I am wondering if it is required to have completed your hunter's safety course before you can hunt. I have looked it up and all the gov't sites say yes, but specifically I want to know if there is any penalty for not having it. I don't plan on going out there without an experienced hunter with me; I want to go hunting now and it is going to take a while before I get the certificate back in the mail.
Hunter Safety Course
- Thread starter pedaljunkie
- Start date
Where are you? A strict reading of the definitions in the Ontario regs is that hunting is defined to include "lying in wait for an animal", so on a really harsh interpretation, it seems to me that you could be hunting just by being with a licensed hunter! I doubt it would be interpreted that way in practice, though. If you want to carry a gun or bow, or participate in any active way you're going to need a license.
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Edit: Afterthought - even with an experienced hunter, it is your responsibility to stay safe and legal. There are plenty of old-timers, in my experience, who don't. The Ontario hunting course I took, which probably reflects the instructor more than the course, was really great, and it would be hard for a new hunter to keep all the rules straight without it.
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Edit: Afterthought - even with an experienced hunter, it is your responsibility to stay safe and legal. There are plenty of old-timers, in my experience, who don't. The Ontario hunting course I took, which probably reflects the instructor more than the course, was really great, and it would be hard for a new hunter to keep all the rules straight without it.
- Location
- Sunny Manitoba
Alberta has a fully online course: no excuse not to take the training.
Hotwheels81
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- South of GP
The AHEIA cert takes 3-4 business days to show up...
Once you have completed the exam and passed it you can log into alberta realm and update your win status online, then purchase your license and tags online or at a retail outlet.
.....lord help you if you get cought without a tag in your pocket...
The AHEIA Hunter Safety Cert. is issued on the spot (as long as you pass the exam). I just finished mine Sept 25.
You need 4 documents to be able to hunt in Alberta, listed in relevance they are;
- Hunter Safety Certificate (pictured below)
- Wildlife Identification Number card or atleast the receipt, which has your info on it (pic'd below)
- Wildlife Certificate (sold anywhere hunting lic/tags are sold)
- Hunting License/Tag
* and YES, you MUST have the last 3 documents on you at all times during the hunt...
But you can't buy a license without showing your hunter safety course certificate, as a 1st time hunter.
** if you take the course online, I don't know the S.O.P.'s of that process, concerning actually getting the certificate.
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Hotwheels81
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- South of GP
Guess I should have been more specific...
My better half just did hers last Sunday online and the cert was in the mail Thursday, after getting a passing mark I showed her how to log into the REALM site and change her hunting eligibility online.... Proof of passing the course was emailed to her as soon as she completed the final exam (with a 90% pass yay!)
You don't need to wait for the certificate to get a hunting license, by ticking off the box on the REALM web site or in person your signing a legal document "swearing" the you have completed the course and its worded as such in all the text I could find... I wouldn't doubt that a lot of people outright lie about it just from observing there actions in the bush BUT if you are asked for proof of the training by F&W and can't show it you will be explaining your actions in a courtroom.
