Knowing enough to be dangerous
 

Hi, I moved here 14 years ago from Northern Ontario. For years now I have half avoided and half been shut out of the Alberta hunting experience. Maybe it was just laziness on my part that I was scared to learn the Alberta rules/regs because they were very different than what I know. I was and still am scared that I know enough to make me dangerous. Not to others or to wildlife LOL but dangerous to myself by how my actions fall within the law. People seem to have a loose understanding of the regs as they apply to the specific location and game they choose to hunt. This works for some people but it is very hard on newcomers. And we all know how many newcomers there are in Alberta. I don't know what the solution is but I hope that we all make it through the infancy period without losing our trucks/houses being fined or ****ing off the local farmers. Now I have acquired the will to learn and I'm taking baby steps but hope that others do the same and that those who really KNOW will help us and when necessary cut us some slack. Don't Judge Please. We don't want to be dangerous.
AO helps us but only if you KNOW exactly what to rules are before you post otherwise you are providing just enough knowledge to be dangerous.
Thanks

They aren't that scary, just put a copy of the regs in the throne room and you'll be well versed in no time.

???
 

I don't get it? Your dangerous because you don't want to do anything illegal? The regulations really aren't that complicated once you read through it a couple times. Maybe don't start hunting until your are truly comfortable enough not to jeopardize breaking the law?

i always carry a rules book in my truck, aoher one at home, another one in my hunting kit.

get to a hunting place, go i the book and confirm loation as well as regulations and what i am allwed to kill

when in doubt, don't shoot.


regulations are not hard but i am from another provice as well and its very different.

welcome in alberta, you have plenty of places to go hunting. just search for crownlands and grazing reserves.
goto a place where they sell maps(maptown) and buy some land ownership maps. it tells you for each square mile who own it, weather its private, park, grazing reserve or crownland. it they are on lease its written on it as well. you also get some of the roas on it, its quite handy.
then you can google alberta grazing reserves. they allow foot access for recreationnal purpose at some point in the year, after the cows are out of the area. filled with cool places, you just have to do a little bit of research.


good luck

These responses are excellent. Thank you. I am hoping this helps more than just me. For the most part I am on the mend. I have found a good hunting partner who is very knowledgable. Was just trying to explain how some newcomers feel in hopes that the experienced hunters will be more likely to take someone under their wing instead of just offering up some general information in passing which can be more confusing than enlightening when you are going it alone.
I consider hunting to be a social sport and many people who come to this province spend years finding a good crew.
Thanks again for the responses.
Gonna try a few. Bathroom Idea. Brilliance.
Working on the map stuff thanks.

This is a very good thread, in that the OP is very correct, that many people are not aware of the regulations, and they often make assumptions, or listen to other people that don't know the regulations either. Read the regulations, and learn them as best as you can, then if you are unsure about specific details, you can either ask for clarification here, or simply call the local F&W office.
As the OP stated, the first thing that is required, is having the will to learn.

I'm new to the game, and must have gone cover to cover 3 times now. I think a common mistake is people tend the only look for what pertains to their area and animal of choice. I find it easier to understand if one reads it all. And when done. Start over. Mull it over for a few days. Let some questions fester in your head. And read it again.

Very good advice,:)

In my mind they are a lot more complicated than they need to be. The rules are not the problem. It's the this is open these 2 weeks and not the next that gets stupid. I always have a copy very close & I look at it before I hunt a wmu. Never assume what you are going for is open unless you check and you will be fine. As well don't trust what you hear or see on AO. AO won't defend you in court. Either read it yourself or speak to an officer. Better safe than sorry. Get out there & get at er.

Get a copy of the wildlife act.
Mine is several years old but I have read it and referenced it in the past.
It's the best thing you could do

Worked for me!

I do hope you get past that and take the plunge, we need more hunters that care enough to be concerned about their actions afield.

I would offer to help you along, but I've recently been reminded that I need to study the regulations in greater depth.
Nothing illegal or dangerous, but it could have been illegal had I gotten the sort of luck I had hopped for. I almost went over my limit, because I thought I knew what it was, but hadn't realized it has changed for that particular lake. Opps, my bad.

I think I understand your concern, our game laws have become complicated and they change so much every year that one has to almost start all over again every year.

But I think it's well worth the extra effort, to learn the regs and keep current. And in a way that may be easier for you then for me.

I have been hunting and fishing this area for so long I have become complacent, thinking I knew all the rules by heart.
At least you know from the git go that you are starting all over again.
I know it now too, but I didn't a couple of weeks ago.

