Cougar Hunting Seasons and CMAs
Since the 2019-2020 winter cougar season, Environment and Protected Areas has been using voluntary email or text harvest reporting. This process has lead to a reduction in over-quota harvest from an average of 11 per year for the period of 2016-2018 to only 5 per year for 2019-2021. This is a 55 percent decrease in over-quota harvest by allowing the closure of seasons on weekends and during the Christmas office closure.
If a cougar is harvested on Saturday or Sunday, or during the Christmas office closure, we ask the hunter to submit their name, sex of the cat, date of kill, and WMU the cougar was taken in via email to AEP.CougarRegistration@gov.ab.ca or by text to (780) 218-7275.
Mandatory cougar registration is still in place as it has always been. Due to staffing changes, we advise you to contact the Government office where you intend to register your harvest to ensure they are available, or to make alternate arrangements to get the cat registered.
Cougar hunting season status summary
Data updated:
March 31, 2023 @ 2:10 PM
Cougar
Management
Area
|
Male
Quota
|
Female
Quota
|
Male Season Status
|
Female Season Status
|
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
7
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
8
|
2
|
2
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
9
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
10
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
11
|
3
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
12
|
4
|
3
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
13
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
14
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
15
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
16
|
3
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
17
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
18
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
19
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
20
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
21
|
3
|
2
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
22
|
2
|
2
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
23
|
3
|
2
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
24
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
25
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
26
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
27
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
28
|
2
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
29
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
30
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
31
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
|
32
|
1
|
1
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
Fall cougar hunting season
Cougars may be hunted by holders of a Resident Cougar Licence from September 1 – March 31 in the following Wildlife Management Units:
- 100-166
- 200-260
- 357-360
- 500-504
From August 25 to November 30, cougars may be hunted by holders of a Resident Cougar Licence in WMUs 410, and 412 to 446.
The use of dogs is prohibited during this season, and hunters may harvest one cougar of either sex. No quotas exist for
this season.
Winter cougar hunting season
From December 1 to March 31, cougars may be hunted by holders of a resident cougar licence, non-resident cougar licence, or cougar special licence in the following Cougar Management Areas:
| CMA
|
WMUs
|
CMA
|
WMUs
|
CMA
|
WMUs
|
| 1
|
300
|
12
|
326, 328, 429
|
23
|
344, 346
|
| 2
|
302, 400
|
13
|
412, 414, 416, 417, 418
|
24
|
347, 349
|
| 3
|
303, 306, 308, 402
|
14
|
420, 422
|
25
|
350, 351
|
| 4
|
304, 305
|
15
|
426, 428, 430
|
26
|
354
|
| 5
|
404, 406
|
16
|
432, 434, 436, 437
|
27
|
355, 445, 446
|
| 6
|
408, 410
|
17
|
438, 439
|
28
|
356
|
| 7
|
310, 312
|
18
|
440, 442, 444
|
29
|
505, 507
|
| 8
|
314, 316
|
19
|
352, 353, 441
|
30
|
509, 510
|
| 9
|
318, 320
|
20
|
334, 336
|
31
|
511, 516
|
| 10
|
322, 332
|
21
|
337, 338, 348
|
32
|
512, 515, 517
|
| 11
|
324, 330
|
22
|
339, 340, 342
|
Hunters must call the cougar hotline at 1-800-661-3729 (toll-free) prior to hunting each day to determine which CMAs are
open.
Quotas for male and female cougars
There is a separate quota for male and female cougars in each CMA. The season in each area closes independently for each
sex when the quota has been filled.
Quotas are updated periodically with the objective of a stable older age structured population. Reports are produced every three years to summarize cougar harvest and explain any changes to quotas.
For holders of a cougar special licence (outfitted non-resident or non-resident alien hunters), quotas do not apply and the season remains open for either sex until March 31.
Related information
Updated: Nov 24, 2022