Atten Alberta Hunters

Lazy Ike

Lazy Ike

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Near my still.
There may be a few guys over here who have not heard of the "Open Spaces" pilot program but in a nutshell it looks like :


"Open Spaces Alberta - Hunting for Habitat (HFH)

  • HFH unit is a group of landowners who form a unit of land
  • The HFH unit includes only private land and does not include any crown land (e.g. grazing leases
  • Minimum block size must be 20% of significant wildlife habitat of Wildlife Management Unit. HFH lands need not be contiguous.
  • Allocation to HFH unit for baseline:
  • If 20% of WMU then 15% of tag allocation
  • if 20-40% then 20% of tag allocation
  • If >40% of WMU then 25% of tag allocation
  • Only one HFH unit per WMU
  • HFH unit must provide comparable access to public hunters and anglers
  • HFH operates under the authority of a contract
  • HFH includes an access appeal process
  • High use lands must have an Access Management Plan
  • The base HFH unit allocation is for the five year trial period, subject to force majeure
  • An HFH unit may sell their tags to resident hunters or to guide/outfitters. The guide outfitters may market and sell tags the purchase to non-resident and non-resident alien hunters
  • Program is subject to audit
As one wise member of the OUTDOORSMENFORUM DOT CA wrote:

If you want to hunt every year, you PAY for that access. If you want access to these ranches "for free" through the draw process, your wait time nearly doubles to get drawn in the first place, and most importantly, there first must be those that are willing to pay for access in order to secure your "comparable access". There's no free lunch. No paid access = no access, period.
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There are a few of us who don't see this as an appealing future for hunting in our province.
 
rem338win said:
:mad:How in in the hell do we fight this retarded legislation?
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A letter to Ted and your MLA is a good start. There's an election brewing so they are probably listening (a little).

Also simply being informed and talking to your buddies. There is no press coverage at all and if it were not for a few dedicated outdoorsmen this would have been a done deal with no public involvement.
 
Lazy Ike said:
There may be a few guys over here who have not heard of the "Open Spaces" pilot program but in a nutshell it looks like :


"Open Spaces Alberta - Hunting for Habitat (HFH)

  • HFH unit is a group of landowners who form a unit of land
  • The HFH unit includes only private land and does not include any crown land (e.g. grazing leases
  • Minimum block size must be 20% of significant wildlife habitat of Wildlife Management Unit. HFH lands need not be contiguous.
  • Allocation to HFH unit for baseline:
  • If 20% of WMU then 15% of tag allocation
  • if 20-40% then 20% of tag allocation
  • If >40% of WMU then 25% of tag allocation
  • Only one HFH unit per WMU
  • HFH unit must provide comparable access to public hunters and anglers
  • HFH operates under the authority of a contract
  • HFH includes an access appeal process
  • High use lands must have an Access Management Plan
  • The base HFH unit allocation is for the five year trial period, subject to force majeure
  • An HFH unit may sell their tags to resident hunters or to guide/outfitters. The guide outfitters may market and sell tags the purchase to non-resident and non-resident alien hunters
  • Program is subject to audit
As one wise member of the OUTDOORSMENFORUM DOT CA wrote:

There are a few of us who don't see this as an appealing future for hunting in our province.
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I'm on that board as well (AO) and I've skimmed through the document that was posted and it sure doesn't sit well with me...too many loose ends, much like the IMHA. What is particularly disturbing is the impression one gets that the landowner group will be in charge of the dispersal (sale) of tags within that particular HFH, and that the Government will no longer sell the tags (draw or general season) for the area that the HFH is "managing" within the WMU. The HFH may also elect to sell more of the allocation to outfitters rather than resident hunters (up to 25% of the total tag allocation). Access for resident hunters and anglers seems to be addressed in the "RAMP" portion of the draft of the program but the resolution process for the HFH areas is not well documented. Currently we have quite a fight going on over denied access to a grazing lease which is now headed to court as the resolution process achieved nothing and the Government themselves had exhausted the previous avenues of mediation.

Until one can get the true intent of this program out into the open for public viewing and comment it appears to be a case of paid hunting arriving in Alberta.
 
Yup, and we can hunt cougar, grizz (sometimes) black bear, mulies, white tails, elk and moose, goats and sheep. Black bears are varmints on private property, coyotes can be hunted anytime, wolves whenever you're big game hunting. Without looking like the great pumpkin. Shoot varmints, anytime, anywhere, pretty much. Now if we can choke this crap off at the source (outfitters), we'll be ok. Oh, and no one here is whinging about handgun bans. lol. - dan
 
dan belisle said:
Yup, and we can hunt cougar, grizz (sometimes) black bear, mulies, white tails, elk and moose, goats and sheep. Black bears are varmints on private property, coyotes can be hunted anytime, wolves whenever you're big game hunting. Without looking like the great pumpkin. Shoot varmints, anytime, anywhere, pretty much. Now if we can choke this crap off at the source (outfitters), we'll be ok. Oh, and no one here is whinging about handgun bans. lol. - dan
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If this thing goes through the choking will become a lynching!
 
dan belisle said:
Yup, and we can hunt cougar, grizz (sometimes) black bear, mulies, white tails, elk and moose, goats and sheep. Black bears are varmints on private property, coyotes can be hunted anytime, wolves whenever you're big game hunting. Without looking like the great pumpkin. Shoot varmints, anytime, anywhere, pretty much. Now if we can choke this crap off at the source (outfitters), we'll be ok. Oh, and no one here is whinging about handgun bans. lol. - dan
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I don't believe it was started by the outfitters rather the big ranch landowners that have closed access to hunting in large areas of a couple WMU's. Looking to make some money as "compensation" for providing habitat for the wildlife.
 
agplant said:
I don't believe it was started by the outfitters rather the big ranch landowners that have closed access to hunting in large areas of a couple WMU's. Looking to make some money as "compensation" for providing habitat for the wildlife.
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Everything about this proposal has been far from clear and there are certainly hunters out there who are WAY more qualified to talk about this than I am but it looks like the only people who will benefit from this are a few Outfitters and a few Landowners.
 
FWIW, this type of thing has worked in several western states, most notably South Dakota, the ranchers were encouraged/paid to let the natural habitat return and in return they had to allow hunting access. Apparently it is considered a succes by all parties.
 
Camo tung

"What is particularly disturbing is the impression one gets that the landowner group will be in charge of the dispersal (sale) of tags within that particular HFH, and that the Government will no longer sell the tags (draw or general season) for the area that the HFH is "managing" within the WMU."

I think you have the wrong impression there. This is not the case. There will be regular licences and draw licences in these areas. And resident hunters with those types of licences will be allowed access on the lands of those involved in the HFH program.

Robin in Rocky
 
Duffy said:
Camo tung

"What is particularly disturbing is the impression one gets that the landowner group will be in charge of the dispersal (sale) of tags within that particular HFH, and that the Government will no longer sell the tags (draw or general season) for the area that the HFH is "managing" within the WMU."

I think you have the wrong impression there. This is not the case. There will be regular licences and draw licences in these areas. And resident hunters with those types of licences will be allowed access on the lands of those involved in the HFH program.

Robin in Rocky
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From what I can see this program will increase the number of tags going to non residents. I am not for that at all. Only if the guided portion of this was removed I would support it.
 
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