WHEREAS municipal ratepayers have encountered an increase of hunters on private property; and

WHEREAS there has been a dramatic increase in hunters shooting animals from the road and leaving them in fields; and

WHEREAS municipal ratepayers have encountered many animal carcasses on their property and a decrease in hunters requesting permission, and

WHEREAS other provinces have existing laws requiring mandatory permission to hunt on private land;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM urge the Ministry of Environment to make requesting permission to hunt on private property mandatory in Saskatchewan.

Response from Honourable Dustin Duncan, Minister of Environment: 

The ministry has heard increasing concerns regarding hunter/landowner conflicts, particularly during the Canadian resident white-tailed deer season.

Recently, our Wildlife Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from SARM and the Stock Growers Association, has discussed the mandatory permission issue. Numerous challenges have been identified such as difficulty contacting absentee land holders, potential landowner fatigue resulting from numerous permission requests, landowner reluctance to attend court for contested cases, as well as the potential of reducing overall hunter numbers/harvest and thereby possibly increasing depredation issues.

The Committee does not support mandatory permission and has made the following recommendations to address this important issue:
• continue education and awareness programs that improve landowner relations, including offering free signage to landowners who are interested in limiting vehicle use or establishing guidelines for hunter access;
• investigate and enforce all violations of hunting on posted land where complaints are received; and
• reduce the concentration of Canadian resident hunters.