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SASKATCHEWAN ATED 2019

FUR HARVEST MANAGEMENT INSASKATCHEWAN FURBEARER CONSERVATION INCLUDING ALL ASPECTS THATRELATE TO THE HARVEST OF FURBEARERS ARE UNDERPROVINCIAL JURISDICTION AND IS MANAGED BY THESASKATCHEWAN MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT (MoE) FOR MANAGEMENT PURPOSES THE PROVINCE IS DIVIDED INTONORTH AND SOUTH FUR CONSERVATION AREAS (NFCA SFCA) WHILE MANY REGULATIONS APPLY PROVINCIALLY TO BOTHTHE NFCA AND SFCA, A NUMBER ARE SPECIFIC TO EACH SO ITIS IMPORTANT TO BE AWARE WHAT THE REGULATIONS ARETHAT APPLY TO YOUR AREA .

REMEMBER!! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THELAWS THAT APPLY TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING. THERE ARE CHANGES MADE TO REGULATIONSANNUALLY. BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR HUNTING ANDTRAPPING GUIDE OR TALK TO ACONSERVATION OFFICER IF YOU ARE UNSURE.

NFCA SFCA

DEFINITION OF TRAPPINGIN SASKATCHEWAN REGULATIONS TRAPPING IS INCLUDED UNDER THE DEFINITION OF HUNTINGIN SASKATCHEWAN SUCH THAT, UNLESS SPECIFICALLYEXEMPTED, THE RULES THAT PERTAIN TO HUNTING WITHFIREARMS WILL ALSO APPLY TO SHOOTING OR TRAPPING OFFURBEARERS UNDER A TRAPPING LICENCE

DO I NEED A LICENCE TO TRAP? YOU REQUIRE A FUR LICENCE TO HARVEST MOST FURBEARERSPECIES YOU DO NOT REQUIRE A LICENCE TO HARVEST COYOTES WITHA FIREARM, TO TRAP RACCOON AND SKUNKS OR TO TRAPBEAVER IN RURAL MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE PASSED ANOPEN SEASON BYLAW HOWEVER, REGARDLESS OF THE SPECIES, YOU NEED A FURLICENCE IF YOU WISH TO SELL THE PELT

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET MY LICENCE? YOU MUST BE 12 YEARS OF AGE YOU MUST EITHER TAKE THIS COURSEOR PASS A CHALLENGE EXAMAND YOU MUST HAVE YOUR FIREARMS SAFET Y/HUNTEREDUCATION CERTIFICATE YOU MUST HAVE A VALID SASKATCHEWAN WILDLIFEHABITAT CERTIFICATE .

WHERE DO I GET MY LICENCE? SFCA LICENCES ARE AVAILABLE ON -LINE THROUGH THEAUTOMATED HUNTER AND ANGLER LICENCING (HAL) SYSTEM,THROUGH ALL VENDORS AND AT MINISTRY OFFICES NFCA AND YOUTH LICENCES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ATMINISTRY OFFICES

HOW LONG IS MY FUR LICENCE VALID? YOUR FUR LICENCE IS VALID FOR THE PURPOSES OFTRAPPING UNTIL AUGUST 31 FOLLOWING THE DATEOF ISSUE.

WHERE CAN I GO TRAPPING ? IN THE NFCA YOU MUST BE VOTED IN BY MEMBERSOF THE TRAPPING BLOCK YOU ARE APPLYING FORAND THEN YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED A LINE FOR YOURUSE. IN THE SFCA YOU CAN TRAP ON ANY LAND PROVIDEDYOU HAVE THE PERMISSION OF THE LANDOWNER.YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PERMISSION OF THE OWNEROR OCCUPANT OF ANY RESIDENCE OR LIVESTOCKHANDLING FACILIT Y WITHIN 500 M OF YOUR SETS. ON CROWN LANDS PERMISSION IS REQUIRED FROMTHE APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CROWNOR THE CROWN LEASE HOLDER

WHEN CAN I GO TRAPPING? MOST SASKATCHEWAN FURBEARERS ARE PROTECTEDOUTSIDE OF SPECIFIED SEASON DATES THAT ARE INTENDEDTO COVER THE PERIOD WHEN THE FUR IS PRIME SEASON DATES FOR ALL SASKATCHEWAN SPECIES ARESHOWN ANNUALLY IN THE HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS GUIDE. SOME SPECIES SUCH AS COYOTES, BEAVER (IN DESIGNATEDRURAL MUNICIPALITIES ONLY), RACCOON AND SKUNK CAN BEHARVESTED YEAR-ROUND BUT THE PELT WILL BE OF LITTLEVALUE OUTSIDE OF THE COLDER MONTHS.

