Proof or residency for hunting license

[nube]

From what I know there is no time limit to be a resident of Alberta to get a license correct?
I know the Yukon has a time limit of 2 years of being a resident before a license can be bought unless it has been changed. How do they go about enforcing that?
I'd like to see something like that go on in Alberta but not sure how you can keep track or it and enforce it. It seems rather easy to get a drivers license changed to proove your a resident of a province to get a hunting license. I think it is worth it for the fish cops to start pushing for some changes on this.....

[catnthehat]

It would be good for sure
Right now it is very easy to get s licence in two or three different provinces from what I understand !
Cat

[honda610]

I agree 100 percent. I work in the oil and gas. It drives me nuts how many people fly out west or east depending on what side your on. Get a so called residents liscence and hunt. Then scurry back home for there own season opener.... it should be 3 years. You here of all the blow hards bragging in the lunch room. I have called the fish cops and nothing ever comes of it. Lack of resources and to lax of residence requirements. Just my 2 cents but your spot on Nube. Keep our wildlife for people who live here not for temporary foreign hunters.

[Norwest Alta]

Originally Posted by nube

From what I know there is no time limit to be a resident of Alberta to get a license correct?
I know the Yukon has a time limit of 2 years of being a resident before a license can be bought unless it has been changed. How do they go about enforcing that?
I'd like to see something like that go on in Alberta but not sure how you can keep track or it and enforce it. It seems rather easy to get a drivers license changed to proove your a resident of a province to get a hunting license. I think it is worth it for the fish cops to start pushing for some changes on this.....

2 years of tax returns to prove residency.

[Hunter_spec]

Its preatty sad how easy it is to hunt here. I've found that most of these guys are the ones that dont really care about our wildlife nor the rules. They left garbage behind, they dont have any respect. Most of trespassers Ive had to deal with are people that are not from Alberta.

[Fur]

Totally against double dipping. I think it is easy to double dip, but it is illegal. It is just like anything illegal, get caught and your not hunting in any province!

I agree there needs to be a better way to prove residency and to eliminate double dipping before it occurs.

At the same time if somebody moves to say Yukon and cannot hunt for two years I do not agree with that. I think proof of residency should be province that holds your drivers license. If someone is moving to Yukon and changes their licence to Yukon, I think that is enough to say their primary residency is Yukon. Let the man/woman hunt, why make them wait 2 years. I doubt temporary workers/transients are going to be changing their license just to hunt and then change it back. Ministry of Transport would flag that.

[Tundra Monkey]

NWT changed it's residency requirement about a year ago from 2 years to one year.

They want to see your NWT Health Care card up here for your residency requirement.

[Peace Meal Farm]

It's a 12 month requirement for the Yukon - pretty standard I think.

[wellpastcold]

The simplest way is to require an individuals health care card #. When I moved to Saskatchewan I was required to prove I had a Saskatchewan health care account in order to buy a hunting license, apply for draws etc.

[.257Weatherby]

Originally Posted by Hunter_spec

Its preatty sad how easy it is to hunt here. I've found that most of these guys are the ones that dont really care about our wildlife nor the rules. They left garbage behind, they dont have any respect. Most of trespassers Ive had to deal with are people that are not from Alberta.

We here in Bc have our share of slobs that migrate between BC and Sask.
They cause all kinds of problems for all parties involved as the responsible ones get painted by the brush I speak of.

Then there are the guys from BC who have had their Hunting Privileges revoked here in BC for violations of many sorts.

So what they do is head to Alberta and hunt there, they have a relative or two and use their mailing address for the convenience.

So much self entitlement in this world, it just sucks.
Rob

[West O'5]

Works both ways guys.....in NB it's "normally" 6 months,however,there's an exemption for persons transferred to NB by an employer.That said,when I was working pipeline in NB 6-7 yrs ago,I took coworker/buddies hunting a few times, and showed them around my stomping grounds....pipeliners from both AB and NS that had only been in province a month or two.

[gunsight]

sask health card required.

[CNP]

Originally Posted by honda610

I agree 100 percent. I work in the oil and gas. It drives me nuts how many people fly out west or east depending on what side your on. Get a so called residents liscence and hunt. Then scurry back home for there own season opener.... it should be 3 years. You here of all the blow hards bragging in the lunch room. I have called the fish cops and nothing ever comes of it. Lack of resources and to lax of residence requirements. Just my 2 cents but your spot on Nube. Keep our wildlife for people who live here not for temporary foreign hunters.

3 years to wait to hunt? Yeah sure.............that's the ticket (not).

