Photo courtesy dreamstime

By Erika Rolling

Hunting Season

Local outfitter says big game animal population is up

Oct 12, 2022 | 11:56 AM

Business is back to usual for outfitters in the Grande Prairie region according to Smoky River Outfitting near DeBolt.

After calling their season a wrap last week; 2022 proved to be the best since 2019.

Owner Tara Sutley says with the border closures and restrictions over the past few years, hunters coming to enjoy the great outdoors were slim to none.

Nine hunters came for elk and 14 for moose this season for Smoky River Outfitters, which started on September 17 and went until October 7.

“In 2021, we had a few (hunters), but lots were from Canada so they didn’t have to cross a border but we had a ton of cancellations with less than half of them come.”

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Guide for the outfit Ty Hill says it was tough doing business with mandates and restrictions, but there were some positives with big game population rising.

“I’ve noticed a lot more people out in the bush. The hunting pressure definitely went up!”

Hill says the population has gone up in areas and the moose population in the DeBolt area is stable.

Sutley says the animals are all around doing better from the lull of international hunters.

Overall, they say the first back-to-normal season was successful.

“It was so hot out, the weather wasn’t helping and they (hunters) had to work for them (animals)… but they got them,” Sutley says.

“We even had people turn moose down, being too small or whatever the case was. That increases your average as well,” Hill notes.

Hill also notes there was lots of opportunity out in the bush and still is for the rest of the season until November 30.

The two say the hunters always take their meat home with them if they drove, get the heads mounted by local taxidermists, or take the horns home.

Hill says they are fully booked next year and all the way into 2025.