Do I need a wildlife certificate to join a hunt?

[Rackmastr]

Man this thread is becoming a gem....

[Dick284]

I will also add.

My daughter an I were stopped by a F&W officer one Sunday morning while travelling over to meet the Son in Law and his friends on the grazing reserve.
I promptly stopped, said a polite good morning, and asked how the officers day was going, the officer replied his day was satisfactory(can’t remember exact words) he asked if we were hunting, I replied not at this time as we were driving over to the grazing reserve to meet the son in law. He asked what we had valid licences for, my daughter bubbled up and said her “cow” moose, and her whitetail, I said I was the wheel man and living off my good looks and my game bird licence. The officer asked for some paperwork scanned the paperwork, and wished us good luck, and we were on our way.

Now, if when we were stopped I had indicated we were at that moment hunting, and that I was actively assisting in getting my daughter her moose and deer, I’m sure a flurry of questions would have came, I bet he would have wanted to check our firearms for being loaded too(never checked them, btw) Her rifle was beside her, bolt open, and my shorty 12 was on the back seat.


It’s how you frame the situation, and how you raise the suspicion of an official that gets you in trouble.

When stopped, be polite, be attentive, be truthful, all the while being short and to the point with your replies, avoid idle chit chat with said officials, yet don’t be all fidgety and jumpy. (Yes this is tough for many)

[Linc]

I was wondering about taking my cousin that wanted to tag along and would help pack the animal out of successful. I thought he needed a license to tag along even. I call F&w in Sundre before we departed to see what was correct. I asked if my cousin could tag along on a hunt, but he himself would not be hunting. She said that would be fine as long as we only had one firearm, and was just watching and helped pack the animal out.

He came along and did nothing but drag and lift the animal. Never saw a CO though. He’ll have the necessary paper work for next year.

[CanadianEh]

Perhaps it is just because I hunt legally and do things proper and above board.. But I'm not sure why anyone would view a CO stopping to ask questions as harassment. I for one am happy they are out and checking up on things. I always enjoy chatting with them, and in my limited interactions have found them to be quite helpful.

There are forsure a number of hunters who bend/break the rules. Which has the potential to wreck it for all of the rest of us.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by CanadianEh

Perhaps it is just because I hunt legally and do things proper and above board.. But I'm not sure why anyone would view a CO stopping to ask questions as harassment. I for one am happy they are out and checking up on things. I always enjoy chatting with them, and in my limited interactions have found them to be quite helpful.

There are forsure a number of hunters who bend/break the rules. Which has the potential to wreck it for all of the rest of us.

I hunt legally too and there was a time when I would have agreed with your assessment of COs. Not any more, I do not trust that they have good intentions. Whether they admit it or not, one of their key performance measures is how many tickets they write. That alone is going to bend their perspective, and I won't even get into all the changes the last ten years, like the militarization of the force, carrying sidearms when there has never been an Alberta CO killed or shot in the line of duty. latest being putting them in with the Alberta Sheriffs. COs of today are not the people of ten or 30 years ago and you would be unwise to treat them like they are your friend or there to help you.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I hunt legally too and there was a time when I would have agreed with your assessment of COs. Not any more, I do not trust that they have good intentions. Whether they admit it or not, one of their key performance measures is how many tickets they write. That alone is going to bend their perspective, and I won't even get into all the changes the last ten years, like the militarization of the force, carrying sidearms when there has never been an Alberta CO killed or shot in the line of duty. latest being putting them in with the Alberta Sheriffs. COs of today are not the people of ten or 30 years ago and you would be unwise to treat them like they are your friend or there to help you.

Bang on Dean.
Ever since the F&W officers moved from SRD’s control, and over to being overseen by Justice, the mandate change greatly.

Ask any lawyer, that more people get convicted through their own well meaning discussions with officials than anything.
There’s a fine line to be taken, by being polite, engaged, and truthful(there’s a charge for giving a false statements) yet keeping it short and sweet.

The sooner you show them your papers and what not, And move along the better off you are.

[CanadianEh]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

So I guess that makes me a criminal to ''help'' my daughter with her cow elk hunt.
I have been known to go over the speed limit once in awhile as well, And I did jay walk once.
Maybe time for a intervention.

