Licences will be issued only through this online process and will not be available from licence vendors or ministry offices. Interested hunters will be able to select one wildlife management zone of their choice and then will be required to limit their hunting activities to that zone. There will be no priority pool system or licence quotas for 2012 and all eligible applicants will receive a licence.

The online application system will be operational from May 1 until May 31, 2012. You may submit your application by selecting the following link: https://secure.gov.sk.ca/biggame/default.asp

Who is eligible?

Only Canadian residents can apply for a Canadian resident white-tailed deer licence. A Canadian resident is defined as:

a person whose principle residence is in Canada and is a Canadian citizen, or has resided in Canada for 12 months immediately before his/her application for a licence.

Applicants must be 12 years of age or older on or before May 31, 2012 to apply for a licence.

All applicants born after January 1, 1971 must graduate from a Firearm Safety/Hunter Education course before applying.

Persons whose Saskatchewan hunting rights are restricted for either a Wildlife Act conviction or a firearm accident as of May 31, 2012 are not eligible to apply for a licence.

Important Canadian White-tailed Deer Licence Fee Information

Canadian Resident White-tailed Deer Licence applicants will be charged $137.38 per applicant plus a $4.00 Big Game Draw allocation fee at time of application.

All hunters must buy a 2012 Saskatchewan Wildlife Habitat Certificate to validate their licence. A Wildlife Habitat Certificate may be purchased at a licence vendor, by phone at 306-787-2847, or over the internet at www.environment.gov.sk.ca/licences/.

For further information about the Canadian Resident White-tailed Deer Licence, please see our website at http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/hunting or you may call 1-800-567-4224 or email centre.inquiry@gov.sk.ca.

Draw officials are located at: Fish and Wildlife Branch, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, 2nd Floor, 3211 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 5W6.

Their new LED Hybrid Light features 53 LEDs and unlike incandescent bulbs, which burn hot, this portable, battery-powered auxiliary light is cool to the touch. The tubular-shaped light has a tough tube lens, a rubber molded comfort grip and a magnetic base. The light functions not only as a head beam flashlight, but its body projects 360-degree illumination as well. It also features an anodized aluminum handle and cap. The water-resistant hybrid light is useful in casting light where it’s needed from engine compartment confines to campground sites, trailers or RVs. Four AA cell batteries are included. The Snap-on LED Hybrid Light ($19.99) is exclusive to Costco Canada stores.

• Tough anodized aluminum handle and cap
• 53 LED and 1W LED flashlight head
• High impact tube lens
• Rubber molded grip
• Magnetic base
• Water resistant
• 4 AA Batteries included

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A first for Two-Tins (Tom) and I, Davin and Richard have done this a half dozen times. We should have left the previous night as I didn’t sleep a wink.

We are off to the boat launch, located 30 minutes out of town, to load the 18-foot Harbercraft Jet boat into the Muskwa River. It’s a balmy -8 degrees out but once we are moving upriver our smiles are frozen. Davin and Richard did a run up the day before with our gear; five hours later we picked a camp, the water is a glacial gray unlike the mud downriver. After a tiring trip with fuel stops and moose sightings we set up our wall tent-Home for a week. An elk bugles in the distance.

We decided on a quick afternoon walkabout and were into elk immediately. Davin set up with his bow intent on taking a cow, I was 50 metres away from him when a cow strolled up the game trail towards him, waiting for him to fire the elk stomped and ran four metres from where Davin was setup — facing the other direction. When the cow disappeared I see Davin slapping his chest no doubt he got spooked, me on the other hand, well, I laughed for a while.

The first morning took Tom and I up a mountain, followed a well-travelled game trail until we broke treeline; my what a sight…  we just sat for a while taking it all in. We heard of last week’s hunters shooting a six-point bull up here and losing half of it to a Grizzly, we found it 100 metres from where we were resting.

Oh yes — Tom is terrified of Griz!

So why not come up a river named after a bear? We had a bull going; however, he busted us on an open slope and he was 700 metres above us. The first morning has us hooked on this country! The afternoon had us calling in a few five points and even though we needed 6 there was no frustration, just enjoyment!

Day two brought us an elk that Richard had shot, a cow less than 100 yards away with his .300 and down she went, got up and ran. He knew he hit her hard and fatally so sat for 20 minutes before looking for her, called on Davin to help and five hours later with some huge blood piles and two river crossings they never found her. We all just felt sick about it but this does happen. It was a quiet night around the fire.

Day Three — we found nine different goats sunning on the mountain behind us and since none of us are goats  we took photos through the spotting scope. Davin and I ran downriver for firewood and spotted a further 38 goats on the mountain range behind the first one, along with a dozen elk. Davin decided to climb one mountain, but fog rolled in and spoiled the view. When he arrived back at the river he pointed out where he was at the top of the mountain and there was a goat on the game trail he walked down not an hour ago… more laughter broke out!

Day four took us for a burn upriver to new country and into amazing country. We all went in different directions and always somehow met up. Tom and I were together, remember he is afraid of bears, we broke out of the trees facing an open meadow and the decision was made to doff some clothing as it was warming up. Long johns off and carry on — we ran into Davin at the other end of the meadow up on a ridge having lunch, said he was shocked while glassing this meadow and sees two of his hunting party in their underwear, henever used his binos again after that! Elk were returning bugles but staying in the bush, and we watched a wolverine hunt the meadow — this was something I had never witnessed before.

Day five was to be my day! Richard stayed around camp as he had some honey holes he wanted to explore and we went up river to new grounds. After meeting up in the middle of nowhere, again, Tom and I headed into the bush to chase another bugle. I broke off on my own heading towards the bugle, each time I let one out he hammered over top of me but he didn’t seem to move. I set up on some shooting lanes three or four times thinking “he’s coming this way” but he isn’t, he seemed to be staying put so I go towards him. I knew he is within 150 metres, still bellowing  away.

I finally saw him at about 75 metres, so I hit the dirt, well the moss actually, I crawled to within 50 metres and all I could see was one side of his rack which clearly showed five points; a big rack but with the trees I cannot see his right side. I peered once again around the tree and he had busted me, staring me down, bugling again and again, I am on my knees and not comfortable when I see that right side 1,2,3,4,5 and there it is, that magical number 6, all I have is his head broadside. I fire my brand new Sako A7 in 300 WSM and he bucked like a bronc! Moss flew everywhere, even landing beside me. I watched as he slowed down and then is still. I take a moment to pinch myself as I have taken a beauty 6-point Muskwa bull elk; I have shot elk before but none like this one and certainly not as remote.

We had our work cut out so we got to it. We  were running short on daylight so we left the front half up a tree — if the three of us could lift it, not! So we dragged it 50 metres from the gut pile and crossed our fingers, we would be back tomorrow. We got to the boat with little light left and after a 20-minute run downriver we make camp, and planned to return in the morning. (That’s where Davin earned the nickname “Rock Donkey;”  and that’s why Teflon is on the hull, all joking aside an admirable boat captain he is!)