WHAT IF I WANT TO HUNT FUR ANIMALSDURING AN OPEN BIG GAME SEASON? PROVIDED THE PERSON IS NOT HUNTING WITH OR AIDING ABIG GAME HUNTER, A LICENSED TRAPPER MAY HUNT FURANIMALS OTHER THAN BEAR IN THE SFCA OR COUGARPROVINCIALLY DURING AN OPEN FUR SEASON IN THE NFCA A TRAPPER WHO IS CONDUCTING NORMAL BEARTRAPPING OPERATIONS MAY USE A FIREARM TO HARVESTBEAR. NORMAL BEAR TRAPPING OPERATIONS MEANS THETRAPPER HAS SEVERAL BEAR TRAPS OPERATING AT ONE TIMEAND CHECKS THEM IN A PLANNED AND REGULAR MANNER.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIES-SPECIFICREGULATIONS I SHOULD KNOW? COYOTES CAN ONLY BE HARVESTED WITH A FIREARMUNLESS YOU ARE THE HOLDER OF A FUR LICENCE THERE IS NO MINISTRY REQUIREMENT TO HOLD AFUR LICENCE WHEN HARVESTING BEAVER IN RMsWITH OPEN SEASON REGULATIONS. HOWEVER MANYRMs REQUIRE THAT INDIVIDUALS TURNING INBEAVER FOR BOUNT Y MUST HOLD A FUR LICENCE –CHECK WITH YOUR RM. THERE ARE MINIMUM CALIBRE REQUIREMENTS TOHUNT BEAR OR WOLF. THESE ARE GENERALLYLARGER THAN .23 CALIBRE BUT CHECK WITH AMINISTRY OFFICE IF UNSURE.

SPECIAL RESTRICTIONS FORTRAPPING BEARONLY MECHANICALLYACTIVATED FOOT SNARESARE LEGAL FOR THECAPTURE OF BEARIN THE SFCA, FIREARMSMAY ONLY BE USED TODISPATCH A BEARALREADY CAUGHT IN AFOOT SNARE.

SPECIAL RESTRICTIONS FORTRAPPING COUGAR HARVEST OF COUGAR ISRESTRICTED TO THE USE OFTRAPS ONLY FIREARMS MAY ONLY BEUSED TO DISPATCH ANANIMAL ALREADY CAUGHTIN A TRAP OR SNARE. TRAPPERS ARE REQUIREDTO IMMEDIATELY REPORTHARVESTED COUGAR TOTHE MINISTRY TO RECEIVEA PERMIT TO POSSESS ORSELL THE ANIMAL

CAN I CARRY A FIREARM ON AN AT V OR ASNOWMOBILE WHEN I AM TRAPPING? DURING AN OPEN SEASON FOR BIG GAME, YOU MAY CARRY A.22 CALIBRE (OR LESS) RIMFIRE RIFLE IN A VEHICLE WHILECONDUCTING NORMAL TRAPPING OPERATIONS. A ‘VEHICLE’INCLUDES AT Vs AND SNOWMOBILES. OUTSIDE OF A BIG GAME SEASON, AN UNENCASED FIREARMMAY BE CARRIED ON AN ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE ORSNOWMOBILE.

CAN I USE A LIGHT WHEN I AM TRAPPING? A PERSON MAY USE A SEARCHLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSES OFCONDUCTING NORMAL TRAPPING OPERATIONS

CAN I USE A ROAD-KILLED ANIMAL FOR BAIT? YES, IF TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE THE WILDLIFE WASNOT KILLED ILLEGALLY YOU MUST, WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF TAKING POSSESSION OFTHE DEAD WILDLIFE, PROVIDE THE WILDLIFE TO A WILDLIFEOFFICER FOR INSPECTION AND APPLY FOR A FREE PERMIT TOPOSSESS THE WILDLIFE

TRANSPORT OF ROAD-KILLED ANIMALS ROAD-KILLED ANIMALS SHOW A HIGHER PREVALENCE FORDISEASES SUCH AS CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE – FOR THISREASON PERMIT CONDITIONS REQUIRE THAT THE ANIMALS BEUSED AS BAIT WITHIN 100 KM OF WHERE THEY WEREOBTAINED – THIS IS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF SPREADINGDISEASES TO NEW AREAS

WHAT TRAPS CAN I USE? IT DEPENDS ON WHAT SPECIES YOU ARE TARGETTING ANDWHETHER YOU INTEND TO USE KILLING TRAPS, RESTRAININGTRAPS, LIVE TRAPS OR SNARES. MOST SASKATCHEWAN FURBEARER SPECIES ARE COVEREDUNDER THE AGREEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL HUMANETRAPPING STANDARDS (AIHTS) WHICH GENERALLY DICTATESTHE T YPES OF TRAPS THAT CAN BE USED