I never said you were a criminal. But you missed the point entirely.



If you aren't doing anything wrong, then who cares if the ask some questions. Don't you understand that there are many "hunters" who aren't lawful. And if they see something sometimes stopping to ask some questions will determine intent? It's not like as good lawful hunters we glow a special color so that the officers know before talking to us.

It is there job to check out things they deem suspicious.

[leo]

Knock off the insinuations and derailing. Take your crap to PM's. Or better yet, go sing Christmas Carols or knit something! Sheesh!

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Just to add a bit more confusion, after you fill your tag, technically you must then leave the hunt camp and not assist your buddies in any way without a valid license in your pocket.

Why would this be ?? you still have your wildlife certificate which would allow you to hunt, coyote, wolf and legally carry a gun and hunt them or has that changed

[Big Grey Wolf]

Waldew, I would guess it would depend on how you answer the CO questions. If he asked if you are hunting and you replied, "yes got my elk now I am after a wolf" would be okay. If you said " got my elk now helping my buddies get theirs" may not work out so well.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by waldedw

Why would this be ?? you still have your wildlife certificate which would allow you to hunt, coyote, wolf and legally carry a gun and hunt them or has that changed

Why would you even post this when you could have looked at the regulations in person or online?

See page 58 of the regulations!

https://albertaregulations.ca/2020-A...egulations.pdf

Hasn’t been a requirement for so long I’m reluctant to give a time frame.

That’s where this whole thread started off on the wrong course, “no licence required“ is the key wording.

[mulecrazy]

Originally Posted by waldedw

Why would this be ?? you still have your wildlife certificate which would allow you to hunt, coyote, wolf and legally carry a gun and hunt them or has that changed

your wildlife certificate means absolutely buggar all after you have tagged out. You do not need a wildlife certificate to shoot coyote or wolves. the wildlifecertificate is only a pre requisite to buy a license. in itself it is not a license for anything other than its a license to buy a license.

[mulecrazy]

Originally Posted by FCLightning

You piqued my interest, but I could not find the relevant section of the act which authorizes this activity. Would you mind pointing it out?

if you look at the definition of guiding it says you can do all of the activities of hunting other than the part that says you shoot it. and seeing as though a person can guide a resident without a license as long as you arent being paid then it is legal. I messaged the alberta fish and wildlife enforcement facebook page about this a couple years ago. That was their explanation to me in writing. I now have that record in writing for the future in case some overzealous fish cop tries to push something on me.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Few years back you required a Big game license and your wildlife certificate to be legal to shoot wolves. Not anymore though.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Few years back you required a Big game license and your wildlife certificate to be legal to shoot wolves. Not anymore though.

A bit longer than a few years ago, I’m afraid to say, like closer to 25 years ago or there about.

As far back as the PDF of the 2010 regulations there’s no such requirement.

Maybe somebody who has old regulations kicking around can check to see when this change happened.

The sad part is so many hunters have failed to notice that a wildlife certificate isn’t listed as required to hunt wolves and coyotes.

[The Cook]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Bang on Dean.
Ever since the F&W officers moved from SRD’s control, and over to being overseen by Justice, the mandate change greatly.

Ask any lawyer, that more people get convicted through their own well meaning discussions with officials than anything.
There’s a fine line to be taken, by being polite, engaged, and truthful(there’s a charge for giving a false statements) yet keeping it short and sweet.

The sooner you show them your papers and what not, And move along the better off you are.

The above advice should be used with all LEO's. Yes sir, no sir, thank you sir, have a nice day.

[sns2]

It sure would be nice if there were a forum called... "Ask the CO"

I know for a fact there are lots of very experienced guys chiming in, yet there is no clear consensus, much less a definitive answer.

It would be a good addition. A helluva lot better than everyone arguing about bloody politics in the General Discussion.

[savageguy model 111]

Originally Posted by sns2

It sure would be nice if there were a forum called... "Ask the CO"

They don't have time for that people need to call in or walk in to the local office and ask Just to get it right from the source but That's to easy .Just saying .

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by savageguy model 111

walk in to the local office and ask

A little tough these days - Where are the offices that you can still just walk in to? Nothing to do with COVID either.