The final day was spent relaxing getting ready for our trip home, beautiful weather, fabulous company, unmatchable country and an unforgettable adventure. The trip downriver seemed a lot quicker than up, go figure. Arrived at the boat-launch around 6 pm, a quick dinner in Fort Nelson then the redeye to Prince George. I tell everyone this was the trip of a lifetime, after this year’s trip I will say the same — for the second time.

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New in Browning’s diverse line of outdoor apparel for the avid sportsman is the new Dirty Bird Waterfowl line that is the most effective, ergonomic and comfortable clothing yet. The new line of clothing includes insulated models with Browning’ Pre-Vent® waterproof, breathable fabric shell for colder days in the field as well as models with Browning’s Vari-Tech Temperature and Motion design that are more adaptable when the weather looks better in the marsh. All insulated models in the Dirty Bird line will feature PrimaLoft Synergy Insulation that is soft, lightweight, quick-drying and provides excellent insulating properties, even when wet.

Browning’s new Dirty Bird waterfowl clothing will be offered in the two most effective camo patterns for waterfowl hunting that include Mossy Oak Duck Blind and Realtree Max-4,, A Dirty Bird 4-In-1 Parka, Insulated Parka, Insulated Wader Jacket, Insulated Bib, Non-Insulated Bib, and Field Pants all feature an Angle-Entry pocket design for more convenience, Raglan Sleeve Construction and Arrow Gussets armpit design that makes the garment fit better and allow a greater range of movement. Jackets and Parkas, Suggested Retail, $268.50- $350.50. Pants and Bibs, Suggested Retail, $140.00 – $221.50.

The Dirty Bird Vari-Tech™ models include a Base Layer Pullover constructed of 200-gram fleece, a Vari-Tech Jacket with 3-layer laminate fabric in sleeves and a Vari-Tech Half Bib with 3-layer laminate fabric throughout with high bib design back with adjustable elasticized suspender system. All Vari-Tech models feature Browning’s Pre-Vent® waterproof, breathable fabric with fully taped external seams. Dirty Bird Vari-Tech Jacket Suggested Retail, $268.50. Dirty Bird Half Bib Suggested Retail, $221.50. Dirty Bird Vari-Tech Base Layer top will feature lightweight stretchable poly jersey sleeves with a mock neck design, Suggested Retail, $46.50.

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Every angler knows fish are not always to be found on the surface or in shallow water. Various factors contribute to this migration into deeper water — but two of the most important are water temperature and availability of feed. Once fish are at these depths, you must be prepared to either get your lures down to them or deal with the frustration of an empty creel.

Many lakes go through a transitional stratification each year. As spring turns into summer and the sun begins to impart its warming influence on the surface of a lake three distinctive water temperatures zones or layers begin to form: the epiliminion, the thermocline and the hypolimnion.

These layers are often fully formed by early to mid-summer creating a totally new environment for both the fish and the fisherman. The upper layer (the epiliminion), often too warm to support many cool-water species, now can become devoid of these fish. So where do they go? Well, some species, such as lake trout head right for the bottom — the hypolimnion — and if there is sufficient oxygen and feed will spend their entire summer there only returning to shallow water when the fall winds and colder temperatures break up this stratification. But others will spend their time in and around the thermocline, moving up or down as water temperatures or the availability of feed dictates.

Cool-water species such as pike and, in particular large pike or walleye, often survive the summer by moving to weed lines, deep-water structures or suspending near the thermocline. Or they will seek refuge off deep-water points, springs or creek inlets that are cooler than the surrounding water. Unfortunately, some anglers find these dog days of summer too frustrating to even bother venturing forth to wet a line, but why give up on what can be a very rewarding and fun time to fish?

Fish Finding

Remember the fish are still there, you just have to know where to look and how to organize your fishing effort to maximize your opportunity for success. I think I have tried about every method of fishing deep-water known to man: downriggers, weights or sinkers of all descriptions to lead core and steel line, divers, jigging lures and sinking fly lines. All worked but each required their own technique and, of course, equipment. But where does one start? First, you need to find out just where and at what depth the fish you are looking for are at. A good quality fish locator is without doubt the answer to this problem. Secondly, a good GPS will assist you in marking these spots for future use. But if you don’t have access to a fish locator, don’t chuck in the towel just yet as you can still find these fish through trial and error. Initially it will just take you a bit longer to find these prime holding areas.

Getting Down

As for ways to get down — let’s start with the downrigger, undoubtedly my all time favourite tool for deepwater fishing. It allows you to very carefully control the depth you want to fish and just as importantly, you can run more than one line off each downrigger thereby fishing various depths at the same time; it’s just a matter of stacking your lines a few metres apart. Also, once a fish is hooked, you’re battling only the fish and not a bunch of weight.

With a downrigger, my favourite technique for bottom-hugging fish is to run my downrigger weight a metre or so off the bottom with my lure trailing back just far enough so that it is working within centimeters of the bottom. As I’m trolling, I carefully watch my sounder and raise or lower the downrigger weight as the bottom dictates. Don’t forget to vary your trolling speed and if the lure you are using isn’t working, change it.

My second favourite approach in reaching deep-water fish is vertical jigging. After identifying where the fish are holding, I then drift over the area, free-spool my lure or jig to the desired depth and begin jigging it to impart erratic action. Strikes will often occur on the free fall but will remain undetected until you begin to raise your rod tip so be prepared to instantly set the hook if you feel any resistance. While I prefer to drift fish these areas, if it’s too windy to keep your lure in their living room, try anchoring. If you do need to anchor, drop the anchor sufficiently high on the upwind side so that by the time your anchor takes hold you will have drifted back over the area you intend on fishing. Anchoring won’t provide the same coverage but it’s better than remaining onshore.

A couple of other factors to bear in mind when jigging are your line and lure type. If you are trying to reach considerable depths, line drift can become a real concern. So the smaller the line diameter the better — this is where braided lines come into their own. Not only are they small in diameter, but they also have a very high tensile strength to line diameter ratio. But even better yet is that at these depths they have virtually no stretch for an instant hook-set.

It is also important to select lures that can descend quickly as not only will they get to the desired depth more quickly but they can also be kept there longer. Lures such as the Buzz Bomb, Krocodile, Gator, Spinnow, Zzinger or a Crippled herring are some surefire bets. When it comes to jigs I would suggest a round head with a long shank. When this design of jig is pulled vertically, it will provide a cam-like action that increases the chances for a hook set.

Last, it’s also important to understand that depth changes colours. For instance, red filters out at about 10 metres whereas brighter colors such as white, pearl or chartreuse will gray out at about 20 metres. Blues and greens will last the longest and black is always black.

