Dwayne Davison, president of the Lloydminster and District Fish and Game Association, expects to be back at the association’s archery moose camp setup in the Bronson Forest, north of Paradise Hill sometime in September. Supplied Photo
Dwayne Davison may turn into a traditional hunter-gatherer this fall with his trusty compound bow and arrow.
Davison is the president of the Lloydminster and District Fish and Game Association on a tentative quest to fill his freezer with fresh killed moose meat using his archery skills.
“I am thinking about archery for moose, but I haven’t made that decision yet,” said Davison with archery hunts looming.
“We typically go into zone 68 south and go for archery moose. I didn’t get drawn for anything this year, so it’s strictly archery and general tags for me.”
If he does go, it won’t be until the kickoff to the regular moose hunting season on Sept. 15 in wildlife management zone 68 in Saskatchewan.
Davison is already leafing through his copy of the 2023-24 Saskatchewan Hunters and Trappers Guide to bone up on the complete list of season dates.
The guide also includes important information on hunting and trapping regulations, licences and fees, and highlights of what is new for 2023 including new wolf hunting opportunities.
It’s important information all hunters should know with the approach of hunting season.
Big game licences, for example, have been available for purchase since Aug. 1.
A regular archery hunt kicks off on Aug. 25 until Sept. 9 including hunts near the Lloyd area.
“So that’s the first big game that comes open,” said Davison.
Bowhunting a moose is top of the mind for Davison and many other local archers who hone their skills to hunting levels at the association’s indoor and outdoor archery range east of the city.
The indoor archery range will reopen in late September following a summer recess.
“Our youth programs have really filled up the last couple of years since COVID went away. That’s really good to see. It’s nice to see the kids out there,” said Davison.
Youth archers and adult bowhunters from both sides of the Border City have taken to the archery ranges.
“That new range we did last year is something that enhances practice and shooting outdoors and up hills and down hills a bit,” said Davison.
He says a bow at 40 yards or less is very lethal if you hit a moose in the right spot.
“It’s not something where you just go and buy a bow and arrow. You’ve got to practice and shoot well within your ability,” said Davison.
“There’s people now who are getting very proficient at shooting further distances like 60 to 80 yards and being very accurate with them.”
Davison has brought down a moose before with an arrow and says bowhunting is a way different style of hunting from using a rifle.
“To me, it’s more of the true hunting. The difference from 50 yards and under or 40 yards and under where most people would shoot versus 300 yards and under for a rifle—they’re not even in the same universe,” he said.
Davison says whether it’s shooting a moose or elk with an arrow, there’s a lot of technique and skill involved such as sneaking up on game and calling game to come to you during the rutting season.
“It’s extremely exciting and I’ve been fortunate enough to call a lot of moose in and let some of them go and shot some of them too,” said Davison.
“It’s pretty thrilling. The thing I look at is, it’s very good meat for the freezer.”
