Any technical tips or details on elk hunting in Alberta? I have a brother that lives in Calgary, but he's a non-hunter. I would be interested to know any side doors to the Alta. elk hunting � depredation permits, etc. � any advantages to being Ontario over U.S....

Anything at all.

kk

http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/hunting/

This is the Alberta gov reg site.

What specifically do you want to know?

Your brother will have to get a WIN card (wildlife identification card), then he can apply for a host hunter licence. A host hunter's licence will allow him to have up to two hunters as guests, one must be a relative. the hunters who are guests have to get a win card as well, for tags. Your brother can do this for you as well, all the forms are available at the nearest Alberta Wildlife office (I'm not sure where the one in Calgary is anymore, I'm sure one of our posters from Calgary will be able to tell you). Once you have win cards, your brother can apply for the host hunting licence. He'll have to put your name (and anyone else you've got coming along) and win card numbers on the form, then send it to you to get notarized. Once that is done, you send it back to him, he takes it in, either swears an oath there that you're a relative (if the clerk isn't a notary he will have to get his portion of it notarized as well). Give yourself at least 4-5 months to get all this done. Once the form is in and approved, the host licence usually only takes about 2-3 weeks. After that, show up at your brother's place ready to hunt. You will still have to by wildlife certificates and tags of course. You can also put in for the draws. Your brother is now your guide, so to speak. Oh, and he can only do this every two years. Let's see what else, oh, if you have a DUI on your record get in touch with the CDN feds for a waiver. I had a couple of cornhuskers coming up to join me last year, and one of them couldn't get across the border. you can download the form required from the government site. Also, you'll have to get a temporary firearms permit at the border if you bring your own guns, about $50.00 CDN if I remember correctly. If you have any other questions, just email or pm me, and I'll try and answer them. - Dan

Sorry kk, I didn't realize you were from ON. So don't worry about the border permits and DUI stuff. Oh and you're tag costs will be cheaper. For example resident elk tags are $31.75. Non-resident CDN elk tags are $130.97. Non-resident alien elk tags are $247.77. Win cards are $8.00 and wildlife certificates are $22.85 (for anybody). For US readers out there, keep in mind that $247.77 CDN is about $160.00 US. I don't know anywhere stateside that you can hunt elk for that cheap if you're not a resident. Predation tags (sometimes called farmers tags out here) are sometimes available, depends on the animal numbers, there is also a late season cow hunt not far from Calgary (usually, again, it depends on the numbers) - Dan

Hello;
To add to this little saga, If you want to hunt in an area where a draw is required, you will have to enter with your Hunter host. It took my brother from Ontario and me as the host, 3 years to get drawn for an antlered Elk license in WMU 418, but it was worth it. He got a nice bull and had the hunt of a lifetime.
Griz

There is one twist:

My brother doesn't hunt, doesn't have a PAL or POL and likely has never taken hunter safety.

Can I still piggyback?

kk

Yes. He still has to apply for a Win card. He'll just have to tell a little white lie about having taken a hunter's safety course (unless he actually wants to take the course, even better) sometime in the past, or that he has held a hunting licence sometime in the past to get the win card. If he goes along with you, who knows? He may decide he wants to take it up. He does have to go with you as hunting host, and he has to report all game taken to the fish and wildlife people. - Dan