Secondary Thoughts

While the remaining methods for deep-water fishing such as divers, sinkers and steel or lead core line can be effective, they will require a bit more of a hit-and-miss approach. The reason is that often the depth you seek is not only affected by the amount of line you let out but also by the speed your boat is travelling. These two variables however can become manageable through trial and error — just let out line and vary your boat speed until you get into fish. Keep track of this depth by ether monitoring the how many full rotations your level wind makes as it lets out line, or by counting pulls. (Or purchase a reel with a depth-counter.)

I then use the speed indicator on my fish finder to keep track of my boat speed. If the fish are right on the bottom, I usually like to feel my lure bounce bottom and then retrieve just a bit of line so that I know my lure is working within that last meter of water. With this technique I also like to impart additional action to my lure by moving my rod tip ahead a few feet and then quickly dropping it back into place. It’s sure to generate additional strikes.

So don’t let those mid-summer days keep you off the water. Have a go with one of or all of these deep-water tactics and you won’t be disappointed.

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This past year I had the pleasure of carrying, shooting and handloading for a new varmint rifle, the Tikka model T3 Lite. I acquired this rifle; a six-pound three-ounce blued steel and synthetic stocked model chambered for the .223 Remington cartridge early in the spring and had plenty of opportunities to try it on our local varmints.

First Impressions

The Tikka model T3 Lite is chambered for a number of varmint and big game hunting cartridges and is offered with both blued and stainless steel barrel and actions. The varmint calibres include .222, .223 and .22-250 Remington. I chose the .223 Remington because it has always been a personal favorite of mine for shooting varmints. It is a very easy cartridge to develop handloads for and doesn’t have a large appetite for burning powder, which helps in both the pocketbook and with the barrel life. Also, it is not too destructive on coyote and fox hides, which means very little time is spent sewing pelts.
The model T3 Lite in the standard calibres has a 22-7/16-inch barrel, while the magnum models have a 24-3/8-inch barrel. This is why, when combined with its light weight fibreglass reinforced polymer stock, it is such a pleasure to carry as a walking varmint and predator calling rifle. Standard features for this rifle include a cold hammer forged and hand-crowned barrel that is free floating to within three inches of the receiver. The magazine is detachable and holds four .222 and .223 Remington cartridges stacked in a single column; all other calibres have a three round magazine. Other standard features include a thick rubber recoil pad, sling swivel studs and a grooved receiver for integral scope mounts.

The Tikka T3 has a two-stage safety that blocks the bolt from opening and a fully adjustable trigger; from two to four pounds of pull with no noticeable creep and a very minimal amount of over travel. This is by far one of the easiest triggers on the market to adjust. Trigger adjustment is done without removing the stock and by inserting a 2.5 millimetre hex key wrench into the magazine well. The trigger is factory set at three pounds, which is nearly perfect for a big game hunting rifle.

The Tikka’s .223 calibre barrel comes with a fast one turn in inches rifling twist. So far I have experimented with a number of bullet weights ranging from the lightweight 40-grain Hornady V-Max and Nosler Ballistic-Tip on up to the 60-grain Hornady V-Max in this rifle. I found the Tikka to have an extremely accurate barrel and my groups showed a noticeable improvement after had I fired over 200 rounds through the bore. Once I surpassed this mark, I also found that the barrel was not as fussy about bullet seating depth with some makes of bullets as it had been when it was still new. It now seemed to settle down and shoot tighter groups with some bullets that earlier, it would not shoot with any degree of consistency, such as the 55-grain Speer. This is a bullet that shoots great in my other .22 centrefire rifles and packs quite a wallop on coyotes, often dumping them in their tracks.

Range Results

My best accuracy has been with 50- and 55-grain bullets, respectively. Thanks to the fast rifling twist, Hornady’s 60-grain V-Max bullets have shot good groups as well, averaging just under 3/4 of an inch for three shots at 100 metres. However, my results have not been quite as good with 40-grain bullets. These short, light weight bullets seem to have trouble stabilizing with the barrels fast twist. The accuracy is not very consistent when shooting top loads, and I have found for best results the velocity must be kept low to achieve decent accuracy. My best groups with 40-grain bullets comes when I don’t push them much faster than 3,300 fps, then I can get groups as small as 1/2-inch at 100 metres.

My target shooting consists of three consecutive three shot groups with my old Pro-Tach chronograph made by Competition Electronics set up to record the average velocity of the rounds. I found that both 50 grain Hornady V-Max and Remington PLHP bullets shot outstanding groups averaging from 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch in this rifle. This is excellent accuracy for a light barrelled sporter.

In The Field

Once fall approached, I switch from the lightweight 40- and 50-grain bullets to a 55-grain load for my coyote hunting. When it comes to coyote loads, I have always preferred a heavier bullet to a lighter one, even though it means giving up some velocity. I was anxious to try this little rifle on something larger than gophers, rabbits and beavers, which was the first varmint that I shot with the T3. Incidentally, beaver are considered a pest in my part of Saskatchewan, so drifting the rivers after spring break-up in a small boat or shooting over a beaver dam is a highly anticipated early season sport similar to southern hunters awaiting the emergence of the first gophers.

I made a point of carrying the Tikka throughout the fall hunting season. I found it to be such a handy and compact rifle that it was a joy to pack along in my pickup and it was also along with me when I hunted the southern prairies in October with my son for upland birds and pheasants. I had loaded 55-grain Remington PSP bullets with H-335 powder at 3,100 fps, and this load worked great on coyotes that Brad and I were able to flush from the buck brush coulees and pasturelands.

When the big game hunting season was over, I had more time to carry the Tikka in pursuit of coyotes. It seems that as one gets older, the weight of your rifle makes a big difference in how enjoyable your hunt is, and I definitely wanted to use this lightweight rifle some more. I was patiently waiting for good weather to try calling coyotes. My intention was to hunt on foot through the forest, calling along the steep, rugged, willow and aspen covered banks bordering the Torch River, a favourite hunting area of mine. I needed a calm day or at least, a northwest wind for an ideal set-up along the river, as it winds its way through the forest and farmland near my home.

Early December brought just such a day. The wind was calm, the temperature wasn’t far below freezing and I had about two to three inches of fresh tracking snow. I left my pickup at first light and started out following the river. I was using my Phantom Pro-Series wireless digital electronic call made by Extreme Dimension Wildlife Calls, and would set the speaker about 30 metres off to my side. This way I reasoned, when a coyote came to the call, it would not detect any movement from me, while I picked it up in the scope.

I was on my third calling site. It was late in the morning and a light breeze was starting to rustle through the tree-tops. I had tried to move at least one-half kilometre between calling sites, and now I was starting to get hungry. Just one more, I told myself and then I would head back to my pickup. I set up on a high ridge overlooking a large horseshoe in the river. I could see down-stream to the south for a good 400 metres and up-stream almost half as far. I figured if a coyote left the bush and crossed the ice to start working its way in, I would have plenty of time for a shot.

