Taber Pheasant Festival

Recognizing the potential economic benefits and the importance of pheasant hunting as part of Alberta’s hunting heritage, ACA initiated the Taber Pheasant Festival in 2011. This festival sets up hunting opportunities by releasing 5,100 male pheasants on forty pre-selected sites in the Municipal District of Taber. Every year, as part of the Pheasant Festival, Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association (AHEIA) hosts a novice hunting weekend where new hunters of all ages get to try pheasant hunting for the first time. In 2019, 81 hunters attended these novice shoots. The festival helps to make a connection with local landholders to discuss potential habitat projects to enhance wildlife and pheasant habitat. This unique festival offers the opportunity to showcase hunting from a field-to-plate perspective for the non-hunting population. We provided educational background on pheasants and hunting and demonstrated how to clean and use as much of the pheasant meat as possible with butchering demonstrations and how to transport meat legally. The game to gourmet culinary event showcased what you can do with your pheasant meat after it is harvested. There is no registration fee to hunt in the festival; however, the area sees economic benefits as the hunters spend money on travel, accommodation, food, hunting gear, and associated costs. We host a celebration banquet to thank the landowners who allow us to hunt on their land and to raise funds for next year’s festival. We also showcase a scotch and wing night in the local community. There was a strong showing of 803 hunters participating in the ninth year of the festival with some travelling from across western Canada and the United States.

Partnerships

Alberta Fish & Game Association, Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association, A1 Fabrication, Beretta/Benelli/Tikka/Sako, Cabela’s, Can West Legacy Inc., Cycle Works, Foster Park Brokers, Friends of the Taber Pheasant Festival, Heritage Inn Taber/Canadian Destinations Group, Landowners, Lethbridge College students, MacFarlane Pheasants Inc., Municipal District of Taber, Taber & District Chamber of Commerce, Taber Economic Development, Taber Irrigation District, Thiessen, Town of Taber, Taber Organizing committee, Vortex Optics

Annual Summaries

all programs fish program wildlife program land programs communications