Wildlife Amendment Act, 2025

Summary#

Bill 41 updates Alberta’s Wildlife Act. It changes hunting rules, landowner permission, tagging, safety and equipment standards, and how officers handle seized animals. It also allows electronic licences and tags, and makes it easier to get injured wildlife to care.

Key changes:

• Stronger landowner consent: you must have clear permission to enter, and separate consent to hunt or shoot on private land where entry is prohibited.
• Safety and ethics: the blaze-orange clothing rule is removed; waste rules are clarified (for bears and cougars you must keep either the meat or the hide).
• Youth hunting: minors may hunt with a firearm without an adult if they hold a valid federal firearms licence; supervision is still required for other “prescribed weapons.”
• Tracking: leashed dogs may be used to track and recover wounded big game during open seasons.
• Gear rules modernized: centrefire .22 calibre and larger allowed for big game (rimfire banned); minimum bow draw weight lowered; certain trap limits adjusted; non-illuminating laser aiming devices allowed.
• Convenience and access: electronic tags and licences are recognized; non-motorized mobility aids aren’t treated as “vehicles”; you may take wildlife directly to a rehab or vet without paperwork; rules for shooting from boats are clarified.

What it means for you#

• Hunters

  • You must have permission to enter private land where entry is prohibited, and separate, explicit consent to hunt or fire a gun there.
  • The Act no longer requires blaze-orange clothing during big game seasons. Outfitters or landowners may still ask for it.
  • If you wound big game, you may use a leashed dog to track and recover it during an open season.
  • Bears and cougars: you must keep either the edible meat or the hide (you cannot waste both).
  • Tagging: if your licence comes with tags (including e-tags), you must tag the animal right away in the prescribed manner.
  • Boats and vehicles: you cannot shoot from a vehicle or aircraft, or from a moving boat with a sail or motor (coasting still counts as moving). The law does not ban shooting from a moving muscle‑powered boat (like a canoe) or an anchored motor/sail boat.
  • Firearms and youth: a minor with a valid federal firearms licence may hunt with a firearm without adult supervision. Minors using other prescribed weapons still need direct adult supervision.
  • Equipment: for big game, you may use centrefire ammunition .22 calibre or larger; rimfire is not allowed. The minimum bow draw weight drops from 40 to 35 pounds (measured at a 28‑inch draw). A laser aiming device that does not light up the target is allowed.
  • Feeding/baiting: the government can set rules that restrict feeding or attracting wildlife; watch for regulations.
  • Penalties: licence cancellation/suspension rules are updated to reflect the new sections (for example, trespass and hunting with sheep/goats where banned).

• Landowners

  • Your right to control access is clearer. Hunters need your permission to enter land where entry is prohibited and your express consent to hunt or shoot.
  • You can say yes to access but no to hunting, or vice versa.

• People who find injured wildlife

  • You may transport most wildlife directly to a permitted wildlife rehabilitation centre or a veterinary clinic without the usual documents. Some species may still be excluded by regulation.

• Trappers

  • “Trap” is defined more clearly, and the jaw‑spread limit for certain leg‑hold traps is adjusted so that exactly 9 inches is allowed (more than 9 inches is prohibited).

• People using mobility aids

  • Non‑motorized mobility aids (like a manual wheelchair) are not considered “vehicles,” which may reduce conflicts with vehicle‑related hunting rules.

• New residents and visiting hunters

  • “Resident” now means your primary home has been in Alberta for at least the last 6 months (plus citizenship or residency conditions). This can affect which licence you can buy and the price.

• Effective date

  • The Act takes effect on a date set by the government (by Proclamation), not immediately.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Strengthens property rights and safety by requiring clear landowner consent to enter and to hunt or shoot.
• Improves ethics and recovery by allowing leashed dogs to track wounded game.
• Modernizes the system: e‑licences and e‑tags, flexibility to take injured wildlife to care, and clearer electronic proof for officers.
• Expands safe, effective equipment options (e.g., modern .223/5.56‑class centrefire cartridges and lighter bows) while keeping rimfire off big game.
• Clarifies waste rules and reduces unnecessary waste, while still requiring hunters to keep key parts.
• Protects wild sheep from disease by restricting hunting with domestic sheep/goats in sensitive areas.
• Streamlines enforcement with updated seizure/forfeiture tools and Criminal Code references.

Opponents' View#

• Repealing the blaze‑orange requirement could reduce hunter visibility and increase risk during big game seasons.
• Letting minors hunt with firearms without adult supervision (if federally licensed) may raise safety concerns in the field.
• Allowing smaller calibres and lower bow draw weights could lead to more wounded animals, especially on larger species, if shot placement or bullet/arrow choice is poor.
• The boat rule may allow shooting from moving muscle‑powered boats (e.g., canoes), which some view as unsafe or against fair‑chase principles.
• Allowing bear/cougar hunters to keep either meat or hide (not both) could be seen as encouraging trophy‑style harvesting or waste.
• New powers to regulate feeding/attracting wildlife and expanded enforcement tools could feel vague until detailed regulations are published, creating uncertainty for hunters and landowners.