I called for 20 to 30 minutes. Nothing had come in but the occasional raven and magpie that would fly over. Suddenly, a group of magpies started squawking downriver from my position. I quickly scanned the shoreline, double checking the willows and young second growth aspen along the banks below me. Then looking down river, where there was nothing but ice and snow only moments earlier, now stood a coyote staring directly at me. It must have picked up a reflection from my glasses when I moved my head, and now it wasn’t so sure about coming in to my jackrabbit in distress call as it was earlier.

The coyote turned and slowly started across the ice. I brought the Tikka to my shoulder and picked it up in the three and one-half-power magnification that I had earlier set my scope on. The distance was a solid 250 yards and I knew from shooting at the range that I could expect a couple inches of bullet drop. There was a cross-wind but the coyote was broad side so I figured the bullet would not drift too far off my target. I had a good rest with the rifles fore-end cushioned in my hand and resting against the sloping trunk of a jack pine. The coyote stopped and looked back over its shoulder. I quickly placed the crosshairs on the top of its back and squeezed off. The coyote swung around and showing no sign of a hit, trotted back to the shore. I chambered another round but before I was on target the coyote was out of sight.

I had a feeling there was probably another coyote lurking in the bush along the river so I continued calling for another 15 minutes before going down to see if I could find the coyote that I had shot at. I went downriver a short distance to an old winter trail then started working my way back, looking for a blood trail. I needn’t have worried. The coyote had piled up on the shore before reaching the willows along the banks. I had shot a large female with a prime, well furred hide.

I started dragging her back up the same trail that I had taken down to the river, but I didn’t get half way when I stopped to catch my breath. Scanning the bush, looking for nothing in particular, my eye caught something that didn’t look right. Peering through a small opening between the branches, I spotted a coyote facing toward me at about 80 metres away. I pulled off my mitt and threw the Tikka to my shoulder, the crosshairs settled for an instant on the coyote’s chest, and I pressed the trigger. The coyote then whirled and ran, disappearing among the pines.

I marked a stump close to where it was standing and hurried to the spot. There was no blood, only a running track heading off through the snow. I started following the track and after a short distance I found a few drops of blood on the trail. About 20 metres farther and I found more. Now scanning the bush ahead I spotted the coyote stretched out beside a log, it had covered almost 60 metres after taking a raking shot through the chest and exiting behind the ribs. I had switched bullets since the fall and I was now using Remington’s power-lokt hollow point bullet. These bullets were obviously opening up too slowly, but the model T3 had performed splendidly for me.

To successfully call in and shoot two coyotes on my first day in the bush with the Tikka was truly exceptional, and to say that I am impressed with this light weight and accurate rifle would be an understatement. My youngest son Zachary has now taken a real shining to the Tikka. After recently upgrading from a .22 rimfire to a centrefire rifle, he handles the T3 in .223 calibre remarkably well. The way I see it, the Tikka model T3 Lite will most certainly play a big part of my family’s future varmint hunting pursuits.

Handload Chart: Tikka Model T3 Lite .223 Remington

Test conditions: 20 degrees Celsius, Federal cases, CCI-400 primers

* It is recommended handloaders start at least five per cent lower than the maximum loads listed. We accept no liability for this chart.

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I’ve heard it referred to as a religion. Sure enough, that might be an overstatement, but for some it’s not far off. Indeed whitetail hunting has become a year-round North American obsession. From the shedding and regrowth of antlers, to gestation and birthing of fawns, preparation for the rut, the multi-estrus cycles, and the post-rut, whitetails endure a challenging lifecycle. Peaceful and seemingly serene when conditions are good, predation, harsh winters, and an increasingly academic faction of hunters make the trophy whitetail’s annual lifecycle a virtual gauntlet. Reclusive through most of the year, big bucks in particular drop their guard for a short time each fall as they seek breeding partners. Understanding the various stages of their lifecycle brings us that much closer to realizing the dream of taking an iconic whitetail.

Searching for Sheds

Ask hunters when the annual cycle begins and ends, and you’ll probably get varied responses. In my view it conveniently begins with the calendar year. Perhaps idealistic, I’ve taken my own liberties to break down the year based on two things: the beginning of the pregnancy term of does, and the dropping and regrowth of antlers. In practical terms, the annual cycle really begins when the fall rut truly comes to an end.

Whitetail bucks begin shedding their antlers as early as late December, however the vast majority drop from late January through to the beginning of March; with February being the magical month during which the vast majority fall. To every rule there are exceptions, but it is usually the small-to-mid-sized bucks, those who have been especially stressed physically, that shed earliest. I’ve been shed hunting for over 20 years now and have found big sheds mid-way through January and February but this is usually more an exception to the rule. Most years, I’ve found that the biggest of bucks tend to drop their antlers later than their younger cohorts. The truly outstanding antlers are often found in late February or early March. The shedding phenomenon is an annual occurrence facilitating regrowth of a brand new, typically larger set of antlers.

Scouring the woods and fields for shed antlers affords me an opportunity to see what the deer are doing. It’s important to note that deer are subject to considerable physical strain during the long winter months, so discretion is in order. Take care not to roust deer from their beds or force them to escape through deep crusty snow, thereby compounding the stress. Remember, during the harsh winter months when food is scarce and extreme snow and cold constant, whitetail movement is minimal. Often herding up, it is common to see groups of 20 to 100 deer localized on or near the best cover and source of food. Survival is the name of the game from December through April. Shed antlers will often drop in beds, on trails to and from feeding areas, and on or near the feed itself. In winter, haystacks and standing alfalfa fields are often deer magnets attracting animals from great distances if the quantity and quality is good. If you are thorough, shed hunting can allow you to learn which bucks survived hunting season.

Winter & Summer Range

Deer in general and bucks in particular, often migrate to different habitat areas at different times of the year. In other words, the deer you see on a given property during the rut may well reside in a very different home range several kilometres away the rest of the year.

While you may find sheds on a particular property in the winter, that doesn’t mean those bucks will live there year round; in fact, most often they won’t. Food and thermal cover are top priorities during the winter months. Then, with the melting of snow and transition into spring and summer, comes a more relaxed approach to life in the deer woods. Likewise, as food and cover becomes abundant, deer widely distribute. By locating family doe groups and identifying bucks that share their home range, you will no doubt learn the given territories and habits of those deer. The best tool available today is the trail camera (see sidebar).

Applying the Intel

I am a big fan of scouting and this doesn’t just mean using trail cameras. I believe in walking the properties I hunt at least once during the winter and ideally during the spring, late summer and early fall. These treks reveal a lot. They typically confirm my earlier comment that resident bucks commonly move to, and through, core rutting areas during the November rut. In other words, using cameras early on is great, but it really only shows you what is there at, or near, the time the image was captured.

Case in point, while I find it interesting to run cameras year round, it is really only in late August that I get excited about placing cameras. At the tail end of the velvet antler phase, as bucks begin to rub and lose that velvet — that’s when I gain confidence in any given buck returning to the area.

