Reminder: Hunter Harvest Surveys are now mandatory. Hunters are required to complete a survey for each licence they purchase, regardless if they hunted or not, prior to the deadline indicated on the licence. Game bird hunters are reminded that the hunter harvest survey (available starting December 8) asks for a total number of birds harvested per wildlife management zone, and we encourage hunters to keep track of this information.
Hunter Harvest Surveys and the Annual Status of Furbearers Survey are important components of managing game in Saskatchewan and provide valuable information for quota and season setting for the upcoming year.
These surveys are now incorporated into HAL – the Hunting, Angling and Trapping Licence System. Every hunter or trapper who purchases a licence for which a survey is being conducted, will have the opportunity to fill out a survey. This data is provided to the Ministry of Environment's wildlife biologists in advance of quota setting for the following year, and allows them to evaluate recent changes in management strategy and identify areas where different management strategies may be warranted. The more surveys completed, the more thorough this evaluation can be.
There are currently three ways to complete your survey(s):
- Sign on to your HAL account and select the 'Hunter Harvest Surveys' tab on the left-hand side of the page;
- Call ASPIRA at 1-888-773-8450; or
- Use the SK Hunt & Fish App - download the app on your iOS or Android device.
Hunters and trappers who have a survey available to complete will have a message displayed on their HAL web account once they have signed in. Those individuals that provide an email address on their HAL profile will be notified by email when the surveys are available and reminded of pending surveys that have not been completed. These reminders are intended to maximize participation and incorporate the best possible information in the quota and season setting process for the upcoming season.
For the 2023-24 hunting season, survey dates for the following licences (including veteran licences) are listed below:
Saskatchewan Resident Black Bear: May 20, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Canadian Resident Black Bear: May 20, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Draw Moose: October 1, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Regular Moose: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Draw Elk: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Regular Elk: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Draw Pronghorn: October 1, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Draw Either-Sex Mule Deer: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Draw Antlerless Mule Deer: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Regular Archery Mule Deer: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Saskatchewan Resident Antlerless Mule Deer (Limited): September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Saskatchewan Resident White-tailed Deer: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Saskatchewan Resident Antlerless White-tailed Deer (Regular): September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Saskatchewan Resident Antlerless White-tailed Deer (Limited): September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Saskatchewan Resident Youth White-tailed Deer: September 15, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Draw Canadian Resident White-tailed Deer: October 1, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Saskatchewan Resident Game Bird: December 8, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Saskatchewan Resident Youth Game Bird: December 8, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Canadian Resident Game Bird: December 8, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Non-resident Game Bird: December 8, 2023 to January 20, 2024
Wolf: October 15, 2023 to April 30, 2024
Southern Fur Conservation Area: March 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024
Northern Fur Conservation Area: March 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024
For the game bird survey, only the number of each upland species is included because waterfowl harvest is captured in the federal harvest survey. We do ask if the hunter hunted waterfowl so we may gauge interest in each group of birds (upland game birds, waterfowl or both). Please only complete the game bird survey once you have completely finished hunting for the season in order to ensure that the entire season's harvest is accounted for.