Anyone who can prove residency, meaning: is a resident; pays taxes to AB is entitled to a hunt in AB in my opinion. Don't like that? Would it make sense to suspend health care to AB tax paying residents for up to three years?

The thing is, some people will abuse the system and other people want to punish everyone because of that. Keep phoning in the abusers.........don't punish anyone else.

Oh yeah for the health care card proponents.........using a health care card to get a license doesn't provide any more security than providing a DL. Check out the requirements to obtain a health care card......the same as a DL. And not everyone needs a health care card in AB or Canada (military for example).

It's a problem sure, but I'm not a fascist on the subject. Reporting the offenders and making government accountable to enforce the regulations is the way..................make government accountable..............don't make it difficult for tax paying Albertans.

[West O'5]

Originally Posted by CNP

3 years to wait to hunt? Yeah sure.............that's the ticket (not).

Anyone who can prove residency, meaning: is a resident; pays taxes to AB is entitled to a hunt in AB in my opinion. Don't like that? Would it make sense to suspend health care to AB tax paying residents for up to three years?

The thing is, some people will abuse the system and other people want to punish everyone because of that. Keep phoning in the abusers.........don't punish anyone else.

Oh yeah for the health care card proponents.........using a health care card to get a license doesn't provide any more security than providing a DL. Check out the requirements to obtain a health care card......the same as a DL. And not everyone needs a health care card in AB or Canada (military for example).

It's a problem sure, but I'm not a fascist on the subject. Reporting the offenders and making government accountable to enforce the regulations is the way..................make government accountable..............don't make it difficult for tax paying Albertans.

Agreed...2 years is wayyyyy too long,3yrs is rediculous.I wouldn't even move to a province if it meant I had to take 2yrs off hunting.
IMHO,a lot of the whining in this thread is just sour grapes.
Granted yes,there are a lot of migrant workers that abuse(or play?) the system.Thats no fault of the new Alberta hunter,that lies squarely on the regs governing residency requirements,and most avid hunters on here would do the exact same thing if you were working in a province that allowed it.
Don't hate the player,hate the game.
Honestly,residency is not the only loophole in the system.
ie;when I moved to AB 6yrs ago,I got a WIN card and went fishing the following week.3 months later I bought hunting tags.Nobody ever asked me about previous hunting experience or Hunter Ed.
There's really no checks in place to prove residency nor Hunter Ed to acquire a WIN Card....maybe that needs to be addressed?
As it is right now,one doesn't even need an AB drivers licence nor health card to get a WIN Card sent to your work buddy's AB address.I dunno about anybody else,but anytime I've been checked for licence by F&W,they've never asked for my DL.Travel with your resident buddy when your hunting and Bob's yer uncle.
In Ontario for example,there's 2 versions of their Outdoors Card.....1 for fishing only,and the hunting version that requires PROOF of hunter ed to acquire resident tags.....or at least that's how it was in the 90's?

[waterninja]

I asked them at REALM about this, and they told me it was when you got your Alberta health care number. usually takes about 90 days.

[albertadave]

Originally Posted by nube

From what I know there is no time limit to be a resident of Alberta to get a license correct?
I know the Yukon has a time limit of 2 years of being a resident before a license can be bought unless it has been changed. How do they go about enforcing that?
I'd like to see something like that go on in Alberta but not sure how you can keep track or it and enforce it. It seems rather easy to get a drivers license changed to proove your a resident of a province to get a hunting license. I think it is worth it for the fish cops to start pushing for some changes on this.....

I completely agree, but I'm curious, why would the "fish cops" care? Shouldn't it be the residents like us that push for these changes?

[Bub]

Anyone paying taxes in Alberta has a right to hunt and fish here, as long as he/she meets other criteria (hunter education, etc). I personally think it is insane to make someone wait for two years or even more. Would one then be able to hunt as an out of province Canadian during these years? What if he wasn't Canadian to begin with? In other words pay more for the same tags as any other resident pays while having the same deductions from the paycheque. Shouldn't the guy have his taxes reduced then for the two years?

FYI. If you move to Alberta from within Canada, you are able to get the health card after 3 months of residency. If you moved to Alberta from another country, you can get your health card the next day.

[bbqcrazy]

Originally Posted by nube

From what I know there is no time limit to be a resident of Alberta to get a license correct?
I know the Yukon has a time limit of 2 years of being a resident before a license can be bought unless it has been changed. How do they go about enforcing that?
I'd like to see something like that go on in Alberta but not sure how you can keep track or it and enforce it. It seems rather easy to get a drivers license changed to proove your a resident of a province to get a hunting license. I think it is worth it for the fish cops to start pushing for some changes on this.....

