Noob question

bluesteelcrush · #1 09-06-2016, 02:33 PM

Hi. I am fairly new to this and I want to hunt this year. I have my PAL/RPAL and a win card. I found this page

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/huntingregs/

But I need some clarification on a few things. I'm probably going to be by myself as usual so I'm only looking to hunt ducks, pheasants and whatever other birds I can legally shoot and eat and carry out on my own.

1. Is taking a hunting safety course absolutely necessary (by necessary I mean is it required by law?)

2. I was under the impression that, you get your hunting license, tags, and permission from the land owner and you're good to go? T or F?

3. Can I just walk into Bass Pro or Wholesale and get a license and some tags with my win card? Or do I need to take the hunting safety course first?

4. Is crown land different than wildlife management units?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks for any advice/clarification.

Okotokian · #2 09-06-2016, 02:37 PM

yes
true
the latter
yes

As a Newbie you need to get your hunter education, then you can get your hunting licenses. WMU's cover all land in Alberta and contain both public and private land.

Read this now from cover to cover, before you get jumped all over.
http://albertaregulations.ca/huntingregs/

Honestly, I'd also recommend you read the Firearms Act (Federal) and the Alberta Wildlife Act as well. They are the basis of what you see in the Regulations.
Good luck and good hunting!

elkhunter1234 · #3 09-06-2016, 02:42 PM

All your questions and many more will be answered when you take your first time Hunter education course.. Yes it is a Mandatory Course before you can hunt in Alberta.. You can ether contact a local fish & game club to see if they have a course planned or you can take it online for $80 I believe..

Jim...

bluesteelcrush · #4 09-06-2016, 02:46 PM

Thank you, now that I know it is a legal requirement, I will sign up for the course.

elkhunter11 · #5 09-06-2016, 02:47 PM

1) T

2)F

3)F,T

4)F

You really need to take the course and then read the regulations very carefully a few times. Then come back here to ask about the things that you still don't understand.

Dick284 · #6 09-06-2016, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter1234

All your questions and many more will be answered when you take your first time Hunter education course.. Yes it is a Mandatory Course before you can hunt in Alberta.. You can ether contact a local fish & game club to see if they have a course planned or you can take it online for $80 I believe..

Jim...

Actually a lot of what he's asking isn't covered in the course. The course is very unchanged from the one I took in 1977. It doesn't talk about WMU's, WIN cards or the course being manditory for first time hunters. I know this as fact because my son completed the course online 5 years ago and my daughter did the online course 6 or 7 years ago.

To the OP.
Take both your hunters Ed, and firearms safety course. Dig into the regs and keep asking the inane questions.
Also try to find a mentor, there's a sticky up top in this section for that.

elkhunter1234 · #7 09-06-2016, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick284

Actually a lot of what he's asking isn't covered in the course. The course is very unchanged from the one I took in 1977. It doesn't talk about WMU's, WIN cards or the course being manditory for first time hunters. I know this as fact because my son completed the course online 5 years ago and my daughter did the online course 6 or 7 years ago.

To the OP.
Take both your hunters Ed, and firearms safety course. Dig into the regs and keep asking the inane questions.
Also try to find a mentor, there's a sticky up top in this section for that.

I guess it depends on who is putting the course on. I have been an instructor since 1985 and have put well over 1,000 kids and adults through the course and I can garintee you that anyone taking the course from me will know all the questions the OP asked plus many many more not covered in the manual...
Plus he said he has a PAL and RPAL so I'm guessing he already has taken the Canadian firearms safety course..

Jim..

Okotokian · #8 09-06-2016, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

1) T

2)F

3)F,T

4)F

You really need to take the course and then read the regulations very carefully a few times. Then come back here to ask about the things that you still don't understand.

"2. I was under the impression that, you get your hunting license, tags, and permission from the land owner and you're good to go? T or F?

How is that false elk? If you have your license, you've done your course.

bluesteelcrush · #9 09-06-2016, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian

"2. I was under the impression that, you get your hunting license, tags, and permission from the land owner and you're good to go? T or F?

How is that false elk? If you have your license, you've done your course.

Poorly worded question, my bad

Doing the course online at this very moment.

Nyksta · #10 09-06-2016, 05:39 PM

Hunting is fun and great source of meat, but part of it is killing an animal. Please make sure you are practiced with your weapon and know where the vital organs are so that you can make a clean ethical kill. And once the animal is down, be properly equipped to get the meat home without it spoiling. Pulling the trigger is easy, finding the downed animal and getting the meat home is the hard part.

If you are asking the questions about what you need before you are allowed to hunt, have you researched the local butchers that will assist you in processing any meat?

elkhunter11 · #11 09-06-2016, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian

"2. I was under the impression that, you get your hunting license, tags, and permission from the land owner and you're good to go? T or F?

How is that false elk? If you have your license, you've done your course.

You don't get your hunting license , and tags from the landowner, only the permission. The way he chose to word the question was very poor.

And 4 is definitely false, whether crown land or private, it's still part of a wmu.

bluesteelcrush · #12 09-06-2016, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyksta

Hunting is fun and great source of meat, but part of it is killing an animal. Please make sure you are practiced with your weapon and know where the vital organs are so that you can make a clean ethical kill. And once the animal is down, be properly equipped to get the meat home without it spoiling. Pulling the trigger is easy, finding the downed animal and getting the meat home is the hard part.

If you are asking the questions about what you need before you are allowed to hunt, have you researched the local butchers that will assist you in processing any meat?

I've had my PAL/RPAL for almost 3 years. I have not had nearly enough rifle practice to say I am confident to humanely and properly kill anything. So no bigger game until I have proper skills and friends. I will not be hunting anything but waterfowl and whatever birds I can legally hunt for now. The bright side is I am fairly confident in my shotgun skills (I've been doing well with sporting clays lately) and I am in military-grade physical condition as fitness is the biggest part of my life so carrying out (hopefully) several to a dozen birds won't be an issue and as far as processing, I'm not squeamish and I'll learn. My uncle is a seasoned hunter of 40+ years, so once I have my course and license I will keep pestering him to bring me along when it's time to go for deer or elk.

DisplacedCaper · #13 09-07-2016, 04:01 PM

Regardless of the legality the hunters Ed course, it is really good anyways. I took mine through AHEIA. You can google them.
I don't have much time to get out these days, but am hoping to get a couple of afternoons in October for grouse. I see your in the Calgary area, if your good with no drugs or alcohol and strict firearms rules, send me a pm and we can have a chat about you coming with if you like. But no guarantees that I'll even have a chance to get out lol

bluesteelcrush · #14 09-07-2016, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DisplacedCaper

Regardless of the legality the hunters Ed course, it is really good anyways. I took mine through AHEIA. You can google them.
I don't have much time to get out these days, but am hoping to get a couple of afternoons in October for grouse. I see your in the Calgary area, if your good with no drugs or alcohol and strict firearms rules, send me a pm and we can have a chat about you coming with if you like. But no guarantees that I'll even have a chance to get out lol

Thanks! I'm more than good with no drugs and alcohol. I'm 41, I don't smoke anything and barely drink at the best of times and to me firearms are a privilege not a right so I take safety very seriously. I am currently in the process of taking the course online through AHEIA. Let you know when I'm done!

DisplacedCaper · #15 09-07-2016, 07:06 PM

No worries! I have to ask, cause you never know.
When you finish up the course pm me and we'll figure something out

Good luck!

Okotokian · #16 09-08-2016, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

And 4 is definitely false, whether crown land or private, it's still part of a wmu.

LOL but he asked if they were different. That's like asking if a car and a steering wheel are different. They aren't the same, they are different. A steering wheel is in a car, like crown land is in an WMU. But it's not the same as a WMU.

man, look what poorly constructed questions have us doing! LOL