This is not to say that some bucks don’t have small home ranges; they do. But all things being equal, once antlers have reached their full growth potential for the year, and have hardened, that’s when I get serious about gathering trail cam data that can be used to strategically place stands and invest hunting time. My own hunting strategies involve doing an inventory of bucks caught on camera multiple times over several weeks and then playing the odds. As a rule I focus on those areas where the mature bucks have been photographed more than three times. As the pre-rut approaches, by late October, primary scrapes can be found. Once I locate these, place cameras accordingly, and capture good bucks returning to the area, I set up accordingly. By using the intelligence gathered from cameras, my wife, Heather, and I score consistently on good deer.

Hunting the Phases of the Rut

Throughout much of the year, whitetails are reclusive, and big bruiser bucks can be especially secretive. Thankfully they become more vulnerable as they actively look for breeding partners. But the rut itself is full of ups and downs as well. Hunting each phase of the whitetail rut requires insight into where, when, how and why bucks and does move and interact. During the 2011 whitetail rut, I was able to spend nearly every day of November either in a tree or scouting the deer woods. Hunting prime habitat areas with a healthy buck-to-doe ratios, I saw first-hand every phase of the whitetail rut from the seeking phase, through to the chasing phase, breeding and lock-down phase, and then on in to the second estrus. Eye-opening for sure, it reaffirmed that whitetails follow a consistent biological calendar. What does this mean for you and me? In short, savvy whitetail hunters can capitalize by adapting their strategies for each phase of the rut.

The seeking phase is defined as the time when whitetail bucks begin marking their territory with boundary scrapes and rubs as early as the first week in September. As the estrus draws near, bucks step up their efforts to “inventory” the does. Most of us consider this to be the pre-rut, or the time in which bucks are travelling searching for hot does.

Generally speaking the seeking phase begins by mid-October. Where seasons are open, the last week in October is a great time to be on stand as bucks increase their movement on rub and scrape lines. The seeking phase heightens as we move into November.

According to renowned whitetail guru Charles Alsheimer, the seeking phase peaks three-to four days before and after the rutting moon, which he defines as, “the second full moon after the autumnal equinox.” If you’re a believer in moon phase influences on deer behaviour, Alsheimer is arguably the best-known authority. During his research, he has identified that bucks will make between six and 12 scrapes per hour at the height of the seeking phase. Translated, this means bucks are on the move and your chances of encountering the highly secretive whitetail during this phase increase exponentially.

The best strategy a stand hunter can use to hunt the seeking phase is to set up a tree stand or ground blind along a heavily used scrape line or in a known funnel or transition zone. Given Alsheimer’s scientific explanations, the timing of the seeking phase and advancement into the chasing phase of the rut can vary by a few days. In general terms the seeking phase begins as early as third or fourth week in October and transitions sometime around the second week in November.

Sometimes difficult to differentiate, the chasing phase, or pre-breeding period, occurs immediately after the seeking phase and just prior to actual breeding. In lay terms, it is the time when does are almost in estrus and bucks know it. During the chasing phase, bucks feverishly scour the woods, pursue and literally chase does around checking them for breeding readiness. Their sole purpose is to be the first to find and breed a hot doe. If you have the privilege of sitting on stand during this time, it can be magical. During the seeking and chasing phases, where healthy buck-to-doe ratios exist (e.g. one buck for every two does), rattling, grunting and using doe bleat calls can be extremely effective in attracting curious testosterone-driven bucks to close range. In my view, because of our relatively low hunting pressure in my home province of Alberta, these phases of the rut are reasonably consistent. In very general terms, I can tell you that the chasing phase typically occurs throughout much of Alberta, usually mid-way through the second week in November. I usually anticipate the chasing phase to occur between November 10 and 12. With scrapes being used as a primary communication tool, bucks and does continue to service them with increased frequency during this phase.

The breeding phase is viewed as the peak of the rut. It is the time when does go into estrus and are receptive to the breeding advances of eager bucks. Across Canada, this peak estrus typically occurs between November 11 and 16. I know that, as a rule, in many of the areas I hunt, this is invariably between the 12th and 14th.

The biggest challenge for hunters during the breeding phase is that when bucks locate hot does, they will usually lock them down. In other words, they will shadow the hot doe and hold them in a secluded location. As breeding commences, with each day the lock-down phase becomes more pronounced. During this three-to-five day stretch it appears that bucks have all but vanished and visible movement comes to an abrupt halt. This is the lock-down phase. Last fall I witnessed this distinct period play out most obviously between November 17 and 23. The name of the game at this time is focusing on early morning and late evening transitional movement between bedding and feeding areas. Patience is a virtue for the stand hunter as bucks without does will still be on the move looking for does that have not yet been bred. Likewise, this period can present one of the best times to take a mature trophy whitetail as monster bucks drop their guard making breeding and traveling in search of hot does their top priority. Throwing caution to the wind, their sole purpose is breeding.

If you don’t tag out by the end of the first round of breeding, don’t panic, there is always the second estrus! A buck’s breeding instinct motivates him to continue his search for hot does throughout November. Approximately 10 days after the first estrus, un-bred does will go into estrus a second time. I saw this again last November and it is obvious. The primary difference is that visible buck movement decreases as they localize to within proximity of the does that still need to be bred. Where I hunted, the second estrus was most notable between November 24 and 28. This can be a tricky time to hunt, but if you move in tight to where does are feeding and bedding, you will no doubt increase your odds of closing a tag.

In the end, understanding whitetails and applying what we learn to our hunting, is what it’s all about. Considering their annual cycle along with the opportunities and tools we can use to gather information will translate to success in the field during hunting season.

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I squeezed the trigger and a millisecond later dust flew from the big wildebeest bull’s hide. Its rear legs kicked out in reaction to the impact and its tail whipped frantically as it bolted from the herd. Guy Swart, my Professional Hunter (PH), was feverishly demanding I shoot the bull again. I was very confident in my shot but obediently racked another round in the chamber. At that point the old bull went into a blind-eyed stagger — but just seconds from total collapse it unbelievably got control of itself and settled down into the dust under its own power. Sure I wouldn’t reach it in time I nonetheless hurried over to finish the job. Amazingly as I drew within 60 yards of what I thought was a dead wildebeest, it raised its head. I sent a second 185-grain GMX bullet from my 338 Win Mag smashing into the boiler room.

Guy came to me and said, “Here in Africa the trackers believe the wildebeest is born sick and every time he gets shot he gets a little bit better.” We had a good laugh over the native folklore but it was easy for me to understand why the blue wildebeest is called the poor man’s Cape buffalo.

Get The Lead Out

Lead free bullets — sometimes called mono metal bullets — have become very popular in the last few years. Mono metal, however, is a bit of a misleading term. In actual fact a solid lead bullet would be considered mono metal. As would a bronze solid used for hunting elephants or Cape buffalo. However, when I use the word’s mono metal in this article I’m talking about bullets that are composed of either copper or copper alloy.

