Can you shoot pen-raised game birds off season?

There are licensed shooting grounds in Alberta that can do this. Not sure how onerous the licensing process is. Wessex game birds is one such. They raise pheasants for the release program but also sell birds for released bird hunts or dog training on their property. No bag limits, no season. When we went we just had to keep our receipt to show where the birds came from.
 
A know of an acquaintance that got into a sticky legal predicament on this issue, so I don't have firsthand details. But, the defence argument that was made was based on pheasants being a non-native species, that there were never pheasant release programs anywhere near the area where he was raising and hunting the birds, and all activities were conducted on private land, so that this was not an issue of poaching or hunting out of season, or hunting without a license. Apparently the lawyer also jokingly made a point of referring to pheasants as an invasive species and the landowner having a responsibility towards controlling escapees.
 
(d) promotes, arranges, conducts, assists in, receives money for or takes part in any meeting, competition, exhibition, pastime, practice, display or event at or in the course of which captive birds are liberated by hand, trap, contrivance or any other means for the purpose of being shot when they are liberated; or

I'm no lawyer, but to me that's talking about shooting them straight out of the box/trap, or releasing one by hand while another beside you shoots it. If you release them into the wild and then hunt, a different thing.

Yeah, that reads to me like they are actually banning Live Trap Shooting, not quite the same thing as Dog Training with raised birds.

By my recollection, there were a couple Hunt Farms on Vancouver Island that got dispensation to put birds out for their members a few weeks or months to either side of the actual Hunting Season.
They primarily did Ringnecks, but also Chukar.
 
Im saying sanctioned clubs do these though. They are scored events. I haven't been to one but I am literally training a dog for this.

Live pigeon shoots are where a bird is held in box or trap and released when called for like trap but with a live bird. Most events the bird must fall dead within a set circle after being released. The shooters move further back as the game progresses. Some states still allow it and bets are taken althiugh the gambling part is often not legal

Live pigeon shoots are different then releasing captive birds to be hunted.
Of course if you wanted to buy live pigeons and toss them up and shoot them to train a dog to retrieve find some private land and go at it and not advertise what youre doing. Pigeons taste great
 
Onpoint Kennels in Lansdowne On. Raises bird to release then have guys hunt down with dogs that have been trained.

Considering its his business always figured he was legal and all. Raising pups, training and selling the dogs while providing a place to put them to work.

Guys pay for X amount of birds they are caged, loaded on an ATV and taken out by staff and released to the wild in a specially planted field. ATV returns to the barn and hunters set out the get the birds they payed for.

Some days they get the amount bought, some days not, and some lucky days they get more then bought (birds others missed). Birds are cleaned, bagged, and possibly even frozen (cant remember).
 
Hey,
I know this will not help to you in Alberta but others may want to know. In Ontario you have to get a License to Own and Operate a Game Bird Hunting Preserve (GBHP) if you want to release and shoot pheasants out of season. Otherwise, you can release and shoot 10 pheasants per year only during the open season.

However, I got a MNRF Authorization to Conduct Field Trials and Training (authorizes the release of ring necked pheasants outside of the hunting season) and an Authorization to Release Wildlife (to release more than 10 birds). These were free from my local MNRF Office. You also need to own or have permission to be on land that is larger than 40 hectares (100 acres) (required on the application). It is easy to renew every year and I can spend some time training (Spoiling) the pointer in the off season. Chukars and pigeons are not regulated game birds but you still need to get the chukars listed on the Authorization to Release if you release more than 10). I usually state 100 on the Authority.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom