Need help! - Trapping Public waters in Alberta

[114239]

Hey guys,

I have a itch to get out trapping muskrats this spring and was trying to find what the laws are regarding trapping on public lakes and rivers with a resident fur management licence. I have had a good read over the Wildlife Act and cannot find what i'm looking for. I have talked with 3 different Fish and Wildlife Officers none of which had even close to the same ideas..... which gives a great impression on the service they are providing.

So I will be contacting F&W again in the next few days but I was looking for anyone who has any information on this topic or traps themselves on public waters in Alberta that could help me out. (citation from specific Alberta legislation would be perfect)

Thanks in advance!!

[HunterDave]

You need the okay from F&W to cover your butt. For sure they will want you to have permission for access from a landowner who borders the body of water. I prefer to correspond with F&W via email so you have a record of the approval by them. Good luck!

[Red Bullets]

My take on trapping on public water would be like public lands. This is the way it was 15 years ago so I don't think that has changed. It is sort of obscure nowadays...

If a resident trapper wants to trap on public land they have to go to land titles, find the land location and show there are no resident trappers trapping that public land or that the said public land is not part of a registered trapline. Then the resident trapper can apply to be able to trap that property through F&W.

If that public land property is part of a waterbody it might give you the rights to trap that section of the waterbody shoreline. If a lake is surrounded by private lands with only the lake being public I don't think F&W would give permission to trap.

An example would be... by Drayton valley there is 3 sections of crown land adjoined to private lands on all sides. A resident trapper could apply to get the right to trap that crown land. If there was a 40 acre lake/slough on that crown land fur management may allow beaver or muskrat trapping but F&W biologists might also only allow terrestrial trapping.

For the best answer don't just call the F&W offices and talk to CO's. Call senior management of the fur management division of F&W and ask for a proper procedure, answer or definition. They will tell you if a resident trapper can still trap public lands this way.

[KegRiver]

You will need to fill out and submit to the local SRD office, a WA 19A form for each quarter section you wish to trap.

They will check if anyone else has rights to trap that quarter and if not, they will grant you written permission to trap, that quarter only.
Actually they just sign the WA 19a form and hand it back to you.
It becomes your written permission.


They will do this with each application for each quarter you wish to trap.
The process usually takes only a few days.


WA 19A forms can be picked up at any SRD office and you may be able to find them online and download a copy and then print your own.

You can not get permission to trap the whole body of water with one form.

I used to do this quite a lot when I couldn't access my registered line during freezup.

[PCP_ECOM]

I go into F&W and tell them what lakes I wish to trap on,i pay 5 bucks to do land search,then they mailed me my permission to trap water body with all sections which apply and I highlight on a map pretty easy actually

[pikeman06]

Ya. No. I did the same fir a big water body with a road as a border on one side and the rest was green crown on the county map would have never had to set foot on private land went prepared to wetaskiwin f & w fully aware of the process. She just shrugged it off on the next f&w that we both knew full well was closed in camrose and then told me about a biologist in vermillion that I might get an answer from...this was the same day I was purchasing my license. I knew about the title search etc and was fully prepared and that was what I got...total joke. Didn't have a clue and no officer present so she just sent me on a wild goose chase for the hell of it instead of get on the phone and help a guy.

[114239]

Thanks guys, this is exactly what I was looking for. unrtortunatly between 3 different offices not one officer was able to give me even a close response to what you guys have. ill go for a little visit with my local office tomorrow.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by 114239

Hey guys,

I have a itch to get out trapping muskrats this spring and was trying to find what the laws are regarding trapping on public lakes and rivers with a resident fur management licence. I have had a good read over the Wildlife Act and cannot find what i'm looking for. I have talked with 3 different Fish and Wildlife Officers none of which had even close to the same ideas..... which gives a great impression on the service they are providing.

So I will be contacting F&W again in the next few days but I was looking for anyone who has any information on this topic or traps themselves on public waters in Alberta that could help me out. (citation from specific Alberta legislation would be perfect)

Thanks in advance!!

Follow some of the advice here, you might be asking a question to a officer who never been down that road, work together with them to obtain all that you require to legally trap, it might take a few calls, maybe a senior officer to set all straight and then at least the junior officer is now in the know for the future. As with all occupations sometimes something pops up out of the norm so work together of obtaining legal rights to trap, this will benefit all involved.

[bill9044]

How did you make out talking with the F&W. I would concur with most on this forum. Take the WA19 form into the office. I've never had to do a land title search it maybe more in the north where traplines are entrenched on all crown lands pike man has better knowledge on that system than me. But get it all in writing. The F&W will follow up antis complaint's and if they can ticket they will. Another solution call F&W head office in Edmonton. It may take a bit but they will get back to you.

In my experience every office and officer has a different interpretation of the trapping regs. The WA19 form is the only thing I have needed to cover my butt. Please follow the rules as a trapping community in AB we don't need any black eyes that cause the government to make knee jerk rule changes that affect everyone.

Happy trapping
Bill