Welcome to Alberta, 14 years late, but welcome anyway. :)

Better to be safe than sorry. Even when you think you are right it can cost you to prove it. I had a friend back home who had a difference in opinion with the conservation officers. This should have resulted in a court case which would have proved him innocent.(minus court costs but innocent) But my friend needed to travel outside the country for work and was forced to settle out of court with a fine(guilty) because he needed his passport to be unfrozen. This may be an odd case but it sucks and it is a situation we are all best to avoid. Some people think that just because they are not trying to break the law they are safe. This is simply not true.
Better to "KNOW" the law.

Well step one I'd carefully read the regulations and also the Alberta Wildlife Act. Secondly, it would be great if you could hunt with an experienced local hunter. Unfortunately I never had that luxury when I first started.

You could also stay out of some particular situations that might be dicey. For example, stay away from hunting right near WMU borders where you or your intended target might unintentionally stray over a border. You might also want to stay away from game that requires a fair bit of judgement. For example, although I've gotten tags I've never taken a shot at a sheep because I'm not confident of my ability to discern a ewe from a yearling male at a distance based on subtle differences in horn shape.

Hope that helps.

I wanted to thank everyone for their replies and provide an update.
Although it took me a long time to start hunting in Alberta I can now honestly say that I love hunting here. There are tons of animals and many more species to hunt than Ontario. I can say that I have read the regs and do so every year on and before opening day. I keep a PDF copy on my phone as well as Ihunt App. The regs for what opens on what day in which WMU are challenging but have added to the experience because I never feel bored or stuck in one place. Throughout the season there are always new areas to explore that have not yet been hunted. Tags are not overly hard to come by and Whitetail are as plentiful as New York Cockroaches that scatter when the lights come on. There are many different hunting experiences to try here. I myself am a bush hunter and have enjoyed a lot of success. This year was a 7 animal year between 3 of us so we are very happy. The best part is the animals I didnt get which greatly outnumbered the ones I did and which I'm sure will be waiting for me in the future.
Good Luck Everyone.

When varifiying whether its a ewe or young ram, best to check the other end of the sheep.The will be no mistaking which is which as most sheep hunters can attest to.LOL

I find that the regs. can be a little confusing at times and I'm from AB. I agree with others who say read the regs. over and over, and any questions can always be posted here.
I also hunt and fish in BC, and it can be very confusing to navigate all thier regs. I find AB's regs much easier to follow and understand.

You always have a friend in me Bud!!

Drewski

:(You do understand this is a forum, kinda like sitting around a camp fire, some good points, some out to lunch, some you agree with and some you don't but no way shape or form is this the law. Could,you imagine the chaos so that being said if you need legal advice on hunting , fishing or whatever than contact the appropriate authorities before you go out.

Ihunter app!!
Have it with me all the time. Shows what wmu you are in and all the regs that apply!! And will track you!

And if the battery goes on the fritz:thinking-006:

Good on ya man for havung a willingness to learn and do it right.

Heck im still blown away that guys that have hunted in this province for many years still think you need written permission to hunt yotes on private land! Youre right in the sense that misinformation gets tossed around by guys that claim to
Know what theyre talking about

Take the Alberta Hunter Education course. Go to www.aheia.com

Stop using common sense please:sHa_sarcasticlol: your supposed to be a red neck!:)

'And if my aunt had balls, would that make her my uncle?'
"What if's" or And if?" Don't help anybody. Just keep your phone charged. Bring a solar charger, bring a truck charger. Bring a generator , you can get camping stoves with a usb output that uses heat to charge your phone, Or for some phones, bring an extra battery, and last but not least, a battery brick with usb out to charge your phone........

tower just went down...zero reception...ask your uncle for his/her paper copy of the regs, like mentioned before keep a copy in the throne, in your vehicle for quick reference and answers to your questions. Bonus is you don't require a charger!!!:sHa_shakeshout:

oh yeah on the fritz also means Kaput, broken, cant charge a broken battery...:)

I keep paper regs as well. But the Ihunt is the better option as long as it is working. Just because I carry a shotgun doesn't mean everything I carry has to be Primative. Lol. So there. Lol Oh and being a red neck means you have more fun. Or is that Blond? Must find myself a blond redneck to do more research on the matter.

I guess that would be the female side of me speaking :)

Very true about the BC regs booklet.

The info is scattered in at least two places, oftentimes in more places.
And a guy has to pay very close attention to the closure maps, which can change year to year. In some places, there are unmarked boundaries that correspond to an elevation contour. The seasons for deer are a real patchwork of conditions and exceptions.

To the OP I'd suggest learning the regs for one species at a time, and only for the area that you will be hunting. Keep it simple.

There has to be a country song about this somewhere?