Mono metal bullets first came about as a unique way to control expansion and bullet performance. The major problem of core and jacket separation on lead core-based bullets is pretty much solved today with the advent of bonding. Bonding is when the lead core and the gilding metal jacket of the bullet are chemically or physically bonded together. But in today’s world, lead has fell on hard times and it is considered a health hazard. Lead has been branded by studies showing animals dying from ingesting lead pellets or fragments. California champions the charge by passing a law banning lead and lead containing projectiles for all areas frequented by condors. Soon, the rest of the state will be lead-free as well and other jurisdictions are starting legislation looking to follow. Human health concerns were raised by a surprising study done by the Minnesota government, which detailed lead dispersion from bullet impacts in animal carcasses — another driving force behind lead-free bullets.

Environmental concerns aside, mono metal bullets are incredibly durable and really shine when the going gets tough. With no soft lead core to fragment, distort or separate, mono metal bullets can take impact speeds that absolutely destroy conventional style bullets. With a homogeneous construction, expansion is carefully controlled. These bullets usually expand one–and-one-half to twice their original calibre and very seldom shed any weight. Weight retentions of 95 per cent and above are common. A catastrophic failure of a mono metal bullet would be shedding all of its petals. Even at that, the bullet would still retain about 85 per cent of its original starting weight. These bullets were designed for deep penetration, for smashing through bone and muscle and tissue at speeds that destroy lesser bullets.

Conventional lead core bullets perform well at sub 3,000 feet per second (fps) velocities, above that velocity bullet design becomes critical. The trend to high-velocity cartridges or the use of light-for-calibre bullets in search of higher velocity in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s played havoc with conventional bullet designs. As long as the impact was far enough away from the muzzle, the old technology bullets would work. But if you have 140-grain bullet smoking along at 3,500 fps from the 7mm STW run into a deer’s shoulder at 40 yards and you had a recipe for a catastrophic failure — and a mess.

Today there are three major manufacturers of mono metal bullets. Barnes is the oldest by quite a margin followed by Nosler and the most recent entry Hornady.

Barnes Bullets

Randy Brooks is the genius behind the Barnes solid copper bullet. Mono metal bullets came of age when in the spring of 1986 Randy successfully used a 270-grain X Bullet from a 375 H&H Magnum on Alaskan brown bear. The bullet was made of 99.99 per cent pure copper had an impact extruded hollow cavity in the nose and was scored so that it would open into four petals forming an X, hence the name — X Bullet. The all copper bullet was plagued with reports of excessive copper fouling in barrels.

In 2003 released the TSX, a new bullet with four annular grooves around the shank. As the bullet travels down the barrel and the copper deposits on the rifling the groove allows the freshly deposited copper to scrape off in the groove. Grooves on the shank meant there was less bearing surface between the bullet and the rifling, greatly reducing friction and pressure. The grooves greatly increased accuracy of the bullet and created a huge increase in the number of rifles that shot the new bullet well. In 2007 Barnes followed with the natural evolution and brought out a polycarbonate tipped version of the TSX called the TTSX. With the pretty blue tip came a larger hollow cavity. The theory is the blue tip acts as a wedge to initiate expansion as it strikes the target. Barnes makes the TTSX in 15 calibres and a multiple of weights in just about every calibre.

Nosler Bullets

Introduced in 2008 the E-Tip is a joint venture between Winchester and Nosler. The bullet is constructed of a copper alloy rather than pure copper. Ninety-five per cent copper and five per cent zinc is an alloy commonly called gilding metal. Gilding metal is used for constructing bullet jackets in conventional bullet construction. The five per cent zinc increases the tensile strength of the bullet while acting as a lubricant.

Copper fouling with the E-Tip is no different than copper fouling with any regular jacketed bullet. The E-Tip like all mono metal bullets is extremely durable, Nosler claims 95 per cent weight retention, and it penetrates deep. Reliable expansion has always been an issue for copper or copper alloy bullets. Nosler uses the combination of a polymer tip situated over a dual chambered expansion hollowpoint. Nosler’s E2 cavity or energy expansion cavity works in conjunction with the energy control ring around the mouth of the cavity to provide uniform expansion.

Nosler gives the E-Tip a performance window from 2,000 fps at the lower threshold to 3,200 fps and beyond. Because the bullet doesn’t have annular rings cut into its shank to mess with its aerodynamic profile, the E-Tip as a much higher ballistic coefficient than the comparable bullet in a Barnes TTSX. Selection of the Nosler E-Tip is somewhat limited, with bullet weights available in seven calibres.

Hornady GMX

Released to the shooting public in 2009, the GMX is Hornady’s foray into the no-lead bullet discipline. GMX stands for Gilding Metal eXpanding, which tells us the bullet is also composed of gilding metal. Hornady uses the same 95 per cent copper and five per cent zinc alloy composition as Nosler does.

In addition to the bullet being made out of solid gilding metal, Hornady also designed two annular rings on the shank of the bullet. Hornady wasn’t looking so much for the antifouling properties of the rings or grooves as much as the ability to efficiently seal the bore — increasing accuracy. The grooves reduce friction and pressure in the long-for-weight bullets. In fact this was one of the design criteria for the GMX bullet, it had to exhibit the same pressure curve is other Hornady bullets — so the exact same powder loads could be used for the GMX as are used for the other bullets. Penetration is never been an issue with monolithic bullets, in fact the opposite is true; very seldom do I get to recover a bullet. The GMX is designed with a red polycarbonate tip to initiate the bullet opening in a six-petal configuration. Six smaller petals open easier and curl back to the shank similar to the way the jacket on a lead core bullet does. This creates greater frontal area and more reliable expansion, especially at the lower threshold velocities. Hornady produces the GMX in eight calibres, bullet weights are on the lighter end of the scale for each calibre.

Range Velocity Testing

I loaded up a bullet from each manufacturer’s lineup in my 7WSM Rocky Mountain rifle and headed out to the range. (One thing to keep in mind while reading this comparative is the fact that each rifle is an individual and each rifle has its preferences as far as bullet type, velocity, powder, etc. All this comparative is going to show is what my rifle likes on a given day.) So take this for what it is: a comparative of how these bullets performed in my rifle.

The bullets I used were the 140-grain TTSX from Barnes, 140-grain E-Tip from Nosler, and the 139-grain GMX from Hornady. I worked up a load for each bullet, slowly increasing the powder charge until pressure signs showed up or accuracy was affected. I played around a little bit with bullet seating depth until each bullet showed a preference. Seating depth varied from 35 thousands of an inch to 50 thousands of an inch off the rifling. These bullets should never be set too close to the rifling; they shoot a lot better with a little jump for a windup before engaging the rifling.

