Beaver hunting/trapping/shooting
 

I have a question, I own some land directly down stream of crown land, every year beavers move in and cut down a few tree's then I trap or shoot them and feed them to the bears. Right up stream on the crown land is the "mother nest" a huge damn and beaver breeding grounds.... I'm pretty sure this is where I get my yearlings from...

These are pests in alberta... so what I'm wondering is, can I legally go on to the crown land, and shoot or trap the said beavers to hopefully limit my beaver problem? Is this breaking any laws??? Do I have to have a trappers license just to kill a pest on crown land?

Thanks :)

fur bearing animals
 

Pretty sure they can be trapped under the authoity of a trapping licence but cannot be hunted (shot) by anyone. Fish and wildlife generally handles problem beavers or directs licenced trappers to look after the problem for them.
Rob

Beavers
 

Beavers are not pests in alberta they are furbearing animals and as such only the registered trap line owner can trap or shoot beavers on crown land that falls on their registered trapline. Talk to fish and wildlife and they can talk with the trapline owner and see if he can do anything about them.

So can i legally shoot muskrats on my slough an beavers if private land. If not can i if they enter my dug out

You may want to try reading the regulations sometime,

Control of Problem Wildlife
Regulations allow landholders (residents only) to take immediate
action to control some problem wildlife. The following privileges
are beyond those permitted under fur management licences during
the seasons set out on page 11.
Please contact your district Fish and Wildlife Division office when
fur-bearers other than the species shown in this section are
destroying property. A damage control licence may be necessary.
Section 38 of the Wildlife Act specifies that no person shall hunt
wildlife or discharge firearms on or over occupied lands, or enter
on such lands for the purpose of doing so without the consent of
the owner or occupant.
Beaver may be hunted and trapped, without a licence and during
all seasons, on privately owned land by the owner or occupant of
the land, or by a resident with written permission from the owner
or occupant of the land.
Wolf 1 may be hunted (but not trapped) without a licence during
all seasons, as follows:
 on privately owned land by the owner or occupant of the land,
or by a resident with permission from the owner or occupant.
 on public land by a person authorized to keep livestock on that
land, or by a resident who has written permission from that
authorized person.
The above authorities to hunt wolves extend to lands within 8 km
(5 mi.) of the land described above, provided the authorized
person or resident has right of access.
Coyotes1 may be hunted (but not trapped), without a licence, at
all times of the year throughout the province:
a) by a resident who has right of access to hunt on lands that are
not public lands within the Green Area;
b) by the owner or occupant of privately owned land, on the
privately owned land;
c) by a person maintaining livestock on public land, on that
public land; or
d) *on lands described in c) that are in the Green Area, by a
resident who is authorized in writing by the person described
in c).
* These pelts must be salvaged.
Red fox may be hunted (but not trapped), without a licence and
during all seasons, by a resident on privately owned land to which
the resident has the right of access.
Badger may be hunted or trapped, without a licence and during
all seasons, by a resident on privately owned land to which the
resident has the right of access.
Skunk and raccoon may be hunted or trapped during all seasons
by the owner or occupant of land, or by a person authorized by
the owner or occupant, or by the holder of a licence authorizing
the trapping of fur-bearing animals.
Rabbit or hare may be hunted (but not trapped), throughout the
province, at any time of year, without a licence on land which the
person has the right of access for hunting. A resident may use
snares to take rabbit or hare, provided the snare meets the
requirements set out on page 9.
Bobcat may be hunted (but not trapped) by a resident on land
which the resident has the right of access for hunting in WMUs
102, 104, 106, 108, 112, 116, 118 and 119 and that part of WMU
110 east of Highway No. 2 and south of Highway No. 3 from
November 1 to February 28.
Notes:
1 For further information and other seasons regarding the hunting
of wolf and coyote, please refer to the 2009 Alberta Guide to
Hunting Regulations.
16 Report A


FYI the regulations are all posted on this site.

thanks for the post, very helpful an informative. let the beavering an rattin begin.

Possibly.

If the crown land is not part of an existing registered trap line, and if no one else has written permission to trap that land, you could get a resident trapping permit.
Then you could apply for permission to trap any quarter section of open crown land that is of interest to you.
There is no limit to how many quarters you can apply for, but each one has to be applied for individually.

It has been years since I trapped that way, but I believe it is still possible.
Check the regs. to make sure.

Quite certain that you can shoot all the beaver you can skin and more under the authority of a trappers licence on all lands that you have access to. If the crown land falls on a registered trapline, then only the registered trapper and partners can do the trapping/shooting. Method of harvest is optional.