Recreational land users are encouraged to stay safe this hunting season.
“The RCMP is reminding Alberta's outdoor adventurers and hunters to take the steps required to ensure their safety when they venture off the beaten track,” said a press release dated Oct. 17.
“Over the past few weeks there have been at least three cases of individuals forced to spend the night outside after becoming lost or stranded in remote areas. Fortunately, these individuals were located before suffering serious injury.”
While none of those instances occurred in the Sundre area, Adam Mirus, district Fish and Wildlife officer, told the Round Up last week, “Every year we do have instances when people do get stranded and they need help for whatever reason.”
He stressed the importance of planning and preparing for any and every excursion into the backcountry — which means having emergency survival gear in case of a worst-case scenario — regardless of whether it's to go hiking or hunting.
“It definitely helps to have a plan of where you're going and that somebody knows to check on you if you're not back in your timeline. Too many guys just go off without telling anyone when they'll be back.”
Obtaining a county map is a good preparatory first step, but there are also apps like iHunter that not only track locations but also provide information on rules and regulations, he said.
“It's a pretty hand tool for hunters.”
The RCMP is asking Albertans to gear up with the supplies they might require in the event they find themselves lost or stranded in the bush. Some of the items include warm clothing, fire starters, food, medication, a light source and a fully-charged cellphone, said the press release.
“Nobody thinks it can happen to them, but it can. At this time of year, a snowmobile or ATV breakdown in the middle of nowhere can be fatal if you don't have the supplies you need to survive until help arrives,” said RCMP Sergeant Jack Poitras.
“Many remote areas do not have cellphone coverage, so it is critical that someone knows where you are going and when you expect to be back.”
There are other tips to keep in mind during hunting season.
“Wherever they're hunting, if it's private land, they need permission from landowners,” said Mirus.
Even if a hunter shot or wounded an animal from an adjacent property, that individual must first seek the landowner's permission to retrieve the prey, he said.
“It's an issue we commonly see,” the Fish and Wildlife officer said about some hunters who will try to convince a landowner that they must be allowed on the land to recover the trophy.
“That's not the case.”
Any landowners who are feeling pressured or intimidated by a hunter they do not wish to grant permission to enter their property can call Fish and Wildlife officials, he said. The local office can be reached at 403-638-3805.
Underway are the archery and some rifle seasons in the West Country, including both whitetail and mule deer, cow and bull elk, as well as moose and black bears. Those seasons will mostly wrap up towards the end of November, although the cow elk season will continue a little beyond that. Cougar season starts on Dec. 1, he said.
On public land, where hunters do not require permission to hunt, the use of off-highway vehicles an hour before sunrise until noon is prohibited, and anyone who sees a quad equipped with firearms is encouraged to report the infraction. Additionally, hunters may not have a loaded firearm inside a vehicle or on a quad, he said.
As authorities continue to adapt to technologies such as drones, new regulations are being introduced. Anyone who is flying a remotely piloted aircraft cannot hunt for six hours following the use of the drone, he said.
The only area restricted to hunters in the West Country is the 26.5-kilometre- long Ya Ha Tinda wildlife corridor, which runs from Highway 40 all the way to Ya Ha Tinda itself. Any firearms being transported through that area must be either in a case, locked in a way that the weapon cannot be discharged, or disassembled, he said.
Also, guns cannot be fired within 365 metres of the middle of a road, he added.
The RCMP also urges hunters to refrain from leaving firearms in unattended vehicles.
“To date in 2016, of the 109 firearm thefts reported to the Alberta RCMP throughout the province, 39 involved thieves breaking into vehicles to steal guns. The 2016 numbers are consistent with those at this time last year,” said the press release.
Locally speaking, the season has so far been fairly busy, “but I wouldn't say it's been busier than average,” said Mirus.
As for those recreational land users who are just thinking of going out for a hike in the brisk fall air, the Fish and Wildlife officer recommends making sure they are wearing fluorescent colours.
“Make yourself highly visible,” he said.
The hunting season has remained safe to date, and Mirus said he hopes everyone makes an effort to keep it that way.
