All US duck and goose hunters who wish to hunt Manitoba this fall will receive a license, but must apply this summer
Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development has announced new licensing requirements for foreign resident migratory bird hunters in the province beginning with the 2023 hunting season.
Under the new regulations, there will be three categories of resident alien licenses: 1) a seven-day permit for independent hunters issued through a lottery, 2) an inherited migratory game bird license for holders of protected property interests, and 3) ) a seven-day permit. purchased through an authorized Manitoba vendor.
These changes are essential news for all hunters who want to go to Manitoba and hunt on their own this fall. They must submit their application through the electronic license portal between June 15 and July 15. For the 2023 hunting season, all hunters who apply through the portal within the appropriate timeframe will receive a license, a 100 percent success rate. What is different from the past is that the license will be limited to a period of seven days during the season. Over-the-counter migratory game bird licenses will not be sold.
Another part of the rule change reduces the number of providers authorized to guide waterfowl hunters in Manitoba by approximately 50%. Hunters who will use their services will purchase a license through the vendor, and the number of those licenses has been capped at the average number of hunters housed before COVID.
Delta’s policy team welcomes the opportunity to participate with the Waterfowl Advisory Group, which was established after governing legislation was passed last fall. Delta took this opportunity to inform regulations to ensure that all stakeholders, Manitoba residents and independent Americans, were represented in the final product.
Legacy licenses will be available to resident aliens who lawfully held a Manitoba resident alien game bird license at any time between August 15, 2018 and December 6, 2022, and prior to September 1, 2018. 2022, and currently remain:
- One registered owner in Manitoba
- A shareholder of a corporation that owns land in Manitoba, or
- A tenant of Crown land in Manitoba
Legacy license applications must be received by June 1, 2023. More information is available at https://www.gov.mb.ca/nrnd/fish-wildlife/pubs/fish_wildlife/wildlife/waterfowl-application-guidelines. pdf.
Prematurely disseminated misinformation has resulted in widespread confusion since discussions of the proposal began late last summer. However, the new regulations are clarified in the province’s publications at https://www.gov.mb.ca/nrnd/fish-wildlife/pubs/fish_wildlife/wildlife/waterfowl-guide-changes-migratory.pdf.
It is clear that all US hunters who wish to hunt in Manitoba this fall will be able to purchase a license to do so.
The intent of the Manitoba government’s regulatory changes, along with significantly strengthened enforcement, is to crack down on ‘rogue’ providers who have long operated illegally in the province and negatively impacted opportunities and access for all waterfowl hunters. In turn, it was felt that this should help alleviate some of the difficulties many resident hunters perceive in accessing high-pressure regions of the province.
In addition, the new regulations will manage equipment within the province and ensure that equipment does not exceed pre-COVID levels this year and beyond. Limit new growth in commercial waterfowl hunting in the province and take steps that are expected to lessen efforts to control access to hunting. Earlier suggestions by others that “all American hunters would need to use guides and outfitters in Manitoba” are clearly inaccurate as described in the actual regulations published by the province.—bill miller
For more information, contact John Devney at [email protected] or (701)-471-4235.