In Alberta there are about five million acres of public land under agricultural lease that hunters may access.Whether you
wish to hunt on agricultural public land or privately owned land, there are some steps you need to complete before you enter
onto the land.
If you wish to access agricultural public land, you must first contact the leaseholder and provide information about your
visit. Although leaseholders must allow reasonable access to the land for recreation, there are some circumstances where
the leaseholder may deny or apply conditions to access.
Similarly, if you wish to access privately owned land, you must first contact the landowner, or the landowner’s designated
contact person, for permission. In contrast to the holder of an agricultural or grazing lease, a landowner may deny you
access for any reason.
| Privately Owned Land |
Agricultural Public Land |
| The landowner has the right to permit or deny access for any reason.
|
The leaseholder is required to provide reasonable recreational access. Access may be denied under certain conditions, as
specified in the Recreation Access Regulations.
|
For detailed information on access to agricultural public land in Alberta, visit:
Includes a map of the location of agricultural public lands in Alberta, contact information for these lands, and information
on the rights and responsibilities of leaseholders and recreational users.
The Use Respect Program
The Use Respect program is an initiative of Alberta Environment and Parks and the Alberta Conservation Association. Its purpose is to build awareness of the
rights and responsibilities of recreationists, agricultural leaseholders, and landowners, particularly as they pertain to recreational access to lands.
Under the Use Respect program, yellow and green signs will be placed along the fences of potential hunting areas on both
agricultural public lands and privately owned lands. These signs will list the contact information of the leaseholder, landowner
or a designated contact person.
The signs are intended to make it easy for hunters to meet the responsibility of contacting leaseholders or landowners before
entering onto their lands. Remember, the access rights for agricultural public land and privately owned land are different:
- Agricultural public land: The leaseholder is required to provide reasonable recreational access. Access may be denied
under certain conditions, as specified in the Recreation Access Regulations.
- Privately owned land: The landowner has the right to permit or deny access for any reason.
Use respect. Always contact the leaseholder or landowner before entering onto agricultural public lands or privately owned
lands.
Updated: Sep 16, 2016