Paid Hunting in Alberta!
- Thread starter Suka
- Start date
I can say from first hand experience here is only the wealthy and the outfitters get access to the good fields. We were never in goose fields growing up because we couldn't afford them. In prime locations here, corn or barley fields can go for up to $4- $5K for the hunting season. The rest of us get to hunt the residuals for $500 -$1000....
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
I realize this is a touchy topic, so goes easy on me. These are my opinions, if I offend someone then maybe you're just too damn sensitive. 
Landowners have been able to charge for hunting access in MB for years, I can't recall it ever causing major problems. Many landowners don't allow outfitters regardless of money offered, since they don't want non residents on their land, which is their prerogative of course. I suppose a person would have to try and define what private property rights a person actually has. Sadly, in Canada, it's very little.
On the other hand, maybe it should be illegal to charge for all trespass including oil exploration/drilling on private land. After all, most landowners with newer titles have no more right to that resource than wildlife.I suspect it's those with no land of their own who are mainly opposed to this. I agree that all crown land, leased/occupied or not, should be available for all to hunt.
We have more public land available for hunting in Canada than pretty much anywhere else in the world. For that reason, our hunting system really doesn't compare to any European country.
Yes, I'm a landowner and though I wouldn't/don't necessarily charge anyone to hunt/access my land, I don't see why I should be prohibited from doing so. After all, it's my private land which I paid for. There are those that will argue the fact people are paying to hunt a resource which belongs to everyone. The fact is that since the animals are not penned up, you're actually charging for access and not any specific animal.
IMO, a bigger problem is the purchasing of agricultural land by foreign investment corporations who have a Canadian company/citizen as the official owner. That's going to cause major problems down the road, and not just for hunting. My thoughts anyhow.
Landowners have been able to charge for hunting access in MB for years, I can't recall it ever causing major problems. Many landowners don't allow outfitters regardless of money offered, since they don't want non residents on their land, which is their prerogative of course. I suppose a person would have to try and define what private property rights a person actually has. Sadly, in Canada, it's very little.
On the other hand, maybe it should be illegal to charge for all trespass including oil exploration/drilling on private land. After all, most landowners with newer titles have no more right to that resource than wildlife.I suspect it's those with no land of their own who are mainly opposed to this. I agree that all crown land, leased/occupied or not, should be available for all to hunt.
We have more public land available for hunting in Canada than pretty much anywhere else in the world. For that reason, our hunting system really doesn't compare to any European country.
Yes, I'm a landowner and though I wouldn't/don't necessarily charge anyone to hunt/access my land, I don't see why I should be prohibited from doing so. After all, it's my private land which I paid for. There are those that will argue the fact people are paying to hunt a resource which belongs to everyone. The fact is that since the animals are not penned up, you're actually charging for access and not any specific animal.
IMO, a bigger problem is the purchasing of agricultural land by foreign investment corporations who have a Canadian company/citizen as the official owner. That's going to cause major problems down the road, and not just for hunting. My thoughts anyhow.
The PCs just make it a little worse each time this gets floated. Now paying for access on crown land. They should have been kicked to the curb last election...
I realize this is a touchy topic, so goes easy on me. These are my opinions, if I offend someone then maybe you're just too damn sensitive.
Landowners have been able to charge for hunting access in MB for years, I can't recall it ever causing major problems. Many landowners don't allow outfitters regardless of money offered, since they don't want non residents on their land, which is their prerogative of course. I suppose a person would have to try and define what private property rights a person actually has. Sadly, in Canada, it's very little.
On the other hand, maybe it should be illegal to charge for all trespass including oil exploration/drilling on private land. After all, most landowners with newer titles have no more right to that resource than wildlife.I suspect it's those with no land of their own who are mainly opposed to this. I agree that all crown land, leased/occupied or not, should be available for all to hunt.
We have more public land available for hunting in Canada than pretty much anywhere else in the world. For that reason, our hunting system really doesn't compare to any European country.
Yes, I'm a landowner and though I wouldn't/don't necessarily charge anyone to hunt/access my land, I don't see why I should be prohibited from doing so. After all, it's my private land which I paid for. There are those that will argue the fact people are paying to hunt a resource which belongs to everyone. The fact is that since the animals are not penned up, you're actually charging for access and not any specific animal.
IMO, a bigger problem is the purchasing of agricultural land by foreign investment corporations who have a Canadian company/citizen as the official owner. That's going to cause major problems down the road, and not just for hunting. My thoughts anyhow.
I am not offended by your thoughts. As a former landowner, I can to a point see why a landowner would want to charge for hunting access. Especially when they have an outfitter on their land making money off the buck that just got shot off their land, yet it is illegal for them to make money from that.
