Last fall, Danny Thompson and I traveled to Saskatchewan to check another trip off the bucket list. We’ve both been fortunate to check off a lot of experiences in this province. After getting to know Barry Prall at Trails End Outfitters and hearing about his whitetail operation, we wanted to hunt there.
Last fall, we finally did.
Danny and I were joined by his dad Lee and longtime clients Greg and Keith. Greg spent a long time in the bush targeting a known buck nicknamed “unicorn.” It was given that name because of a non-typical rack with an extra antler coming out the front of it’s head. Finally, on day 12, he sealed the deal.
Greg and the unicorn buck
Keith has shot some great deer over the years at Trails End. Now, he’s picky. While he passed on some nice deer, he also had an unreal encounter with a bunch of moose! Those bucks are big in Saskatchewan, but nothing like having a moose walk within a few feet of your stand.
Danny and I each had different experiences during our hunts, but they came together around the same time. Might have been the colder weather and snow that got the bucks on the move. Either way, we captured it all on camera and you can watch it unfold on the video above.
Thanks to Barry and Trails End Outfitters for hosting us, Tourism Saskatchewan and everyone else who made this possible.
Reach out to Barry to book your Saskatchewan Whitetail Adventure today!
Mild temps slowed deer movements right before the guiding season began, but as the week went on, Mother Nature gave us a helping hand. As the temps dropped and the snow started to accumulate, bucks showed up. Rutting activity also increased and we started to see more action during the day.
While it’s possible to sit all day and see few animals, there are days when the action is non-stop. Clients had days this week where deer were present from sunup until sundown and some only had fleeting moments. But as any deer hunter knows, it only takes about 30 seconds for things to change.
Some nice bucks were shot, while other hunters who’ve had success in the past, waited for bigger deer to show up. Keith, who’s been coming to Trail’s End Outfitters for 21 years, had multiple moose hang around and even bed near his stand.
“In the years I’ve been hunting with Barry, I’ve shot 16 deer, ” Keith said. “I’ve got 4 or 5 that are in that high 150’s – 160’s range.”
Those are great deer, but they weren’t as big as the animals he saw this year. “3 different days I saw moose come in to the stand,” Keith said. “I had a cow and a calf one day, a cow, calf and a bull another day and that cow had a radio collar on. Today, I had a different cow moose come in.”
While Keith was seeing moose, longtime Trail’s End guest, Greg, was seeing unicorns!
“Unicorn” had been appearing on multiple trail cams and was instantly everyone’s target buck during the first week.”
“12 days I waited for that deer,” said Greg, who’s been coming for 15 years. When the deer appeared, he contemplated glassing it, but the thought didn’t last long. “No I don’t think I need to glass it, I’m going to shoot it!” The buck was worthy of the shot and as he brought up the gun, he was able to see that it was, indeed, the unicorn buck.
The dark-racked, big-bodied buck has an extra antler growing out of it’s head. It seemed fitting to call it “Unicorn.”
Greg with his unicorn buck.
Danny Thompson and his father, Lee, also hunted during the first week, with Danny continuing a streak of good luck. While he’s been successful back home this fall, he has dreamt of coming to Saskatchewan for the bucks the province is known for. He scored with a beauty bush buck on day 2. He actually saw the buck on day 1 and considered shooting it then, but ultimately passed.
Danny with his character buck
“There was a lot of excitement going in to day 1,” Danny said. “It was fun the night before. We all gathered around on the couch as Barry hooked up his phone to the tv and went through all the trail cam pictures. There were a couple nice ones at the stand that I was going to, so I was excited.”
It didn’t take long for him to see deer. “From the time I climbed in to the end of the day, I was covered up in deer. There was actually a really nice buck that came in, with a big body and a dark rack.” He decided to pass.
“Just as he was stepping in to the bush I thought, maybe I should have shot him,” Danny said laughing. That buck showed up on day 2 and Danny decided to pull the trigger.
Dragging out Danny’s Deer
I was in camp filming for the Fish Hunt Forever YouTube channel. After four days of sitting with only sightings of small bucks and does, I decided to move to a new stand after seeing a trail cam picture of a nice buck during the day.
Bret’s buck looking right at him before the shot.
I asked Barry right away if he was ok with me shooting it. He was everything I was looking for with a tall, dark rack. I knew that if I saw him, I wasn’t going to have to think about it.
That’s the right approach because most of the time, the bigger bucks won’t stick around long. They come in searching for does and keep moving if the does aren’t around.
I had just climbed into the stand when a small buck stepped out in front of me. He hung around for a bit before disappearing into the thick forest. Shortly after, I heard a noise and looked up too see my target buck standing there, staring at me! I had to get it on film, so I hit record and tried to focus best I could before lifting my Dad’s old .30-06 against my shoulder. It was a bit chaotic because I didn’t think he’d stick around long enough for me to shoot. As the rifle cracked through the woods, the buck jumped and ran. After a short search, we found him 30 yards away and the celebration began.
Bret with his chocolate buck.
While Trail’s End is booked up for this year, there are a few spots available for next fall. They book hunters for November through early December to target the rut and the colder weather. They can accommodate groups up to 6 with heated blinds for late-season sits.
Blinds are comfortable with sliding windows and propane heaters.
The smaller group size allows for a more personal experience, with owner Barry doing the cooking. The lodge brings everyone together with a great view of Tobin Lake.
A view from above the living room at Trail’s End Outfitters
If you have any questions about booking a hunt, contact them today. Or ask one of their previous repeat guests, like Keith:
“Barry is very adept at making sure you have a good experience,” Keith said. “He checks where the deer are moving to make sure you have the best opportunity possible.”
Barry works hard to make sure you have a good hunt.
Learn more about season dates, packages, rates and more by clicking here. Thank you Barry and Tourism Saskatchewan for a great experience and I’m looking forward to editing the video from the hunt!
PS. If you’re looking for a fun ice fishing trip this winter, Barry has some new fish houses on Tobin Lake. Tobin is a great fishery, holding the world-record for a walleye through the ice, plus big pike, burbot, perch and more. We filmed there in 2023 and you can see that video here. We might just have to come back up again this winter! Get ice fishing details here.
There are numerous reasons to like fall, but the fishing and hunting opportunities are our favorite. While fishing heats up on Tobin Lake as fall hits, we start switching gears as the temps start to drop. We’ve been busy checking trail cams and getting our hunters into the woods.
We’re finally getting a little snow and the temps are forecasted to drop. This is good news. The milder weather has kept deer activity to a minimum. With the upcoming cold front combined with increased rut activity, our hunters could be in for a wild time in the woods.
Our guiding area is 300,000 acres of Saskatchewan timber. Chocolate-antlered bruisers roam the woods and wandering in and out of our stand locations. As the weather gets colder, the bucks start moving earlier.
We’ve had some really unique bucks on camera this year, including one we’re calling “Unicorn.” He’s moved all over the place, appearing on all our different cameras.
MOULTRIE DIGITAL GAME CAMERA
Here is a peak at a few of the other bucks we’ve seen so far. We expect to start seeing new ones soon!
Six day Whitetail Deer hunts archery, muzzle loader or rifle. September 01-December 07 $4,500.00 . Hunting over active baits. Heated blinds are used for late season.
Fall combination Whitetail Deer and Black Bear . September 15- October 15. $6,900.00.
Fishing is open May 15 until March 31. price is $300.00 per day per person
All prices are in U.S. funds. price includes: -Accommodations in our hand crafted log lodge on the shore of Tobin Lake. -Home cooked meals – Trophy and meat care – Hunting and Fishing License and Taxes – Professional guides
Don’t forget ice fishing season is almost here! We offer guided ice fishing, shack rentals and more. Click here for details.
Trails End Outfitters 