What Has The ABA Done For You?
Liability insurance for clubs and individual members, Directors/Officers
insurance for ABA and affiliated club executives.
Internationally acclaimed Game Awards Program for members.
We have developed an “ABA Fair Chase” statement for game harvests and a "Code of Conduct" for members.
3D Shoot program/"ABA Bowhunter Challenge" for members. With a focus on bowhunting equipment, bowhunting situations.
A quarterly newsletter, annual banquet and convention.
Hunting For Tomorrow stakeholder, founding and participating member of the Alberta Outdoor
Coalition Representing bowhunters on AEPD Alberta Game Policy Advisory Council and hunting
regulation review processes. Supporter and lobby for the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Heritage Act
(2009).
Resolution Process to lobby government to improve and retain bowhunting opportunities, make changes
to hunting regulations. Promotion of the IBEP Bowhunter Education Program and National Archery In The Schools Program administered through AHEIA.
Successful lobby (with other groups and on its own) to expand and improve hunting opportunities in general as well as bowhunting opportunities. These regulatory successes include:
Allow the use of camo clothing (1969) and the use of aluminum arrows (1970). Legalized bowfishing.
Archery pre-season province wide (1976/77).
Antelope archery season (1976/77).
410 and 408
Bighorn sheep season.
Antlerless deer tags in 212 and 248.
Antlerless elk tags in 212. Archery pre-season for elk (not requiring a draw).
Archery only areas around Edmonton and Calgary (1975). Black bear baiting (1987).
Sunday hunting in much of the province (2008 - 2011).
Revamping of cougar management (2011) – including a general boot license tag. Successful lobby to discourage the use of crossbows in f the general archery season (2011).
Successful lobby to retain Parkland County as archery only (2009).
Successful lobby to stop further erosion of archery seasons by muzzleloaders (2011).
Standardized start dates for archery (Aug 25 and Sept 1) (2011). (Resulting in increased days in
the southern regions of Alberta). Earlier start and later end dates to black bear seasons in
southern portions of province (2011).
Allow non-trophy or trophy antelope to be taken in archery only season in all antelope zones
(2011).
Regulation changes to give archers opportunity prior to rifle season for elk in WMU 164, 166, and
208. Additionally, hunt WMU 164 Monday–Saturday (2011).
Allow hunting of red squirrel on private land (2011).
The ABA has been involved in the updating and reworking of the Mule Deer Management Plan and Bighorn
Sheep Management Plan thru the Alberta Game Management Advisory Group meetings involving other stakeholders and will be involved in the AGPAC meetings to review/develop F&W Policy (the first
being the "Big Game Allocation Review.") Will be key in moving forward with population goals
and hunter/bowhunter harvest rates. The ABA has been lobbying to have an archery season draw
regime created for those WMUs and species where bowhunters now require a draw to be able to hunt in
the archery season (which has resulted in a marked reduction in bowhunting opportunity). We have
also introduced a proposal to have the legal draw weight minimum reduced to 35# from the existing
40# (accompanied by a great deal of technical data for the support of such).
As you can see, everything you now do as a bowhunter in Alberta, you can attribute to the hard work
of the Alberta Bowhunters Association. We are collaborating with other user groups and
organizations to further those opportunities (as well as hunting and access opportunities in
general) as much as possible as well as protect the opportunities we now enjoy. Some bowhunting
opportunity has been lost as our harvest share limits have been reached and restrictions have been
enacted. The ABA is working to address these losses.
JOIN NOW to support those efforts!!!
JOIN directly online, get immediate email confirmation and print off your membership card. Quick
and easy!!