Becoming an Outfitter

The requirements for becoming an APOS Outfitter-Guide  or  APOS Guide are as follows:

A.        Outfitter-Guide Permits

The requirements of the Wildlife Act Regulation to hold an Outfitter-Guide Permit in Alberta are listed in Sections 56, 57, 58, and 59.

Classification of outfitter-guide permits:

An Outfitter-Guide permit is subdivided into Class S, Class T and Bird Game outfitter-guide permits.

AR 143/97 s56;174/2000

Outfitter-Guide permits – eligibility:

57(1)   Subject to this section, a person is eligible to obtain or hold an outfitter-guide (big game) permit if and only if that person

(a)  is an individual who is an adult resident or non-resident who, in the case of a non-resident, is a Canadian citizen or has been admitted to permanent residence in Canada, is a big game designated guide and has held

(i)a Class A or a Class B guide’s licence, or both, under the regulations as they existed before the commencement of this Regulation,

(ii)a designation as a guide generally before the beginning of the 2000- 2001 hunting season or a big game guide’s designation after that time or a combination of both such designations, or

(iii)         a combination of the guide’s licence or licences referred to in 

           subclause (I) and the designation as a guide or guide’s designation

           referred to in subclause (ii),  for any period of, or 2 or more periods  

           aggregating, at least 12 months, or

(b)  is a business corporation or society at least one of whose current officers is an individual described in clause (a).

(1.1)Subject to subsection (2), a person is eligible to obtain or hold an outfitter-guide (bird game) permit if and only if that person

(a)  is an individual who holds a bird game guide’s designation, or

(b)  is a business corporation or society at least one of whose current officers is an individual who holds such a designation.

(2) The Minister shall not issue an outfitter-guide permit unless the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Minister that any deposits furnished to the applicant by persons to whom guiding services are to be provided will be protected.

(2.1) The Minister shall not issue an outfitter-guide permit that is to be valid on or after April 1 of any fiscal year if the applicant had a duty to forward, but has not yet forwarded, to the Service the report referred to in section 143(3) for activities undertaken in the previous fiscal year.

(3) An individual is eligible to obtain or hold a Class S outfitter-guide permit if and only if, in addition to meeting the requirements of subsection (1)(a), he

(a)  was an outfitter-guide on March 31, 1988,

(b)  is the spouse or adult interdependent partner or child of an individual who was an outfitter-guide on that date, that individual now being deceased or incapacitated through injury or disease, or

(c)  is specified in a transfer under section 55(1) as the transferee of an allocation of non-resident/non-resident alien trophy sheep special licences.

(4) A business corporation or a society is eligible to obtain or hold a Class S outfitter-guide permit if and only if, in addition to meeting the requirements of subsection (1)(b), at least one of its current officers meets the requirements of subsection (3)(a), (b) or (c).

AR 143/97 s57;156/98;174/2000;109/2003;188/2005

Class S outfitter-guide permit – entitlements:

58(1)   A Class S outfitter-guide permit authorizes its holder

(a)  to enter into a contract with a non-resident or a non-resident alien for the provision to that individual of guiding services respecting the hunting by that individual of big game under an allocated licence, or wolf or coyote, and

(b)  to apply, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the permit, for a licence on that individual’s behalf authorizing that hunting.

(1.1)      A Class S outfitter-guide permit also authorizes its holder to enter into a contract with a resident for the provision to that resident of guiding services respecting any lawful hunting by that resident of big game, wolf or coyote.

(2)       During the period established by the Minister of 1, 2, 3 or 4 years commencing as at the end of the initial permit year prior to renewal for which the class S outfitter‑guide holds the permit for the first time, and provided that the holder

(a)  has been in compliance with the Act and this Regulation,

(b)  remains eligible, and

(c)  has applied for renewal of the permit each year possible on the basis of the same trophy sheep allocations that pertained at the beginning of that initial permit year,the Minister shall grant each such application for renewal of the permit on those same terms.

(3)       The Minister may, at any time before the finish of the period established under subsection (2), extend that period by one year, provided that the total at any one time of the combined periods of guaranteed permit holding under subsection (2) and this subsection (including the initial permit year referred to in subsection (2)) does not exceed 5 years.

