Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation launching plan to connect hunters and landowners dealing with nuisance animals

The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation is planning to get into the matchmaking business to connect hunters with landowners who want help dealing with overabundant nuisance animals. That would include species that are causing crop or land damage, such as gophers and deer, as well as coyotes preying on livestock.

The SWF recently sent out letters to the members of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities to let them know about the program, and invite them to participate. There are currently 296 rural municipalities (RMs) in Saskatchewan. “If they have landowners that have an overpopulation and would like to see some controlled reductions, we would find the right people in that area to respond,” says Darrell Crabbe, the SWF’s executive director.

The plan is to create a database of SWF members who have already reached out to the federation looking for more hunting opportunities where they live. That way, the SWF would then be able to pair them with RMs or landowners looking for help.

According to Crabbe, connecting hunters with landowners shouldn’t be a problem. “We would keep a database of those individuals for a specific area, but because we have 122 branches and have comprehensive communication with our branches, we would have two streams of opportunity there,” he says.

Crabbe says landowners can have confidence in SWF members because they are responsible stewards, and they carry $5 million in personal liability insurance. “There are a lot of surveys that show hunters who belong to wildlife federations are usually very ethical hunters,” he says. “They’re the type of people we want representing the hunting community.”

Learn more about the SWF’s programs and positions at www.swf.sk.ca.