The Sask government pays farmers for wildlife damage, they don't lose anything.
New Sask land access rules
- Thread starter powdergun
- Start date
The Sask government pays farmers for wildlife damage, they don't lose anything.
Seems odd to me that people feel it’s ok to trespass on private land in the rural areas but would get their undies in a knot if they came home and found a farmer in the hot tub! Have always needed permission in Manitoba as long as I’ve been hunting.
As usual, it is more complicated in practice, than the initial plan to ensure the courtesy to landowners of asking permission. With the proliferation of numbered companies, and RM offices not releasing landowner contact information, it has gotten harder to find out who to call. I have seen no improvement in signage, giving landowner contact information.
Some landowners are sick and tired of phone calls asking for permission. Some have traditionally allowed access once the crop is off and the gates are open, and find the calls a nuisance.
Some landowners are very happy to see the possibility of charges against trespassers.
The problem of outfitters tying up land, preventing residents from access, has been with us for a long time, and will not be going away anytime soon.
I doubt that the new law will make any real changes to the situation of trespass during hunting season, without a massive enforcement effort.
It has always been relatively easy to get permission in rural Saskatchewan for those who are polite, and relatively hard in the areas close to Saskatoon and Regina.
I know places where the problem trespassers are the drinking/driving/run 'em down in the headlights, good old boys who are actually the landowner's neighbours, and not the city slickers so often blamed.
Those of us who have always asked permission are unlikely to see much difference.
Some landowners are sick and tired of phone calls asking for permission. Some have traditionally allowed access once the crop is off and the gates are open, and find the calls a nuisance.
Some landowners are very happy to see the possibility of charges against trespassers.
The problem of outfitters tying up land, preventing residents from access, has been with us for a long time, and will not be going away anytime soon.
I doubt that the new law will make any real changes to the situation of trespass during hunting season, without a massive enforcement effort.
It has always been relatively easy to get permission in rural Saskatchewan for those who are polite, and relatively hard in the areas close to Saskatoon and Regina.
I know places where the problem trespassers are the drinking/driving/run 'em down in the headlights, good old boys who are actually the landowner's neighbours, and not the city slickers so often blamed.
Those of us who have always asked permission are unlikely to see much difference.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
It's quite a simple solution really.
Private land is only to be hunted by the owner or direct family or invitation only.
It's privately owned for a reason.
Either you buy land to hunt on or stay the F off, there is plenty of crown land , many hunters are just notoriously lazy.
Caught on private land either hunting or "looking around" loss of hunting privileges permanently as well as property related to the act.
I know I'm not allowed in my neighbors house to raid the fridge, why is it so hard for people to grasp the concept of private land ownership?
Not yours? Stay off.
Private land is only to be hunted by the owner or direct family or invitation only.
It's privately owned for a reason.
Either you buy land to hunt on or stay the F off, there is plenty of crown land , many hunters are just notoriously lazy.
Caught on private land either hunting or "looking around" loss of hunting privileges permanently as well as property related to the act.
I know I'm not allowed in my neighbors house to raid the fridge, why is it so hard for people to grasp the concept of private land ownership?
Not yours? Stay off.
What it does change is now land owners that welcomed hunters and didn't post their land have had their land "posted" by the government.
For me the biggest threat is the road hunters. It is a practice among some hunter to drive the grid roads and trails and when an animal is seen roll down the window and shoot or quickly jump out and shoot. ( That is a whole other issue). Then you get the "well it was on the road allowance and walked on you land and died on your land" excuse. On the home quarter there are places on the road you cannot see buildings but a bullet could certainly rip through the trees and heaven forbid hit someone.
I do not even hunt myself on the home quarter because I never know if my son, nephew, etc.. are riding the quad or doing something else in places I cannot see. I was hoping that this new set of rules was in place at least the good hunters would automatically ask and not road hunt around us. Guess I will have to put the signs up before the deer season starts.