WHAT IS THE AGREEMENT ON INTERNATIONALHUMANE TRAPPING STANDARDS – THE AIHTS? THE AIHTS IS AN AGREEMENT BET WEEN THE EUROPEANUNION, RUSSIA AND CANADA THAT IS INTENDED TO ENSURETHAT ONLY THE MOST HUMANE TRAPS AVAILABLE ARE USED INTHE CAPTURE OF FURBEARERS THE MOST HUMANE TRAPS ALSO GIVE TRAPPERS THEIR BESTRETURN AS KILLS ARE QUICKER AND RESTRAINED ANIMALSSUFFER LESS INJURY

AIHTS AND THE FUR TRADE THIS AGREEMENT IS A BENEFIT TO TRAPPERS AS IT HELPSSECURE AN OPEN DOOR TO FOREIGN MARKETS AND TOADDRESS CRITICISM OF THE INDUSTRY AT HOME

WHAT DETERMINES IF A TRAP IS CERTIFIEDUNDER THE AIHTS? KILLING TRAPS ARE CERTIFIED BASED ON MEETING AREQUIRED MINIMUM AVERAGE TIME BET WEEN CAPTURE ANDTIME OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS (45 SECONDS FOR WEASEL; 2MIN FOR MARTEN; 5 MIN FOR ALL OTHERS) RESTRAINING TRAPS ARE CERTIFIED BASED ON THE AMOUNTAND NATURE OF INJURIES SUFFERED BY A CAPTURED ANIMAL ALL TESTING IS CONDUCTED AT A SPECIALIZED FACILIT Y ATVEGREVILLE AB AND TESTS MUST MEET RIGOROUS SCIENTIFICSTANDARDS

HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT TRAPS I NEED FORTHE ANIMALS I AM AFTER? THE MOST UP TO DATE LISTING OF CERTIFIED TRAPS IS ONTHE WEBSITE OF THE FUR INSTITUTE OF CANADA ( www.fur.ca).THIS LIST IS UPDATED IMMEDIATELY AS TRAPS ARE ADDED. AN ANNUAL LIST IS ALSO PUBLISHED IN THE SASKATCHEWANHUNTERS AND TRAPPERS GUIDE BUT WILL NOT INCLUDEADDITIONS AFTER THE TIME OF PUBLISHING.

ARE ALL FURBEARERS COVERED UNDER THEAIHTS? NO. SASKATCHEWAN SPECIES NOT INCLUDED UNDER THEAIHTS ARE RED AND ARCTIC FOX, MINK, WOLVERINE,RED,GRAY AND FOX SQUIRRELS, LEAST AND LONG -TAILEDWEASELS AND SKUNKS. SASKATCHEWAN HOWEVER HAS USED PROVINCIALREGULATIONS TO APPLY AIHTS STANDARDS TO ALL FOX ANDWEASEL SPECIES SO REALLY ONLY MINK, WOLVERINE,SQUIRRELS AND SKUNK ARE WITHOUT STANDARDS INPLACE OR UNDER CONSIDERATION.

IS IT MANDATORY TO USE CERTIFIED TRAPSFOR ALL THE SPECIES COVERED UNDER THEAIHTS? NOT NECESSARILY. SOME SPECIES HAVE NOT YET HAD ENOUGHTRAPS TESTED AND CERTIFIED AND FOR THESE IT IS STILL LEGALTO USE ANY T YPE OF TRAP BOTH THE FIC WEBSITE AND THE SK HUNTERS AND TRAPPERSGUIDE ALSO LIST THOSE TRAPS THAT HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED FORSPECIES WHERE IT IS NOT YET MANDATORY TO USE CERTIFIEDTRAPS. THIS LIST ALLOWS TRAPPERS TO PLAN THEIR TRAPPURCHASES AHEAD OF WHEN CERTIFIED TRAPS BECOMEMANDATORY FOR THOSE SPECIES. NOTE THAT ALL RESTRAINING TRAPS MUST BE MODIFIED TOMEET HUMANE STANDARDS EVEN IF THERE IS NO REQUIREMENTTO USE CERTIFIED RESTRAINING TRAPS FOR A PARTICULARSPECIES

HOW CAN I MODIFY MY RESTRAINING TRAPSTO MEET HUMANE STANDARDS?THE SK HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS GUIDE LISTS 3 ACCEPTABLEWAYS TO MODIFY OLD ST YLE RESTRAINING TRAPS TO MAKETHEM LEGAL TODAY: 1 . OFFSET THE JAWS SO THERE IS A MINIMUM OF 5 MMBET WEEN THE JAWS WHEN CLOSED 2. FASTEN MANUFACTURED PADS OF A RUBBER LIKESUBSTANCE TO THE TRAP JAWS. DUCT TAPE IS NOT ANACCEPATBLE SUBSTANCE 3. ADD LAMINATION TO THE TRAP JAWS TO INCREASE JAWTHICKNESS TO 9 MM OR GREATER

