Black Bears
 

Howdy Trappers!

I'm hoping to join your ranks soon, I'm patiently awaiting the next round of Trapper Education courses and I plan to trap on some family owned land near Grassland targeting Coyotes.

Last year, we had a number of visits by bears intent on destruction. They destroyed a bunch of camping gear and managed to drag out and chew through 20+ sheets of styrofoam. (that wasn't a fun clean-up...) I'd like to remove those bears from the property, but I'm confused.

Reading the wildlife regulation, it says (in many more words):

• Wolf, Black Bear, and Coyote can be hunted without a license, but not trapped, on private property. (Section 7)
• a resident fur management license authorizes its holder to hunt fur-bearing animals, except otter and wolverine, on private property. (Section 36)
• You can only use a snare on coyotes, wolves, fox, bobcat, squirrel, weasel, and beaver under a resident fur management license. (Section 36)
• All traps have to comply with the AIHTS (black bears aren't a species listed on AIHTS)
• The definition of "Hunt" also includes 'to trap', unless it is specifically mentioned within the section it is used (ie: 'can be hunted, but not trapped')

Putting all that together, I think it means that as a land owner, with a resident fur management license, I can hunt and trap black bear without the use of a snare. I was hoping it would be clearer in the regulation for resident trappers like it is for registered trappers (ie: 6 black bears, hunted, but not trapped).

Can anyone set me on the right path if I'm way off? I don't want to get in any trouble with the fish cops, but I'd like to effectively get these bears removed.

Thanks!

Which "Wildlife Regs" are you reading? I'll admit that I haven't studied them much recently
but the part about bears does not seem right, nor does the part about some of the fur bearing animals, even on private property.
I'm sure that once you take the course and really study both the trapping and the hunting regs you'll have a much better understanding of whats legal or not.

Thanks for the reply waterninja! I was looking at the 2016 regulations, here's a link:
http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/1997_143.pdf

I was reading the "guidelines" but they didn't have detailed information, so I went straight to the source (the actual regulations), but that didn't really help either.

It seems confusing and round about, and you're absolutely right that the course should clear things up! I'm probably missing something critical.

I believe that only rfma holders can take up to 6 bears on their line.(by hunting) A Resident trapper would be limited to 2 bears under a hunting licence or predator control on private land. Again by hunting only.


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If you own the land you can hunt the problem bear (but not trap ) without a bear tag

Thank you guys! I appreciate your experience on this. :)

Out of curiously, do you know where in the regulations it says this? Or has it always been sort of an "unwritten" law?

It's all written in the regs.

From the trapping regs (pg 15)

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2017...b00f9be452.jpg

From the hunting regs (pg 34)

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2017...2eb77b09cc.jpg



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Correct, and there are no limits on how many you can hunt on private land.

A resident trapping license does not add anything to that or take anything away from it.

As a registered trapper I was allowed six bears from my trap line plus any number of bears from land I had right of access to.

I could not legally snare or trap Bears on my trapline or on private land.

Only government workers can do that.