ARCHERY HUNTS
Providing Everything You Need
WHAT'S PROVIDED
At Sounding Creek Outfitters, spot and stalk archery hunts are our specialty. With our guaranteed outfitter allocation, there's no need to apply for or purchase any licenses separately. Simply book your hunt and send in the necessary information, and we'll take care of the rest by picking up your tags for you before the hunt starts.
All hunts are 1x1 guiding unless other arrangements are made. All meals and lodging are included for the duration of the hunt.
If you require a hotel stay before or after that will be your responsibility. We provide all field care, skinning and caping of your deer. If you wish to take the meat home with you, it will be deboned and frozen, or you may wish to donate it to someone locally which we can arrange.
SEASON
Archery hunts take place from September 1, through October 31.
These are 6-day long hunts.
Generally 1-3 hunters per week, depending on availability. Clients arrive on a Sunday and their hunt starts Monday and ends on Saturday.
If flying it is usually best to fly into Calgary International Airport, rent a vehicle from there and drive to Oyen Alberta, about a 3-hour drive. Unfortunately, we do not offer airport pickup or drop-off.
STYLE OF HUNTING
The morning starts with breakfast, then it's off to put some miles on and do some glassing. It's highly recommended to have a high-quality optics.
Though not always that physically demanding, it can be very mentally straining. Expect to be putting on 200-300 miles per day covering ground trying to locate the right buck. In most cases, we will have 2-3 different bucks that we are trying to locate.
It may seem daunting at times to keep going to the same area over and over and over again. But more times than not those deer do eventually show up! Once a shooter buck is located, we wait for him to bed then sneak in and wait for the shot.
If the situation is not right, we will wait it out until the situation improves. You never want to force a stalk unless the situation is right. The best chance to kill a big mature deer is on the first stalk. After that, it gets harder and harder to get back on them.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During the first 2-3 weeks of September, we are targeting bucks that are most likely in varying different types of grain crops, and bedding in the fields. If you want a big velvet buck this is the time to come. The days are long, as you usually only have a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening to locate a buck before they bed for the day.
Temperatures can range from 32°F to 100°F depending on the year, so it's important to be prepared for that. Your guide will have a healthy bag lunch prepared with lots of drinks and snacks. We return home in the evening after the sun has gone down around 9:00 pm, where there will be a hearty home-cooked meal ready to eat.
The October hunts are much the same as the September ones, with the only main difference being we are likely to be looking for deer more in the pastures and grasslands, rather than focusing on the grain crops as most of them have been harvested by this time.
This is one of my favourite times to hunt as you may see fewer deer day to day, but you can find them more easily during the middle of the day bedded on side hills or buck brush and silver willow patches. Average shooting opportunities are around 40 yards. The bucks have started to separate from their bachelor groups at this time and when you find a target deer, they can often be easier to stalk than in the early season.
Once a deer is taken, we take them back to our shop to skin, cape and process. This is a very comfortable place to do this where you can sit back have a drink if you wish, re-live and go over details of the hunt with others and celebrate! Your cape will be frozen and scull pate removed, ready for transport.
Book Your Hunt Today
Sounding Creek Outfitters is dedicated to providing exceptional hunting experiences to our clients. If you have any questions about our services or would like to book a hunt, please don't hesitate to reach out. You can contact Scott directly at scott@soundingcreekoutfitters.com