I do not even hunt myself on the home quarter because I never know if my son, nephew, etc.. are riding the quad or doing something else in places I cannot see. I was hoping that this new set of rules was in place at least the good hunters would automatically ask and not road hunt around us. Guess I will have to put the signs up before the deer season starts.
There's enough confusion to go around, and ultimately some judge is going to have to sort it.
The changes are to the Trespass act. The Wildlife act, Snowmobile Act and ATV specifically over-ride the trespass act in some defined situations and they were not amended. SERM went as far as explaining that on their website, before abruptly taking that down and taking the new position that that land not being posted doesn't imply consent. There's some weasel words in play there, since the Wildlife act doesn't imply anything it flat out says it. In the meantime SERM never met a fine it didn't like, and it is widely believed that they jerk each other off whenever a ticket is written.
In the meantime; don't believe the synopis, it isn't the act and they are known to sneak some deliberate "errors" into it.
The new rule, if it in fact the rule isn't being enforced because the natives are contesting it and SERM is scared spitless of which way a precedent setting case would go.
The changes are to the Trespass act. The Wildlife act, Snowmobile Act and ATV specifically over-ride the trespass act in some defined situations and they were not amended. SERM went as far as explaining that on their website, before abruptly taking that down and taking the new position that that land not being posted doesn't imply consent. There's some weasel words in play there, since the Wildlife act doesn't imply anything it flat out says it. In the meantime SERM never met a fine it didn't like, and it is widely believed that they jerk each other off whenever a ticket is written.
In the meantime; don't believe the synopis, it isn't the act and they are known to sneak some deliberate "errors" into it.
The new rule, if it in fact the rule isn't being enforced because the natives are contesting it and SERM is scared spitless of which way a precedent setting case would go.
So for once the government did it’s job and protected landowners from trespassers
Stop sniveling and go ask for permission like you should have
I'm just going to guess that you're not a landowner then eh?
I highly doubt there are many landowners out there who have issues with the change.
I don't know why SERM is worried about precedent setting case because even before all of these changes native hunters still needed permission to hunt on private land when they are exercising their treaty rights. At least that is the interpretation of the laws that I have always been familiar with.
I find around here road hunting is the worst in the regular elk season. It seems like that is when aĺl the idiots come out of the woodwork. The fact that regular elk is also on during harvest makes it a bit of a gong show. This year was not as busy for road hunting around here I noticed so far.
WMZ 48. I once saw like 7 trucks on one road in September 15th. Insane.
It would be great if the new access rules had some actual penalties behind them. Realistically if someone is trespassing all that’s gonna happen might be a polite warning from a CO or RCMP about asking for permission. We’ve had a lot of problems with hunters driving through our fields to make a lap around every slough or patch of trees to try and flush out deer or moose. Found plenty of tracks in my barley fields this year before I got to them with the combine. At one point we had a hunter flag down my dad in the combine and he wanted us to shut down harvest so he could shoot an antelope that was in our field. He got all pouty when we refused.
And yes I do hunt myself. I’m just respectful enough to stick to land I own, my family owns, or land I know I have permission to be on.
And yes I do hunt myself. I’m just respectful enough to stick to land I own, my family owns, or land I know I have permission to be on.
Not sure about online but in Sask you could go to most municipal offices and get a map with every quarter and it's owner listed. They weren't the best maps but had what you needed.
Around here there is pretty easy access to crown land and a lot of it borders the farmland so a little walking around in the summer and not hard to get a good spot for a stand or two.
Tip: Pea fields are your best friend. lol...
Those maps are often available online too from the county web page.
No need to ask, I have thousands of acres that were up until now open to all hunters.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Funny, where hunt in Saskatchewan no one gives a dusty #### if you are on their field once the crop is off. That's always been the key...crop being off. Guys that don't want you on their land post it, guys that don't care don't post it. Not sure about other areas, but where I hunt this is just something to make life more difficult for everyone.
