Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
Hunters, gear up and get ready for the 2025-26 hunting season! Big Game Draw and regular licenses became available for purchase on August 1.
“Hunting in Saskatchewan offers exceptional recreational opportunities, not only for our residents, but also for visitors across the world,” Environment Minister Travis Keisig said. “Our government values the vital role hunters play as stewards of our natural landscapes and as contributors to local economies through tourism and community engagement.”
The Saskatchewan Hunters Guide contains information hunters should know, including a detailed list of season dates, hunters’ options for licenses and fees and highlights what is new for 2025, including species management plans, bovine tuberculosis and CWD updates and a new standalone regulations summary supplement. A copy of the guide can be downloaded from saskatchewan.ca/hunting or, for a print version, at Government of Saskatchewan field offices with front counter service, select retailers and some provincial parks.
Hunting licenses can be purchased online through the Hunting, Angling and Trapping License (HAL) system, 24 hours a day. During regular business hours, licenses can be purchased in person at a Government of Saskatchewan field office with front counter service, at select provincial park offices, or from any Saskatchewan hunting license issuer. Alternatively, they can be purchased with a credit card by calling 1-855-848-4773. Hunters must provide their HAL identification number or any other identification number previously added to their HAL account. For information on HAL accounts, visit saskatchewanhal.ca or call 1-888-773-8450.
Approximately 85 percent of the land in southern Saskatchewan is privately owned or controlled. Consent from the owner is mandatory before entering and hunting on any private land. Consent can be sought and provided by any method, including in person, by telephone and through email and provided in writing, orally or through signage.
Changes to The Wildlife Act, 1998, and The Trespass to Property Act now specify that no person may hunt wildlife on any land without the consent of the land’s owner or occupant. This requirement is often referred to as “mandatory permission.” This means that anyone, including individuals exercising First Nations, Aboriginal, or Métis rights, who seeks access to rural land for recreational purposes (such as hunting) must first obtain consent from the owner or occupant.
There are exceptions to this requirement: it does not apply to vacant provincial land as defined in The Provincial Lands Act, 2016, or any other land or Crown land specified in the regulations. Vacant provincial land refers to land for which the Minister has not entered into a lease or other disposition.
Hunters do not need permission to access Ministry of Environment-owned Fish and Wildlife Development Fund (FWDF) land. However, when it is jointly held by the Ministry and a conservation partner, permission is required from the conservation partner. Conservation partners may include Ducks Unlimited, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. FWDF lands can be located using the HABISask interactive mapping system.
All community pastures in Saskatchewan (previously Saskatchewan Pastures Program (SPP) or the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) pastures) are now patron-operated, and access information is available by contacting the pasture manager or the patron group. Generally, all are open to hunting as follows:
Wildlife Management Zones (WMZ) 1-47 – November 1
WMZ 54 – November 10
WMZs 48-50, 52, 53, 55 and 68N – November 15
Certain pastures may remain closed beyond the specified dates if livestock are still present, field operations are taking place, or if there are fire hazards. Additionally, some pastures may open to hunting before these dates; however, hunters must contact the pasture manager or a designated member of the patron group to confirm access before entering. For pasture-specific contact information, hunters can reach out to the Ministry of Agriculture land management specialists for assistance.
Access to Crown land leased to co-operative pasture groups differs from access to community pastures. Members of co-operative pasture groups have the right to control access to the land, similar to private owners or lessees.
Provincial Parks, Regional Parks, Recreation Sites, and park land, as defined in The Parks Act, are closed to all hunting unless specified otherwise in the open season tables in the Hunters’ Guide. For more information, consult the local park manager.
The Government of Saskatchewan website provides resources for planning hunting trips, including results from the Hunter Harvest Survey, the 2025-26 CWD Surveillance Program results (both in summary and map form), as well as relevant guides and supplements available in the Publications Centre.
For more information about hunting in Saskatchewan or to download the Saskatchewan Hunters Guide, visit saskatchewan.ca/hunting.
For questions about hunting in Saskatchewan, contact the Ministry of Environment’s Inquiry Centre at 1-800-567-4224 or centre.inquiry@gov.sk.ca.
