Hunters be sure to check hunting regulations for where your licences are valid

Supplemental Antlerless White-tailed Deer Licences are no longer valid in several central Alberta Wildlife Management Units

The white-tailed deer season began November 1st in central Alberta. A number of hunters are not aware of an important change for this year -- the removal of a number of Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) from the list of units in which a Supplemental Antlerless White-tailed Deer Licence is valid.

A message about the change (on page 12 of the paper copy of the 2011 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations) shows that this licence is not valid for WMUs 240, 242, 250, 252, 504 and 506 which covers a swath of central Alberta from Viking to Two Hills and northwest through the Redwater/Thorhild area and up to Athabasca and Boyle. A similar change in southern Alberta for WMUs 150, 151, 162 and 163 (south of Hanna) is also in effect, although an Antlerless White-tailed Deer Special Licence can be obtained for these four WMUs.

In central Alberta, this change has reportedly been missed by more than a few hunters and Fish and Wildlife officers are encountering hunters who have mistakenly taken antlerless white-tailed deer where the licence is not valid.

For further information, see guide on this page - click on the guide, then on Changes and Definitions, scroll down to Important Changes for 2011 - look under Big Game.

Hunters are advised to check carefully to ensure their licence - including a supplemental licence - is valid in the WMU in which you intend to hunt.

i for one was glad to see them shutdown supplemental does around two hills. hunted there a number of years with a buddy that grew up there. after 2006 many deer died. then in 2007 they opened the first 2XX zone to sunday hunting. great idea. it was a complete zoone out there, another bad winter and we stopped hunting there. for next two years you could still take 2 does in a zone that we would have a hard time finding 2 deer in. major oversight in my opinion. i think we are at a min 2 years behind animal counts and management strategies.

how many times have we heard some-one say "quality way down", harsh winter kill etc and u can still see in the regs that 2 does are allowed. and i am not taking about the CWD zone. i just get disappointed with how we manage out animals. I would rather get drawn half as often than kill every last thing in the bush. to bad there is only about 12 people that feel the same way so....