The majority of Alberta’s land is considered Crown Land. In fact, crown land accounts for approximately 100 million acres.
The purpose of this land is to protect the natural integrity of the land. This includes the protection and management of wildlife populations.
Can you hunt on Crown Land in Alberta?
Yes, you can hunt on crown land in Alberta.
You must be properly licensed to hunt, and follow all regulations for the region you are hunting in.
So not only is hunting on crown land allowed, it’s actually one of the reasons for it’s existence.
The government set aside an amount of land to preserve for the people to enjoy recreationally, which can include hunting.
Sometimes the situation is fluid, and certain restrictions on hunting a certain species may need to be in place to prevent extinction .
It is also important to know if the crown land is agricultural. This means there is a lease holder of the land.
Do I Need Permission to Hunt on Crown Land in Alberta?
Crown Land is broken into a few different categories or types.
Provincial Parks and Protected Areas, Agricultural Crown Land, Provincial Grazing Reserves, and Public land use zones.
Some of these require permission, and some do not.
Provincial Parks & Protected Areas
Some of these areas allow hunting and some do not.
The ones you can hunt in do not require permission. For a constantly updated list of provincial parks to hunt in, visit this link here.
Agricultural Crown Land
Even though private citizens do not own crown land, there are lease holders. Agricultural crown land leaseholders have to allow the public to use the land for general purposes, including hunting.
However, the leaseholder has the right to refuse use for certain specific reasons.
These reasons are laid out here.
Some examples of why a leaseholder can refuse access to the land:
- access is by anything other than foot
- livestock are present in a fenced field
- a crop has not yet been harvested
- a fire ban is in effect
- recreational users intend to camp
- recreational use involves hunting at a location that is unreasonably close to a fenced pasture where livestock are present
- the proposed use is disallowed by the recreational management plan or a condition set by the government
For agricultural crown land use, you need to ask permission from the leaseholder at least 2 weeks ahead of time.
Grazing Crown Land in Alberta
Provincial Grazing Reserves are types of crown land used for livestock. Some of these reserves require permission for hunting and other recreational use.
The ones that do, require at least 2 weeks notice.
All details about Provincial Grazing Reserves (PGRs) here
Public Land Use Zones
If it doesn’t fall into a category above, it is considered a public land use zone. You do not need permission to hunt in these areas of crown land.
You do have to make sure you are following all hunting laws and regulations for these zones.
In Summary
- You can legally hunt on crown land in Alberta.
- Hunting on Crown Land may require permission from a leaseholder or manager.
- There are laws to ensure balance between the public having access vs a leaseholder having the right to refuse someone for specific reasons.
- Regardless of the land type, you must always follow Alberta hunting regulations.
