Self guided in Canada

[elkspert]

Looking for recommendations, first hand experience or any pointers on hunting Alberta self guided. We know about the gun laws and paper work, the allowed ammo and possession limits  We are in the early stages of planning and are still narrowing down the areas. We mainly want to hunt specks and snows and probably some ducks. We plan on bringing 2 trucks and a 16' enclosed trailer with all the gear. We are looking at 7-9 days for this trip starting around the first week of October. Any help or input is appreciated.

[EWUeagles]

I believe you can only bring like 3 or 4 days of limits back to the US so make sure you bring a good grill since you'll be eating a lot of duck up there. I haven't went myself but hoping to in the next couple of years. I know a handful of people who have went and they said it's great. Farmers are normally very willing to let you hunt land and there's no shortage of birds. A friend of mine said a couple bottle of booze always helps when talking with land owners. Good luck!

[Shannon]

I had went for six years straight except I missed last year. We go to Saskatchewan. Hunters paradise but we only stay for 3-4 days and then hunt Montana for pheasant. The possession limit is three days so what will you do with all those extra birds? You have to keep a wing on to cross the border so even three days worth of limits really takes up a ton of room if your counting ducks, honkers, and snows. We have only been turned down by one person for access and he just said he liked to hunt himself and kept it for the family only. Can't blame the guy for that. Have fun up there. You'll go again.

[Stein]

Could a guy take a small freezer and vacuum machine and process them up?  I do that for salmon sometimes, it's nice to come home without a bunch of work to do.

[Shannon]

No. That is not legal.

[Stein]

According to Canada or US regulations?

[M_59]

We take a freezer and process the birds. But, you still have to leave a wing attached to the breast. I think we can get 50-60 geese in the small freezer.

[Stein]

The idea is that once they are frozen they no longer count toward your possession limit, same as when you process them at home.

[elkspert]

I was also thinking about bringing a freezer. I will have to find out more information on that. We have all summer to get this planned. So far things are looking good. We figure we have 2 days in drive time, at least a couple of days scouting and trying to gain access so that only leaves 3-4  days of hunting, so that would  keep us at the possession limits.

[Wetwoodshunter]

The idea is that once they are frozen they no longer count toward your possession limit, same as when you process them at home.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/49/What+is+the+difference+between+the+daily+catch+limit+and+the+possession+limit+for+fish%3F+

Just a heads up if you do that in Washington you can still get busted. WDFW added the language so in possession means any time in transit regardless of how it is processed.

[tritt007]

I thought you had to go through an outfitter in all the provinces to hunt in Canada if not a resident of Canada ? Just out of curiosity . Not sure if the op means no outfitter or just go through an outfitter and self hunt ? I went on a bear hunt in AB last year and thought this was the case ? Could be wrong though . Just curious?

[Mfowl]

I thought you had zto go through an outfitter in all the provinces to hunt in Canada if not a resident of Canada ? Just out of curiosity . Not sure if the op means no outfitter or just go through an outfitter and self hunt ? I went on a bear hunt in AB last year and thought this was the case ? Could be wrong though . Just curious?

Pretty sure that is just for big game species.

[M_59]

You can only bring your possession limit back whether they are whole or processed with a wing on them.

[Shannon]

Its even illegal to take your meat to a butcher and have pepperoni made out of it and shipped home. They really only want you to get three days worth of birds.

[Stein]

The idea is that once they are frozen they no longer count toward your possession limit, same as when you process them at home.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/49/What+is+the+difference+between+the+daily+catch+limit+and+the+possession+limit+for+fish%3F+

Just a heads up if you do that in Washington you can still get busted. WDFW added the language so in possession means any time in transit regardless of how it is processed.

From the fishing regs:

Salmon - Two daily limits of fresh salmon. An additional 40 pounds of salmon may be
possessed in a frozen or processed form (see
pages 10-11).

That's from WDFW for fish caught in Washington, like I mentioned, Canada may be different and importing it may be different.  I'm guessing it is Canada as shipping or transporting multiple limits of processed fish or game is commonplace in the US.

[M_59]

Talking waterfowl here. You can only bring back your possession limit. "Leader" of our group has been going for 35 years so knows quite a few people up there. First 3 days we gift our birds. The last 3 we process to bring home. Not that big of a deal if we happen to come home short. Again, you can only bring back your possession limit and they have to have a wing attached.

[knighttime25]

I met a couple guys from Utah this season that travel to Saskatchewan every year for birds and they've created some friendships with locals up there that take their breasted birds to make into pepperoni and stuff for themselves. Seems like a win-win situation. They get to shoot more birds and the locals have lots of meat to use at their preference. 

[Shannon]

Stein-its both. Sask only allows three days of limits in your possession and the US Fish and Wildlife only allows you to bring back three days of limits when you enter back in. You have to list species and counts for each on a form and most of the time they verify your counts. Depends on which crossing you go through, how busy they are, and if a Fish and Wildlife officer is on duty.

[Wetwoodshunter]

The idea is that once they are frozen they no longer count toward your possession limit, same as when you process them at home.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/49/What+is+the+difference+between+the+daily+catch+limit+and+the+possession+limit+for+fish%3F+

Just a heads up if you do that in Washington you can still get busted. WDFW added the language so in possession means any time in transit regardless of how it is processed.

From the fishing regs:

Salmon - Two daily limits of fresh salmon. An additional 40 pounds of salmon may be
possessed in a frozen or processed form (see
pages 10-11).

That's from WDFW for fish caught in Washington, like I mentioned, Canada may be different and importing it may be different.  I'm guessing it is Canada as shipping or transporting multiple limits of processed fish or game is commonplace in the US.

I stand corrected. I wish the regs were easier to understand and didnt have multiple sections saying different things.

[h2ofowlr]

The idea is that once they are frozen they no longer count toward your possession limit, same as when you process them at home.

Federal regs read until fully consumed.  Processed or not.  I received a letter on this a few years ago form the USFW service for clarification.  This is something that should be revised though.  Possession limit until processed.