AR 143/97 s58;173/2003

Class T outfitter-guide permit – entitlements

59(1)   A Class T outfitter-guide permit authorizes its holder

(a)  to enter into a contract with a non-resident or a non-resident alien for the provision to that individual of guiding services respecting the hunting by that individual of big game, except trophy sheep, under an allocated licence, or wolf or coyote, and

(b)  to apply, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the permit, for a licence on that individual’s behalf authorizing that hunting.

(2) A Class T outfitter-guide permit also authorizes its holder to enter into a contract with a resident for the provision to that resident of guiding services respecting any lawful hunting by that resident of big game, except trophy sheep, wolf or coyote.

AR 143/97 s59;173/2003

Bird game outfitter-guide permit – entitlements

59.1    An outfitter-guide (bird game) permit authorizes its holder to enter into a contract with a non-resident or a non-resident alien for the provision to that individual of guiding services respecting the hunting by that individual of game birds

B.        Insurance:

Before an Outfitter-Guide permit is issued you must provide APOS with proof of insurance (General Liability $5 million, and a Deposit Indemnity Bond for $10,000).  Normally this insurance is arranged through the APOS Group Plan held by HUB International.  Contact:

Eric Molland

HUB International

4528 – 99 Street

Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5H5

Phone: (780) 435-4862

If you ensure with any other carrier, APOS will require copies of the entire policy for each type of coverage before your permit can be issued.

C.        Renewals:

Renewals of Big Game Outfitter-Guide and Bird Game Outfitter-Guide Permits are done in conjunction with allocation renewals as of 31 March of each year.

Maintaining membership in good standing in APOS is mandatory for all Outfitter-Guides.

Guide Designations

A.        Requirements

The requirements of the Wildlife Act Regulation to hold a Big Game Guide License or a Bird Game Guide Designation in Alberta are listed in Sections 52 and 53.

Designated guide authorizations - eligibility

52(1)   The authorizations prescribed for the purposes of section 24(3) of the Act are

(a) a document, referred to in this Regulation as a big game guide’s designation, issued by the Minister to an adult resident or to an adult non-resident who is a Canadian citizen or is admitted to permanent residence in Canada, and

(b) a document, referred to in this Regulation as a bird game guide’s designation, issued by the Minister to an adult who is legally entitled to be employed in Canada.

(2) All the provisions of the Act that apply with respect to licences, except provisions that apply only with respect to recreational licences, also apply with respect to big game guides’ designations and bird game guides’ designations prescribed by subsection (1), if those provisions have the potential so to apply.

AR 143/97 s52;174/2000;251/2001;105/2002

Designated guide authorization - entitlements

53(1)   Subject to this section, the big game guide’s designation referred to in section 52(1)(a) authorizes the designated guide who holds it, at any one time, to guide for gain or reward

(a) one or 2 non-resident or non-resident alien licence holders while they are hunting wolf, coyote or big game that they are legally authorized to hunt, pursuant to a contract referred to in section 58(1)(a) or 59(a), or

(b) any number of resident licence holders while they are hunting any such animal that they are legally authorized to hunt.

(1.1)      Subject to subsection (2), the bird game guide’s designation referred to in section 52(1)(b) authorizes the designated guide who holds it to guide for gain or reward any number of non-resident or no-‑resident alien licence holders while they are hunting game birds that they are legally authorized to hunt, pursuant to a contract referred to in section 59.1.

(2) Guiding under subsection (1) or (1.1) is only authorized

(a) on any given day, if the designated guide does no hunting on that day under the authority of a recreational licence, and

(b) to the extent that any terms and conditions set by the Minister and of which the guide has written notice are complied with.

(3) A big game guide’s designation does not authorize the designated guide to provide guiding services to a non-resident or a non-resident alien who is hunting under the authority of a licence authorizing the hunting of big game unless that licence is an allocated licence.

B.        Renewals:

Guide designations all expire on the 31^st of March each year and may be renewed at any time.

Code of Ethics

In addition to the regulations above, Members of the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society of Alberta subscribe to a high standard of professional conduct and ethics. This code provides a standard of conduct for an outfitter, and gives the sportsman a clear indication of what to expect from a member outfitter.

Please direct any questions or inquiries to the APOS Managing Director, Alan Steel 780.414.0249.

2010 Big Game OG Permit Application .doc 

2010 Bird Game OG Permit Application.doc