Overview
Residents were asked to provide input into NWT Wildlife Act regulations, which would allow for increased harvesting opportunities for white-tailed and mule deer. Only Aboriginal harvesters in their traditional use area could hunt deer without restrictions.
ENR proposed to remove deer harvest restrictions for General Hunting Licence (GHL) holders and resident hunters and implement a tag system with mandatory reporting and sample submission. This is a proactive measure to protect our wildlife and help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease and other diseases and parasites.
The amendments proposed included the following changes to the Big Game Hunting Regulations (BGHR) PART 8 and the Wildlife Fees Regulations:
- BGHR was amended for GHL and Special Harvester Licence holders to allow for deer harvesting in Wildlife Management Zones/Areas R, S, G, I in addition to D and U. Conditions for all Wildlife Management Zones/Areas were added. These conditions require tags when hunting, mandatory reporting of harvest as soon as practicable, and mandatory sample submission of the deer’s head.
- BGHR was amended to allow Resident Hunting Licence holders the ability to deer hunt in Wildlife Management Zones/Areas D, U, R, S, G, I. Conditions for Resident Hunting Licence holders require tags when hunting, mandatory reporting of harvest as soon as practicable, and mandatory sample submission of the deer’s head.
- Wildlife Fees Regulations were updated to eliminate tag fees for deer to further encourage harvest.
Status
Open
Engagement feedback from March 20, 2019 to April 15, 2019
Results under review
Completed
This engagement was completed April 15, 2019
Have Your Say
Comments and questions were accepted by email.
Comments received during this public review period were considered when deciding whether or not to amend regulations related to deer hunting.
Results
Next steps from the public engagement have been summarized in a What We Heard report.