ARE THERE ANY OTHER RESTRICTIONS ONTHE USE OF TRAPS THAT I SHOULD KNOW? YOU CANNOT USE FOOT-HOLD TRAPS FOR BEAVER, MUSKRAT,OTTER OR MINK UNLESS THE TRAP IS SET SO THE ANIMALDROWNS WHEN CAUGHT. YOU CANNOT USE FOOT-HOLD TRAPS WITH AN INSIDE JAWOPENING MORE THAN 24 CENTIMETERS (9.5 INCHES) YOU CANNOT TRAP BEARS EXCEPT WITH MECHANICALLYACTIVATED FOOT SNARES YOU CANNOT USE HOOKS OR SHARP DEVICES TO SNAG OR SPEARFURBEARING ANIMALS. YOU CANNOT USE TRAPS WITH SERRATED JAWS OR TEETH TOTAKE FURBEARING ANIMALS.

DOES THE AIHTS COVER SNARES? NO – SNARES ARE CURRENTLY NOT INCLUDED UNDER THEAIHTS AND ARE REGULATED PROVINCIALLY

WHAT REGULATIONS APPLY IF I WANT TO USENECK SNARES? SASKATCHEWAN RECOGNIZES T WO MAIN T YPES OF NECKSNARES – POWER SNARES AND FREE-HANGING OR COMMONSNARES - AND THERE ARE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES IN THEREGULATIONS THAT APPLY FOR THE USE OF EACH. POWER SNARES ARE DEFINED AS MECHANICALLY ACTIVATEDSUCH THAT THE SNARE IS CLOSED BY A SPRING WITH A LEGOR ARM NO LESS THAN 30 CM IN LENGTH OR BY A LEVER ANDCOIL-SPRING SYSTEM IN WHICH THE SPRING IS NO LESS THAN25 CM LONG. MECHANICALLY ACTIVATED SPRING -LOADED SNARES THAT DONOT MEET THESE STANDARDS ARE CONSIDERED AS FREE HANGING SNARES FOR REGULATORY PURPOSES

WHAT ARE THE REGULATIONS ABOUT USINGPOWER SNARES? POWER SNARES CAN BE USED THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE A PERMIT FROM MoE IS REQUIRED AND IS AVAILABLE AT NOCOST FROM ANY MoE OFFICE POWER SNARES CAN BE USED FOR ALL FURBEARERS EXCEPTBEAR

WHY DO I NEED A PERMIT TO USE POWERSNARES? THE REGULATIONS REQUIRE THAT YOU OBTAIN A PERMITBECAUSE THE PERMIT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF CONDITIONSADDITIONAL TO WHAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN REGULATION THESE CONDITIONS HELP ENSURE THAT POWER SNARES ARESET IN A MANNER THAT MINIMIZES RISKS TO PEOPLE, PETSAND LIVESTOCK THESE CONDITIONS ARE LAW AND FAILURE TO COMPLY WITHTHEM COULD LEAD TO CHARGES BEING LAID AND TO LOSS OFPERMIT RIGHTS.

WHAT ARE THESE CONDITIONS?THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONDITIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE PERMIT DESCRIBES THE BREAK - AWAY STANDARDSREQUIRED TO HELP REDUCE INCIDENTAL CAPTURE OFWILDLIFE (eg DEER) AND LIVESTOCK THE BREAK- AWAY STANDARD IS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLEPRESSURE THAT THE SNARE WILL HOLD BEFORE IT BREAKSAWAY. THE STANDARD THEN DETERMINES WHAT SNARE CABLEWIDTH CAN BE USED DEPENDING ON WHETHER ADDITIONALSAFEGUARDS ARE IN PLACE SUCH AS A PRESSURE -SENSITIVES-HOOK THE PERMIT ALSO REQUIRES THAT IN ADDITION TO GETTINGTHE PERMISSION OF OCCUPANTS WITHIN 500M OF A SNARESET THE PERMITTEE MUST ALSO NOTIFY ANY ADDITIONALLANDOWNERS WITHIN 1 .6 KM (ONE MILE) OF THE SET.

WHAT ARE THE REGULATIONS FOR FREE HANGING SNARES? FREE-HANGING SNARES ARE NOT ALLOWED FOR GENERAL FURHARVEST IN THE SFCA A PERMIT FROM MoE IS REQUIRED FOR THEIR USE AND IN THESFCA WILL ONLY BE ISSUED TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARERESOLVING AN ACTIVE LIVESTOCK PREDATION COMPLAINT

HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO CHECK MY TRAPS? WITHIN 5 KM OF A TOWN WITH 1000 OR MORE PEOPLE YOUMUST CHECK YOUR TRAPS EVERY 24 HOURS. ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE SFCA YOU MUST CHECK YOUR TRAPSEVERY 72 HOURS IN THE NFCA YOU MUST CHECK YOUR TRAPS EVERY 120HOURS