I shot three groups of three with each bullet at 100 yards. Accuracy was good with all of bullets but in particular the GMX shone, with a 100-yard average of .62 inches for the three groups. None the bullets shot over one inch at 100 yards; with the average for each being sub MOA. I shot all the bullets through the chronograph to check for velocity while shooting for penetration and accuracy.

These loads were designed using accuracy and pressure signs as the criteria; nonetheless the E-Tip was substantially slower than the other two as pressure signs on the longer bullet showed up well before they did on the other bullets. What is substantial? Nearly 200 fps on average — nothing that the critter at 200 yards would notice but certainly a factor if long-range is your game. All the loads averaged over 3000 fps muzzle velocity — definitely the hyper-velocity range that mono metal bullets were designed for.

Penetration & Expansion Testing

The penetration and expansion test was frustrating and predictable. I’ve shot many copper and copper alloy bullets into ballistic gelatin before this test so I had a pretty good idea what to expect. The biggest problem is stopping them, especially the TTSX. In fact I never did manage to stop a TTSX and collect it for photography. To my layman’s eye the GMX and the E-Tip have deeper cavities that allow for expansion past the root of the metal petals. This allows for much larger frontal area as once the petals curl back along the shank past the root it creates a frontal surface that is full diameter of the expansion, almost exactly like a jacketed lead bullet.

The Barnes bullet petals are shorter, the edges stay very sharp and the gaps remain between the petals so the total frontal area is reduced. Less frontal area equals less resistance and deeper penetration. Less frontal area can also equal a smaller wound channel and a much smaller temporary channel as the bullet smashes its way through the animal.

My setup to measure penetration and expansion consisted of 35 inches (90 cm) of Perma Gel (ballistic gelatin) followed by a 12-inch (30 cm) airspace then a hanging heavy-duty mudflap off a semi followed by another 12-inch (30 cm) airspace and a last mudflap. I shot each bullet through the setup and other than one E-Tip, all of the GMX and E-Tip made it through the gel to strike the first mudflap and fall to the ground. The one E-Tip made it through the first mudflap and hit the second but not penetrate it. All the TTSX cleared everything and kept on going.

The gel was at the 25-yard mark on the range, I did this so that impact velocities would be as high as possible in order to determine the durability of each bullet. Not a single bullet shed a single petal. I assume it was the same for the Barnes TTSX, as I didn’t find any errant petals in the gel. Expansion on the recovered bullets was uniform and beautiful — both the E-Tip and the GMX expanded to twice the .284 calibre, or slightly more.

There were no surprises brought to light in the testing. These bullets are incredibly durable and penetrate deeply. Perhaps too deeply in some cases, as a front-on shot can both kill the animal quickly and create a stinking mess when the bullet penetrates back into the guts.

Are copper or copper alloy bullets for you? That question can only be answered by the animals you hunt and the cartridge you use to hunt them. If you’re hunting style calls for high impact velocities or tough angle shots on big game than these bullets are definitely your first choice. If you’re looking for a new hunting bullet and are having a hard time finding one your gun shoots accurately — then the new mono metal bullets are most definitely worth a try.

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If so, you need to have your Big Game Draw applications in by May 31, 2012. The Big Game Draw will open on May 1 and all applications must be submitted online at http://secure.gov.sk.ca/biggame.

There will be additional moose opportunities in response to expanding populations, especially in southern Saskatchewan. Please check the 2012 Big Game Draw and Spring Hunting Guide which is available on our website at www.environment.gov.sk.ca/hunting for more details on the Big Game Draw for 2012.

The Ministry of Environment encourages hunters to apply well in advance of the May 31, 2012 closing to ensure a trouble free application process.

If you require additional information, please call the Ministry of Environment Client Service Office at 1-800-567-4224.

I really enjoy fly fishing small creeks. They offer a tremendous amount of diversity, from small babbling mountainous brooks, to raging torrents, to slick meadow spring creeks. They harbour brown, rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout and arctic grayling add a nice spice to complete a great recipe. However, becoming a small stream fly fisher requires a specific skill set and equipment list. Do you have what it takes?

Stream Types

There are two broad types of small creeks: spring creek and freestone. The water on a spring creek is clear, fertile and smooth. Spring creek trout live a good healthy life, and they are aware of most everything around them. The result is a trout that tends to be challenging to catch, but is often larger than his freestone cousin.

Freestone creeks on the other hand are typically quick, turbulent and infertile. This creates a frantic fishing style, with fishermen quickly working their way between potential lies, getting eager trout to bite. I’ve caught some great trout while fishing these waters — I can’t say I’ve ever regretted fishing one.

Locating Trout

Locating trout in a creek is the most important step in effectively fishing them; even a beginner would land at least a couple of trout if he spent 100 per cent of his time fishing productive water.

Deep water is vital in small creek fishing. Deep water is abundant in most large rivers, but is often at a premium on little creeks, and some are very scarce in it. It allows fish to overwinter, and more deep water in a creek means more trout can overwinter, not to mention larger trout. Deep water will typically appear darker in colour than the water around it, making it easy to find. Remember that “deep” on a small creek may mean only a couple feet, or sometimes less in really shallow creeks.

A foam or bubble line often drifts right over the deeper parts of the stream, and is often a good indicator of deep-water sections you want to be fishing. The foam line also tells us where the main current seams are, which brings food to the trout. Trout will sit near these currents when they are feeding, which is when we want to be showing our flies to the trout. Trout often rest in deep water, or sit under cover to avoid predators; they may not be in a positive feeding mood in these instances, and may not be inclined to our best efforts.

Pools are classic fish holding locations. When we see a deep, emerald green pool from around a bend, we often want to run up to it, start casting and catch a bunch of trout. They often hold a large number of fish, and provide life to a creek by providing valuable overwintering habitat. The head and tail of pools are typically the best locations for actively feeding trout, with the deepest and slowest part being used primarily for cover and safety. The head is a personal favourite, based on much success I’ve had in the past. The upstream inside seam is one I never pass up. It’s just too easy for a trout to lie in the calm water, and snatch up a hapless bug drifting down the main current.

Undercut banks are created when a stream’s current cuts into the stream bank, carving out a protective nook. Trout, especially browns, really like sitting in places like this because of the overhead cover and relief from the strong current. Undercuts offer great fishing, and you should always be on the lookout for them.

Rocks, depressions, woody debris, etc all provide relief from the stream’s flow. These are fantastic locations to look for trout. Water slows down when the stream hits these obstacles, so the water on the bottom, and both behind and in front of these different structures, will be slower than the water around it. This is commonly found in what fisherman call “pocket water,” that is, stretches of stream broken up by many rocks. Many creeks lack long, deep pools, but hold numerous trout because of the amount of “pockets” that offer good holding water for fish. Because of the nature of this water type, it is often found in abundance on freestone streams. To locate pockets, it is helpful to look for the dark, slick patches of water between obstacles. These will usually be the locations with the best holding water for trout, because they are deeper and calmer than the other areas around the pockets.

