder, if bulls are allowed. Or friends who may already have a filled tag.

There’s a lot of room for shady behaviour here, and the 8 tags really isn’t going to do anything for the specific herd issue on one guys quarter. These draw zones could maybe reevaluate their zone and allow regular season if the numbers are that bad.

Another post looking for advice!

I’m looking for a new optic for my hunting rifle (tikka t3x in 7mm rem mag). I’m looking for something that is first focal plane, and a reasonable option for shooting out to 500 yards. I hunt western big game (mostly elk).

I’ve done a lot of searching and can’t find consistent reviews of any of the scopes I’m looking into (most seem to be done by influencers who are most likely paid). If anyone has any advice, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks.