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Old 03-24-2017, 02:07 PM
114239 114239 is offline
 
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Default Need help! - Trapping Public waters in Alberta

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!!
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Old 03-24-2017, 02:43 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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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!
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:33 PM
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Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
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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.
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:51 PM
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KegRiver KegRiver is offline
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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.
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Old 03-24-2017, 06:14 PM
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PCP_ECOM PCP_ECOM is offline
 
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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
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Old 03-24-2017, 10:23 PM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
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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.
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Old 03-25-2017, 01:20 AM
114239 114239 is offline
 
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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.
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Old 03-25-2017, 08:51 PM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
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Yep exactly. If you can stay within the high water mark and you don't have to trespass to access it and nobody else is trapping it...I would just trap it and keep track of your honest intentions and attempts at following the "rules" which aren't even mentioned in the regulations about access to crown lands. I know the process to do a search but if no one is trained or even aware how to handle such a request In a professional manner then I guess we see them in court...waste more time and fuel getting the run around than any fur you are likely to catch.
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Old 03-25-2017, 09:05 PM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
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I go about it like it's a job and trap hard and minimize my expenses because of work. I like to put up big numbers in a short period of time when conditions are favorable and in my area it's about three weeks of prime fall water trapping. Then the snow makes it tough until the ice gets thick. No time to play games and get the run around when deer season is on and the officers are hopefully busy. If a shoreline is private land I would get the permission regardless of if you trap it or not and stay within the high water mark and trap the whole water body if they don't do a 5 dollar search for you.
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Old 03-25-2017, 09:36 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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I'm wondering how they'd ever charge you with anything if they don't know whether or not they can give you permission in the first place.

The only thing that my district office was concerned with was me having landowner permission for access. As far as trapping the slough, it wasn't an issue.

It seems to me like there is no set answer and it depends on who you talk with at what district office. One member here was even told that he had to pay per acre that he was trapping, others have stated that they had a permission slip signed by their area Bio. Me, I have an email stating that I'm good to go with landowner's permission to access. That's Good enough for me.
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Old 03-26-2017, 12:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pikeman06 View Post
Yep exactly. If you can stay within the high water mark and you don't have to trespass to access it and nobody else is trapping it...I would just trap it and keep track of your honest intentions and attempts at following the "rules" which aren't even mentioned in the regulations about access to crown lands. I know the process to do a search but if no one is trained or even aware how to handle such a request In a professional manner then I guess we see them in court...waste more time and fuel getting the run around than any fur you are likely to catch.
And if another trapper went through the process and has legal permission to trap that same public land, then what?
How would you know?

There is a process and it's pretty simple. Fill out the WA 19a forms and submit them to your local F&W, or the closest F&W office.

They do the search and it is them who grant or deny permission.
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Old 03-26-2017, 12:10 PM
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I'm wondering how they'd ever charge you with anything if they don't know whether or not they can give you permission in the first place.
All it would take is for one animal rights nut to see you packing a dead critter or a trap along the lake or slough or road leading to that body of water and SRD would find out who has permission and in the process who is responsable for granting permission, PDQ.
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Old 03-26-2017, 01:06 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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Originally Posted by KegRiver View Post
All it would take is for one animal rights nut to see you packing a dead critter or a trap along the lake or slough or road leading to that body of water and SRD would find out who has permission and in the process who is responsable for granting permission, PDQ.
There's none of that animal rights nonsense around here, Keg, and the two district offices that I deal with are very supportive of trapping. Besides, the animal rights activists would be too busy harping on the duck and goose hunters to ever worry about me trapping a few muskrats.....lol. Those types would not last long around here.
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Old 03-26-2017, 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by HunterDave View Post
There's none of that animal rights nonsense around here, Keg, and the two district offices that I deal with are very supportive of trapping. Besides, the animal rights activists would be too busy harping on the duck and goose hunters to ever worry about me trapping a few muskrats.....lol. Those types would not last long around here.
You are lucky.

I've run into them every place I've been. Most are not involved in any organization, they live normal lives. But they buy into that BS and think they have a duty to enforce laws that do not exist.

Here, the most strident of that type is a local land owner and exotic bird breeder.
She's well known in the community for going ballistic if she encounters any outdoorsman, be that hunter, fisherman or trapper.

She has reported many a local for doing nothing more then packing a rifle, on their own property.

The odd thing is, her offspring are nothing like her in that regard. Some are even sportsman in their own right.
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Old 03-27-2017, 11:34 AM
Whitetail200 Whitetail200 is offline
 
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Default Public waters

Can be a challenge , especially if a government body is evolved regarding the water but not owning the land surrounding the body of water which I found out a few years ago , just was a no go , so gave up & moved on . All my water bodies for muskrat & one with beaver are on private land so its easier, Form WA 19 filled out for permission & carry on . Was checked by F & W officers on one of my swamps which comes close to a road . Checked form & my licence & after a little conversation thanked me & we both went our ways .
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Old 03-27-2017, 10:23 PM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
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Easy now guys... I told you that I was fully aware and fully prepared to do a title search and had done my research o.k? The rest is up to them as that is what they are supposed to be trained and educated and prepared to handle. I have the l.s.d, the five dollars for the search and and county map in my hand. I told you how the lady in the f&w office handled it. END of story. Like I said it was all documented and if we go to court then fine. I don't trespass and water is crown especially when bordered by crown. I have no time to educate government employees on the process and procedures of a simple frigging title search fellow trappers. Especially the way it was handled that day... come along with me and witness it yourselves. Good for you guys who have people to deal with that actually know what you are talking about... obviously I did not, and was certainly not going to be lead down an endless road of voice mails and "maybe try this number" crap.
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Old 03-27-2017, 10:38 PM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
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And as the original poster has said his requests have been un answered aswell if a guy is trying to play by the rules for gods sake pick up the phone and return his call and show a little interest in his intentions of obtaining permission. Like the other dude and myself said absolutely get permission for access and any private shoreline property but the big water will usually show a crown easement around the shores anyway. And if I ran into another trapper we would probably team up and split the catch. Sorry for the lack of drama. It just ain't there.
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Old 04-17-2017, 02:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 114239 View Post
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.
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Old 04-20-2017, 09:27 AM
bill9044 bill9044 is offline
 
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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
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