For clarification, in the province of Alberta outfitters are granted approximately 5% of licenses that are on draw allocation. The huge unfairness lies in the way the tags to outfitters are distributed. Outfitters are issued a given number of tags for what is called a Species Management Area. A Species Management Area is a large geographic area that has within it several Wildlife Management Units. The unfairness lies in the fact that outfitters are entitled and allowed by our Government to take high numbers of tags from within some WMUs, and take low numbers of tags from other WMUs. As a result, in the more productive WMUs, outfitters are taking a high percentage of the total tags issued. This leaves fewer tags for residents. A good example can be found in WMU 302. Outfitters were issued 18 tags for antlered mule deer this year and residents were issued 17 tags. Who can argue this situation is fair, just or reasonable. I maintain that if the 5% guideline for outfitter tags is to be applied, it should be applied to all WMUs across the province. It goes without saying, as a result of this flawed allocation system, residents hunters must wait many years under the priority system to ever receive a tag in some of these WMUs, while the outfitters are able to thrive and profit year after year.
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Ranger
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