What are we going to do about all the non-resident migratory bird hunters? Actually they can even have a guiding operation up here and be in competition with...well like people like you that capitalize on non residents. Got a plan figured out for that?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by bbqcrazy

What are we going to do about all the non-resident migratory bird hunters? Actually they can even have a guiding operation up here and be in competition with...well like people like you that capitalize on non residents. Got a plan figured out for that?

Bird game regulations are different from Big game regulations and I think those are the ones Nube is wanting to discuss.
Cat

[Double Shovel]

There is a resolution in regards to this very topic that will be presented at the Alberta Fish and Game conference in a couple weeks to be voted on. This is why everyone should join an association like this so you can have a say. I had my say on it last night at our local meeting in support of proof and a wait time, even though our club did not come up with the resolution , I still had a voice.

[Bub]

Can someone explain what this actually means and how it would work? Does this mean that a new comer to Alberta won't be able to hunt for two or three years or whatever the waiting period would be? At this same time, a guy from another province, the States or elsewhere is able to hunt here any season while only contributing a only few bucks to the local economy. Maybe I am missing something, but I really do not understand how this would work. Also, what is the point?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Bub

Can someone explain what this actually means and how it would work? Does this mean that a new comer to Alberta won't be able to hunt for two or three years or whatever the waiting period would be? At this same time, a guy from another province, the States or elsewhere is able to hunt here any season while only contributing a only few bucks to the local economy. Maybe I am missing something, but I really do not understand how this would work. Also, what is the point?

No it means that the newcomer would have to hunt as a non resident ,not as a resident
Cat

[CNP]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

No it means that the newcomer would have to hunt as a non resident ,not as a resident
Cat

A non-resident from where? The person lives and pays taxes in AB. Such a person should be entitled to hunt in AB. I'm not talking about "temporary foreign hunters", I'm talking about legitimate new comers to Alberta who contribute.

[Bub]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

No it means that the newcomer would have to hunt as a non resident ,not as a resident
Cat

Thanks. And what is the point, really?

I agree with CNP on this one and I guess I already stated that previously: if one pays taxes to the province, one should be able to hunt in the said province, given he/she meets all other criteria.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by CNP

A non-resident from where? The person lives and pays taxes in AB. Such a person should be entitled to hunt in AB. I'm not talking about "temporary foreign hunters", I'm talking about legitimate new comers to Alberta who contribute.

So how long should a person have to reside in Alberta and what credentials would he have to present to prove Alberta residency ?
Cat

[petew]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

So how long should a person have to reside in Alberta and what credentials would he have to present to prove Alberta residency ?
Cat

Drivers license , Health care card.

[CNP]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

So how long should a person have to reside in Alberta and what credentials would he have to present to prove Alberta residency ?
Cat

Originally Posted by petew

Drivers license , Health care card.

Good enough. Get those right away. Why deny a tax paying resident. Gets a drivers license right away and a health card right away. Gets to pay taxes right away. What is the point of robbing a person of a hunting season or two? Because he got transferred here or moved here to support his family he pays some sort of Alberta penalty?

[Bub]

Originally Posted by petew

Drivers license , Health care card.

A foreigner can get those within a few days. A Canadian from another province cannot get his health card for the first three months residing in Alberta.

I think driver's license is sufficient. Add a plate on the vehicle, if you like. Pain to switch it and has to be done within 6 months of residency, I believe (but do not quote me on that). Then the issue comes with what if one does not own a vehicle?

And again, what is the point?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Bub

Thanks. And what is the point, really?

I agree with CNP on this one and I guess I already stated that previously: if one pays taxes to the province, one should be able to hunt in the said province, given he/she meets all other criteria.

That is where it gets unraveled
A person could be working here, paying taxes , get a hunting licence, but actually get a lisence in another province at the same time .
Cat

[300magman]

I know logistically it would be a serious challenge, but the only way to truly curb this issue is some type of country wide database or whatever that prevents people from buying hunting licenses as a resident in more than one province. Without that, there will always be a way if people are motivated enough.

We see it a lot more here because of lax residency requirements and a huge influx of transient workers from other parts of Canada, and I truly believe it is having a serious impact on our hunting. I reported the one and only guy who advertised that he did it, and have no clue what came of it, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if 1 out of 10 or less resident hunters in Alberta also hunt as residents elsewhere.