ATV's and wolf/coyote hunting

[Alberta bull hunter]

Hi guy's, maybe this has been asked before but i can't seem to find any good threads on here with a solid answer. I was wondering about riding a sled or quad into an area I wanted to try calling for wolves or coyotes obviously carrying a rifle. I know i could go in early and be parked 1 hour before sunrise and be safe, but i would prefer to ride in the daylight, and where i want to go would be quite the hike in the snow. Now i found this statement in the regs,

Hunting with Motorized Vehicles
It is unlawful to
• discharge a weapon at antelope from within 46 m (50 yards) of a vehicle;
• use motorized travel within Willmore Wilderness Park; and
• carry a weapon (see definition) on an OHV between 1 hour before sunrise and the following noon during an open season for big game* on public land in the following WMUs: 102-166, 200-260, 300-351, 354-360, 400-446, 507, 508, 514, 521, 522, 526 and 841. This does not apply to a person who is traveling on a direct route to or from a location accessible by vehicles designed for highway travel and his or her isolated campsite, and the weapons and ammunition are carried out of view in separate locked containers (and remain locked during the trip). Also, the restriction does not apply in a WMU when the only big game season open is a spring black bear season.
* this restriction applies to all hunters (including bird game hunters).


What i have in question is the part near the end of the paragraph where it says "Also, the restriction does not apply in a WMU when the only big game season open is a spring black bear season."

I know in the WMU that i plan to go to the late season elk hunt will be over tomorrow so on the weekend I am safe there, however there is still a cougar season open. Does a cougar and or a wolf count as a big game animal? If so then I guess I would be out of luck for riding until noon, but if not then I guess with no big game season open I should be safe. So maybe someone will have a quick simple answer for me here.

Thanks in advance.

[58thecat]

Call F&W. Seeking advice here will or can end up really goofy.

[Ranch11]

If you're driving into a set, you're already busted. Too noisy

[Alberta bull hunter]

Originally Posted by Ranch11

If you're driving into a set, you're already busted. Too noisy

I haven't gone out before specifically for predators, so do you figure if i sled down an old road that isn't maintained/ no traffic for 5 kms or so to get closer to where i want to go and then walk from there another 500 yards or possibly more to get to a nice spot to set up will i be too noisy then?

[Alberta bull hunter]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Call F&W. Seeking advice here will or can end up really goofy.

Fair enough, thanks for the advice. Maybe I will try to get ahold of them tomorrow and find out.

[KBF]

Wasn't there a proposal a couple years ago about allowing OHV use legal before noon during cougar seasons? I might be losing it

[Yaha Tinda]

Does a cougar and or a wolf count as a big game animal?

No, i don' believe a wolf is considered as big game, cougar yes. Just a guess.

[Yaha Tinda]

.....OHV use legal before noon during cougar seasons

They added cougar to the exemption a few years ago.

[Alberta bull hunter]

Originally Posted by Yaha Tinda

They added cougar to the exemption a few years ago.

Looks like you are correct, it got me thinking again so i went to fish and wildlife website and eventually followed the link to the regs. Did some more reading and found this, (I just shortened it this time for ease of reading)

big game* on public land in the following WMUs: 102-166, 200-260,
300-351, 354-360, 400-446, 507, 508, 514, 521, 522, 526 and 841. This
does not apply to a person who is traveling on a direct route to or from
a location accessible by vehicles designed for highway travel and his or
her isolated campsite, and the weapons and ammunition are carried out of
view in separate locked containers (and remain locked during the trip).
Also, the restriction does not apply in a WMU when the only big game
season open is a spring black bear season or a cougar season.
* this restriction applies to all hunters (including bird game hunters)

This is the current regs and it has the cougar included in it. What i pasted the other day maybe was from old regs, I guess I wasn't paying enough attention.

If anyone else has the same question as me please don't take my word for it, I would take a look for yourself so you know you are right. But this is what I found anyway.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

[Ranch11]

Originally Posted by Alberta bull hunter

I haven't gone out before specifically for predators, so do you figure if i sled down an old road that isn't maintained/ no traffic for 5 kms or so to get closer to where i want to go and then walk from there another 500 yards or possibly more to get to a nice spot to set up will i be too noisy then?

In my experience, yes. You won't believe how noisy an atv is. And how good their hearing is.

[TBark]

We're you asking if it's ok to quad or sled with a rifle before noon ?
Looks like ur good to go, last cow elk season is over tomorrow.

TBark

[Alberta bull hunter]

Originally Posted by TBark

We're you asking if it's ok to quad or sled with a rifle before noon ?
Looks like ur good to go, last cow elk season is over tomorrow.

TBark

You bet thanks, I had heard about the cougar season exemption but it didn't show in the regs the first time i read it. I think it must have been an old copy though. After double checking this years it says good to go.