Trout Behaviour & Patterns

In spring creeks, trout behave, to an extent, differently than freestone trout because they can. The availability of habitat types differ, allowing trout to act in certain manners, and insects differ in species and abundances, which effects feeding behaviour.

Spring creek trout often hang out in the abundant slow water, have more time to inspect food. They can slowly cruise in comfort thanks to the streams gentle flows. Freestone trout, on the other hand, hang out beside fast water, making quick decisions when it comes to what to eat, and don’t venture far for a morsel because the current speed can cause problems.

These subtle variations in behaviour mean we hunt them in slightly different manners. Standard tactics like a careful approach accurate cast, and good drift remain true, but we still modify our tactics to become more efficient anglers. Spring creek trout require more finesse. Drifts over a spring creek trout typically need to be more delicate. You need to know precisely where you have to cast, so as not to spook your target fish by lining it. If you pull your cast off the water too soon after a drift, a trout will either see the disturbance or feel it, and they’ll be gone. Spring creek trout will often take flies slowly, requiring more patience.

A freestone trout will react quickly to your presentation, meaning you don’t need to lead the fish by very much — a couple feet is plenty under most situations. Likewise, the cast can be picked up as soon as your fly has drifted past the trout, because the ripples and turbulence will hide your action.

You can usually get closer to a trout sitting in a freestone stream. The broken water will keep your silhouette from looking like a solid image. The fish will probably not be able to see you very well, and the rushing, constantly surging water will hide many of your movements. Spring creeks are typically smooth and clear, so these fish will see you more easily. Stay low, avoid excessive false-casting, and don’t make any unneeded movements that could send your trout scurrying for cover.

Setup

Thankfully, no matter which type of stream you want to fly fish, the gear is going to be at least similar. Sure, you’ll want to adjust a bit maybe, but you don’t need to go out and buy a fancy new rod just because you want to try fishing a spring creek instead of the freestoner that flows through your favourite campground.

For most creek fishing, a four- to six-weight, seven- to nine-foot fly rod with a floating line will work. If that’s what you have, perfect. But of course you can specialize. (And what fly fisherman doesn’t want more gear, right?)

Spring creeks offer a bit of a paradox, and you’ll need to decide for yourself where to make any concessions. A light rod, say a three-weight, is perfect for the delicate presentations you’ll want, with the nice little “match the hatch” dry you’re fishing. But spring creeks often offer better chances at large trout, and a three-weight isn’t the best choice for hauling Big Bertha out of the logs.

A six-weight is a good choice for muscling large trout, but not for protecting light tippets or casting delicately. I own lots of rods, and I’ll sit down and mull over the options before selecting the right tool for the job, balancing as best I can the pros and cons of a rod when it comes to presenting the flies I intend on using, the size of trout I can picture catching, and how far I’ll need to cast.

Freestone creeks are most often less fickle.  Casts on these creeks are typically short and the fish small, so you can use a lighter rod with fewer consequences than you could on a spring creek. Little three or four weights are really fun on these waters. That being said, I’ll usually use a rod just because I like it. If your favourite rod is between seven and nine feet long, and four- and six-weight, it’ll probably be good enough.

For me, the best all-round creek rod weight is a number five. I own several of these rods, ranging from eight-foot bamboo rods with smooth moderate actions to nine-foot graphite’s that are best described as bullet fast. Each has earned its place, and each gets used regularly. As far as lengths go, an 8.5-foot or nine-foot rod is probably the best all-round choice, and also easy to find in a fly shop.

I was recently fishing a small spring creek in Saskatchewan’s Cypress Hills, and I really wanted to use a light rod. The stream was diminutive (only six or so feet across most of the time), and I really wasn’t expecting to catch anything over maybe 12 inches. Luckily, I convinced myself not to use a three-weight, but to use a nine-foot number-five. The fish weren’t coming up for a dry very well — I think I got a couple. I resorted to using two heavy nymphs, with two split shots and an indicator in a deep run and I caught several trout from 12 to 16 inches. I wouldn’t have had a chance casting that rig for any length of time with my tiny three-weight. Five-weights can cast dries, dry-dropper rigs, nymph and indication rigs, and moderate sized streamers with ease and accuracy — I want to be versatile on the water. You should fish your region, decide what you like to do technique wise, then make a good informed decision on a rod before shelling out a few hundred bucks on expensive kit.

Tactics

Small stream tactics are usually pretty basic. Where permitted, I’ll usually start the day off with a dry-dropper rig, of different combinations depending on the stream and time of year. Choose flies that will represent something the trout have seen over the last couple weeks (stones in early summer or hoppers in late summer, with a small mayfly nymph all season, for example). For me this is the best tactic. Often enough the creeks are so shallow that you don’t need to go very deep with heavy nymph rigs, and this short 18- to 24-inch dropper is enough to get subsurface takes from the fish. I will use a nymph rig in deeper runs or larger creeks, and in this case I’ll usually use an indicator. This rig is fished upstream, or up and across.

Perhaps the most underused small stream tactic is streamer fishing. I love streamer fishing. If I’m brown or rainbow trout fishing and having a rough time of it with dry-dropper rigs, this is the next bet. A sculpin pattern fished either upstream or down and across is a great way to get big trout to show off their ambushing nature. On small water, you don’t need anything but a floating line, split shot and long leader.

I hope this short piece has opened your mind to the wonderful array that small streams offer. For further reading on this topic, I’d suggest Small-Stream Fly Fishing by Jeff Morgan, Fly Fishing Small Streams by John Gierach, and Fly Fishing Western Trout Streams, by Jim McLennan.

Good Fishing.

Equipment

• ROD: 7-9 foot, #4-6 rod
• LINE: WF or DT floating line
• LEADER: 9-15 foot, 3-5x leader (including tippet)
• TIPPET: 3-6x tippet
• ACCESSORIES: Waders, boots, vest/pack, raincoat, hat, good quality polarized sunglasses (with a shade of brown/amber or rose tint), bear spray

Fly Selections

• Yellow Stimulator, #8-14
• Chernobyl Ant, #8-12
• Elk Hair Caddis, #12-18
• Adams/Parachute Adams, #12-18
• Parachute Light Cahill, #14-18
• Green Drake, #10-12
• Hares Ear Nymph, #12-16
• Pheasant Tail Nymph, #12-18
• Copper John, #12-16
• Black and Brown Bow River Bugger, #6-10

Selected Regions

• The area in and around Fernie, BC, and the Crowsnest Region of Alberta have widely acclaimed cutthroat and bull trout fishing, with streams like the Livingstone River and Upper Oldman being popular choices.
• The Rocky Mountain House to Sundre region of Alberta offers many streams with good brown and brook trout fishing. A prime example is Stauffer Creek.
• The Cypress Hills in southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan offers several spring creeks, such as Battle Creek, with trout fishing. There are creeks with rainbows, brookies and browns in the area.

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