Hunting Manitoban Subspecies Elk

[Daktari]

I've just heard of the Manitoban elk subspecies and was wondering about hunting opportunities. From what I've seen there is hunting for them in Manitoba but for residents only as well as on high fence ranches. Are you guys aware of any opportunities to hunt them free range, is so where?

 

[Longwalker]

We have Manitoban subspecies elk throughout the parklands of Saskatchewan. They are the type of elk that I have hunted every year for about 25 years now. There are no legitimate opportunities for non resident aliens to hunt these elk that I know of. Sorry! There are put and take, fenced hunts of the Rocky mountain type, and some legally shady hunts of the Manitoban type offered on reserves operated by indigenous people, but none are what you describe. This is what they look like - bigger darker body, heavier antlers but points not as long as Rocky Mountain elk that so many USA hunters are familiar with.

 

[Shootist43]

Do they taste any different? Looks like a lot of meals can be had from one of those.

 

[Daktari]

Thats very cool @Longwalker, do you consider them as a subspecies? I know that SCI doesn't recognize them but they were mentioned on Wikipedia lol. These are more prairie dwelling elk right?

 

[Longwalker]

I’m not sure if they taste “ different “ but they taste good! We eat elk about three times a week year round. I do consider them different but only to a degree. Perhaps as different as eastern cape kudu and the more northerly variety. Same species with a local morphological adaptation. Manitoban elk are well adapted to our prairie and aspen parklands and are not seasonally migratory like Rocky mountain elk. Just like our whitetail deer they are bigger bodied than the ones living farther south.

 

[Shootist43]

Longwalker, are you able to harvest an Elk almost every year?

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Great trophy.

 

[Longwalker]

Longwalker, are you able to harvest an Elk almost every year?

We have excellent hunting for elk, I should check my journal to be certain but believe I have harvested an elk every year for the last 24 years except one year when I hunted Caribou instead and one year when to my shame I shot and lost one. I do not hunt for trophies so have never measured the bulls, but have shot a couple of nice ones. We are allowed to hunt during the rut with rifles, (last two weeks of September) over the counter tags and either sex. I know that seems rather odd to our neighbours to the south. I have passed up branched antler bulls in favour of taking a spike horn, or sometimes a dry cow. I like to eat elk meat very much.

 

[Shootist43]

We have a saying in Michigan, "you can't eat horns." Although "we" are applying that to Whitetails I suspect the same is true for Elk. We start off the season hunting bucks, towards the end of the season old does are also on out list.

 

[Foxi]

View attachment 287756

a wonderful monster (left )

 

[IvW]

Beautiful rifle what is it?

 

[WAB]

Beautiful rifle what is it?

Agreed!

 

[Longwalker]

Brno 22F 7x57. One of my favourites! Made in 1949, upgrades from Ralf Martini a few years ago. Still going strong after 72 years. The calf is 5 months old. I mustn’t be a very good trophy hunter. I passed up a 6 point bull last September in favour of another calf. They are so good to eat!