I just returned from a Camp Wainwright deer hunt that was less than I had expected. I applied to hunt in the first rifle season, this was a 4 year wait. My reasoning was that the last time that I hunted there in 1999, I was in the 4th rifle season after 600 hunters had already hunted the area hard each with a licence to take 2 deer.

My partner and I arrived for the briefing with some friends that had also applied for the draw on our advice. Area closures for military training purposes were to severly limit the areas that we could hunt. Approximately 2/3 of the base were closed for the duration of our 3 day hunt. This also pushed the 150 deer hunters into intense competition for the small space left available to hunt. This brought out the worst in some people who became less than courteous to each other.
Needless to say the harvest was extremely low for the first rifle hunt which should offer the best opportunity for a fun and productive hunt.
Insult to injury occurred when we were informed that many more areas on the base would open right after our departure.
The lesson here is that the extra 2 year wait to draw the 1st season is not always the best idea. A conversation with an employee of the DND caused some concern when he told me about the military's regeneration program that could have 20,000 troops training in Wainwright by 2006.

I fully understand that military training should and does take precedent over recreational use on the base. Just a word to the wise to not pin to much faith on what was in the past a terrific place to hunt. My partner and I should draw a moose tag in this area next year,after a 8 year wait. If we had drawn the tag this year we would have been mightily dissapointed as our moose hunting hotspot was one of the temporarily closed areas this year.
The bright side is that we did ok on this hunt and harvested 3 muley bucks between the four of us.
Good hunting to you.

I hunted Wainwright last year and felt it was a total waste
of time. I can see more better quality animals 10 minutes
from my home. The guy giving the morning speech last year
said the military wanted to shut it down but it brought
revenue to the town. Did it once that's enough.

20,000 troops???? Canada only has around what? 4000 ground pounders, half of which are in Afganistan,, Hati ...

Maybe the Brits are coming up from suffield for a visit?

I wish we had 20,000 combat troups and equipment for them.

Whenever an activity has anything to do with the government or the military you can only expect frustration. So why waste your time and money. My friend was there last year they never got a deer. Anyway who wants to be regimented how and where to hunt and follow road signs to the game and wait your turn for somebody to get out of your way. Yuk, what a joke.

I also did a hunt in the camp. I think it was in December and was a nice "bonus" hunt after the regular season is over. I shot a smaller muly three point (six point to those who count both sides). There was lots of other hunters and the competition was too much at times. I think the best thing to do is hunt the "walk in area" if they still have it. My dad and I never bothered but the biggest buck we saw was headed for this part of the camp. The biggest buck taken during our hunt ,a nice 170-180 class whitetail, was shot in an out of the way corner of the camp. Apperently the guy rattled him in, remember this was a December hunt! The road traffic is to much and from what I have seen the best thing to do is to wear out your boots. Not a lot of guys get out of the truck during a December hunt, and if they do it is not for long.

Sandi and I are home from the latest Omegathon. We had four anything goes tags for the 3-day ML season at Wainwright (one of two in Alberta). We saw a couple of nice mule bucks right at the start but couldn't get clean shots though the brush. We ended up tagging out in 1 1/2 days, 3 bucks and a doe. Nothing special just deer, four used 209's and 4 dead deer. I did use my Thumbhole for the first time with the 200-grain Shockwaves. I'd like to say they did some thing special but my shots were nothing remarkable (70 and 168 yards) and the deer expired very quickly (especially the 70 yarder below!! ).
The special part was we got to donate the deer to the local food bank. This hunt is the largest source of meat the food bank gets in the whole year, so that made us feel good. Don't anyone tell my mother-in-law though, it'll ruin her opinion of me if she discovered I had a heart and a social conscience! It was a very good time with my best buddy and I can�t wait to do it again.
The clip below is another example of a good man brought low by a woman! I was trying to pick the buck out of the herd on the ridge @268 yards when one of the does decided to kill him. She brought him down off the ridge and right up to us with him stopping @ the end of my barrel (70 yds). I had to dial my 4200 down from 10x to 4 as he charged across the gully to his death!
Buck footage
1.5 meg download and you need the real player 10 or Windows media Buck footage windows

Hunted just east of camp for 32 years, worked in camp for 8 or 10 years, rode with the Capt. in charge of Range Control for a day during the season in, I think '94 or '95. Seen some VERY NICE deer, 'lopes, moose. Still have no desire to hunt there. Seems like a bit of a cluster sometimes. Like you say, many people in a relatively small area.

LeRoy