No one wants to see a loved one hurt while hunting.
And no one wants a couple thousand dollar fine for illegal hunting.
Provincial Conservation Officer Rich Hildebrand out of Prince Albert says that educating yourself on hunting rules and regulations is easy.
Regulation changes, information on draws, licenses and season can all be found in the Saskatchewan hunting and trapping guide, online at www.saskatchewan.ca/hunting and by calling the local conservation officer.
“We ask people to know the rules before they go out and those specific rules can be found within the guide.”
A lot of regulations concern shooting near places where bystanders might be. Shooting across provincial highways or roads and within 500 metres of any building that would be occupied by people or lifestock is a violation.
Asking a farmers permission before hunting on someones land is just good hunting etiquette.
For safety reasons, Hildebrand always suggests assuming the firearm is loaded, control the direction of the muzzle and keep your finger off the trigger until it is time to shoot. Being mobile with a firearm is also dangerous.
“Never climb a tree or cross a fence with a loaded firearm,” says Hildebrand.
Wearing high visibility clothing is also important for making sure the hunter is visible to other hunters.
Hunting with adequate lighting is also important since it is illegal to hunt a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise.
Hildebrand says they’ve run into many different violations, the most prevalent being things like hunting without a licenses, hunting within 500 metres of occupied buildings, unlawful possession and loaded firearms.
Hildebrand also says hunting the wrong species in the wrong zone is also a prevalent problem.
If people see hunting problems, they can always call the Turn In Poachers (TiP) line, (800) 667-7561. In 2014, 1193 calls were made to the line.
“That’s just the ones that come to that particular line,” says Hildebrand, “our officers and offices get numerous calls throughout the province as well.”
Fines can range depending on the violation but also an animal or bird fee that is added to the fine itself, says Hildebrand. The animal or bird fee can range from $100 to $1000 depending on the species, says Hildebrand.
With numerous outside hunters coming to take advantage of Saskatchewan hunting opportunities, “we just want people to abide by the rules and that helps us manage the populations that are out there,” says Hildebrand.