Alberta is a top trophy hunting destination. Mule deer, whitetails, elk and moose are often found on private land. I haven't looked into it but I am sure there is plenty more big game outfitting happen here than in Manitoba. We also have a couple cities with alot of oil money going around. In my mind that makes the potential for problems more likely than in Manitoba. By problems I mean "common folk" being pushed away from the sport b/c they can't compete with outfitters and oil men for land access.
It is true we do have alot of crown land in this country but remember there is alot of crown land that can't be accessed without crossing private land, or buying a jet boat to access the crown land from the river (may be a little more Alberta specific than Canada wide). There's also a lot of crown land that has dismal game numbers. Some reasons for this are the landscape is miles upon miles of boggy, swampy land which doesn't support much game. That's why it was never surveyed out as white zone...b/c it is non-arable land. Another reason is all the cut-lines and roads that have been created to support industry, coupled with all of the "pink" blotches of land on the map ave made hunting for ungulates specifically moose downright depressing. Having said that we still do have some great hunting on crown land in Alberta.
I think paid access to private land for hunting would be a bad move for hunters here. Having that combined with a seemingly unlimited number of antlered mule deer tags for landowner starts to paint a picture of what could happen....i.e./landowners being able to sell tags to the higest bidders. I am pretty sure this happens in some US states.
The biggest one of all for me though is the disposition holders charging for access. Leasing crown land for cattle grazing is already a good deal for ranchers. Not only do they get a good deal on cow food but they also collect oil/gas revenue and sell the lease for ridiculous sums of money when they are done with it. Being able to charge hunters to access the land would just blow my mind.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Like I said in my earlier post, it should only be allowed for private land, not leased crown,etc.
In regard to access to public land, we have a system of grids in Manitoba called road allowances which allow anyone to access land,even via private. It provides a 60 ft corridor every mile in a north-south direction and every two miles in an east- west direction. I would be surprised if you didn't have something similar in AB.
We do, and they certainly come in handy to access crown land. BUT road allowances can be closed. An adjacent landowner has to apply to the MD/County and if I remember correctly, neighbouring land owners can oppose it. If they don't oppose it than road allowance access can be controlled by the person farming right up to it. If the RA is "only" heading off to bush or a slough or someting it makes the case easier for the person wanting to gain control of the road allowance. I am sure this can happen in Manitoba as well.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
That's a loaded statement that could be misunderstood very very easily.
We got British system of law, it is the only European country to still have ancient social hierarchy intact "Private Property" is Holy. It is entrenched. All of continental Europe had their social stratification/social hierarchy few times upside down. The interpretation of Privet Property is somewhat diffrent in many of the continental states. Old Aristocracy and Gentry either lost its heads (The French or The Russians), lost its huge estates (Germany, Italy most of Eastern Europe) or kept its Heads and estates but lost its privliges (Spain).
BUTTTT, the big diffrence is that even if it is OK to hunt on private land, not many people do it simply becouse Hunting in Europe is a sport of privilage it is not for all to enjoy.
I do not support the new law but I still keep big signs no Trespassing or hunting on my 378 ac property north of Edmonton
BUTTTT, the big diffrence is that even if it is OK to hunt on private land, not many people do it simply becouse Hunting in Europe is a sport of privilage it is not for all to enjoy.
I do not support the new law but I still keep big signs no Trespassing or hunting on my 378 ac property north of Edmonton
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Only way to get a RA closed here is if there's private land on both sides AND any land beyond is accessible via an alternate RA. Even then, it's a long drawn out process.
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
no good at all. if that became the norm around here i'd start hunting wherever i please out of spite. i do believe something along the lines of "it's easier to ask forgiveness than seek permission" would be the answer...
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Wow......canadian hunter 312, you've been very quiet lately. Someone should use your post as a sig-line for future referance material.
A more thinking person might actually research what the consequences are for trepassing while in possession of a firearm under the federal laws, a even better thought would be to never do it at all.
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
Don't think this isn't coming here soon??. There is talk of us loosing all the community pastures and I can see this coming up next. People are getting more and more greedy...just seems like a path we may see here if are fellow Alberta hunters loose ground. The day I have to pay for hunting is the day I give it up and take up another hobby. It may not happen in our generation but our grandchildren may never get to experience the joys of hunting cause its gonna be for the rich.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
that's right, take everything you read on the interwebs seriously
A 'sarcasm off' notation would have gone a long way, but hey that's just me.......
This idea is the brainchild of Ted Morton - former SRD minister who tried the "open spaces" pilot project. That pilot was fought vehemently by many experienced woodsmen, and Morton was trumped in the last election.
The problem is Morton is also the author of the Land Use Framework which is currently under discussion. Much of the language present is Morton's and I fear that many of the others don't have the wherewithal to catch it.
It is important to let folks know how you feel at the open houses.
And if you check the players behind the scenes, there are some groups pushing this agenda. Check out the Alberta Beef producers website and in particular the development of ecological goods and services.
