Indigenous hunting
- Thread starter RightWingIndian
- Start date
Does anyone know what the rules are for status indians hunting in another province? I live in BC and my friend in Alberta wants to hunt moose next season. He's a licensed gun owners and had his hunting license. I'm just curious to know how it works being an indian and being exempt from licensing.
Just for clarification, you are status live in BC and you have a friend that lives in Alberta and is a licensed hunter, so I'm assuming he's non status and you two want to hunt together in BC?
As some have said, most jurisdictions do not allow this for obvious reasons. It has affected and prevented me from hunting with friends, close friends over the years but I won't get into that.
As has been mentioned, Ontario is different, and you are only allowed to hunt within your Treaty area, but permission can be granted from a first nation within a treaty area you wish to hunt in. In the prairie provinces, we have the Natural Resource Transfer Act, so in Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the NRTA states "any Indian" so "any Indian" from coast to coast can hunt in the prairie provinces under a status card. About 10 years ago, there was a movement by the 3 prairie provinces to implement the Ontario model, Alberta was in the midst of an election that saw the NDP win, so they backed away, Manitoba had lost a couple court challenges so they backed away and Saskatchewan was the only province that moved forward with that mindset. Saskatchewan has stuck to this model and have lost a couple lower court decisions but I do believe they are appealing.
I have no idea what the rules are in BC, I was invited by a first nation I met on the 3D circuit from there to hunt cougar with my long bow many years ago, but I had no desire to shoot a cat up in a tree and highly suspected my flat lander legs and lungs would have been challenged by the terrain.
Its an archaic decision in my mind that you can't hunt with your friends, one that can be resolved with some common sense. I do not need a license but I have asked for one in areas that required draws so I can hunt with friends and I was denied. So I ran and continue to run the risk.
I too appreciate the civility regarding the discussion, more often than not these discussions turn into a sh_t show with no resolutions.
My thoughts on the matter.
I phoned and specifically asked if I could hunt in Alberta during the hunting season as a non resident status indian and he said yes. He went further and said the season and bag limits wouldn't apply on crown land either. I didn't have time to ask about hunting with a person that has his hunting license and tags during the season. I'll be asking that before any plans are made. I also need to phone the BC CFO and see what the answer is about me hunting with non status friends that have their license and tags.
kiomosabe I hope that answered your post as well. Thanks for the reply.
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Yes, thank you
"Just for clarification, you are status live in BC and you have a friend that lives in Alberta and is a licensed hunter, so I'm assuming he's non status and you two want to hunt together in BC?"
Together in Alberta during the season.
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As was also suggested, be careful, if you get an overzealous CO, he may take his ticket book out and issue tickets. The difference between conservation laws and criminal law is, conservation tends to operate like throwing wet rice against the wall and see what sticks at the end of the day. Not as stringent as criminal law. A licensed hunter is "not supposed to assist you in the hunt" assist can be defined as calling, flushing, chasing, or anything else they deem as "assisting" that particular day. They can assist "after" you have harvested your animal. But even that is up in the air.
if an overzealous CO is encountered and the hunter is a status indian , hunting legally as per territorial, provincial and federal rules..... that CO can be liable personally for charges of interfering with a lawful hunt as well as charges for violation of rights under S35. I know of one such case here in my area that did not go well for the "overzealous" CO involved and I see he has been transfered out or perhaps retired.
It pays to know your rights on the land. I am a "status" Metis citizen but have no defined hunting rights in BC. That said there are 2 First Nations bands in region 6 that have registered me in thier local systems so my metis card gets me some perks when I am shopping for fuel and groceries and such. I also have letters of permission to hunt thier respective territories though as a condition I have to check in with the band office before taking them up on the privledge as things change year to year with conservation concerns. Generally I have permission to harvest a bull moose and black bears. I am allowed to do this out of season and hunt with band members in august but I have yet to take them up on that offer. I would be violating BC's wildlife act in doing so though I would not be in violation of the spirit of S35..... it's a conundrum and I decided to err on the side of caution and just play by the BC hunting rules ..... for now.
My Dad's family was originally from Alberta and our family line descends from Chief Little Hunter of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, signatory of Treaty 6. Some Metis folks from BC that I know actually travel to alberta every year to hunt in treaty 6 lands..... I haven't really bothered to go down that route as I have good success filling freezer as it is. One day though..... if BC keeps heading into more restrictive hunting regulation..... I may just have to buy some land somewhere near our family's ancestral lands. Why we don't have full "indian Status" still blows my mind...... it's all government phuckery LOL
