Landowner Hunting Access Survey

In 2021, we conducted a voluntary online survey, designed with input from social scientists at the universities of Alberta and Waterloo, to understand the views of private landholders on allowing hunting access on their land. While the survey results do not represent all Alberta landowners' viewpoints, they offer general information on common patterns. We received 2,036 responses from across the province and summarized some of the interesting findings into infographics. We also examined a subset of survey participants who permit hunting on their property and discovered that property size and concerns related to hunters have the most substantial impact on landowners' decisions to grant public hunting access. Generally, landowners with larger landholdings are more likely to allow hunting to the public, whereas those with holdings of less than 100 acres were very unlikely to permit it. We also found that concerns such as trespassing, safety, property damage, and poaching reduce the chance that a landowner allows public access to their land for hunting. Further analysis and reporting on the survey will take place in 2023/24.

Partnerships

Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Crop Sector Working Group, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Alberta Fish & Game Association – Minister’s Special Licence Program, Alberta Professional Outfitters Society Wildlife Management Fund, Alberta Wheat & Barley Commissions, Cabela’s | Bass Pro Shops, Creative Motion Publishing, Glacier FarmMedia, municipal district and county offices across the province, University of Alberta, University of Waterloo, Western Stock Growers’ Association

Annual Summaries

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