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They haunt the back roads and fence lines, slipping in and out of the late autumn shadows in search of quarry for their clients. Attracted to foreign visitors with money to spend, they are nearly invisible to the scrutinizing eyes of the law. Their greed and lack of respect for legitimate outfitters, guides and the law compel them to pocket the money passed quietly under the kitchen table in exchange for a guiding experience meant solely for friends and family members who want to hunt together. These are hunter ghosts and they do it for the money – poles apart from bonafide Hunter Hosts that do it for the family experience. The 2006 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations states that, “A Hunter Host is an adult resident who is the holder of a valid Hunter Host Licence. A Hunter Host may not provide services for gain or reward, or accept a fee for services, directly or indirectly. A Hunter Host may host a maximum of two hunters/year, either Non-residents (Canadian), Non-resident Aliens or a combination thereof. If hosting Non-resident Aliens, at least one must be a relative. The Hunter Host may do so only if the host has not hosted a Non-resident Alien in the previous two fiscal years and must report (by December 31 in the year of harvest) all hunting activities by the Non-resident Aliens he or she hosted.” This is merely a short list of the restrictions that apply to Hunter Hosts, but the noteworthy provision bans providing services for gain or reward. Legally crossing that line is the business of the outfitted hunting community, professionals that are licensed, equipped, have big game allocations bought and paid for, liability insurance and the experience to properly engage in the business. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take a genius to circumvent those provisions. How can it be determined who is a relative and who is not? How can we stop someone from brokering the services of local guns to drag non-resident aliens about the bush for a fraction of the cost of a legitimate outfitter? The only effective means for Fish and Wildlife Division investigators to combat this type of illegal activity is with assistance from those in the know. Without help, this type of breach is difficult to pin down and more difficult to prosecute. To appreciate the impact this has, step back and take a look at the big picture. Non-resident aliens kill game that should be managed by the allocation system currently in use by the professional outfitted hunting industry. Genuine outfitters are bound to assume a significant investment on big game allocations, which are subject to wildlife management assessments for each geographic area and are doled out by government. Hunter ghosts steal clients from outfitters, Albertans lose game, wildlife management is compromised and the only ones who benefit are the foreign hunters and their illegal guides.
When
money
is
involved,
outlaws
will
go
out
of
their
way
to
take
advantage
of
an
opportunity.
In
this
case
it
bodes
ill
for
all
of
us,
because
when
the
law
is
changed
to
address
this
issue
and
we
are
no
longer
able
to
take
our
friends
and
relatives
hunting,
the
average
Albertan
and
those
close
to
us
will
be
the
ones
who
suffer.
If
you
should
discover
someone
conducting
business
in
this
manner,
contact
the
authorities
by
calling
the
Report
A
Poacher
hotline
at
1-800-642-3800.
You
can
remain
anonymous
and
you
may
be
eligible
for
a
cash
award.
Daniel
Boyco
is
a
member
of
the
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