There are hunting opportunities on more than 85 percent of the land base in Alberta’s Parks system. Hunting is permitted in all Wildland Provincial Parks and some Provincial Parks and Provincial Recreation Areas under the Provincial Parks Act.
Hunting in Alberta Parks is aligned with preserving natural heritage, supporting traditional land use, providing recreation opportunities, providing tools for wildlife management, and getting people outside to connect with nature.
Alberta Parks are enjoyed by a wide range of recreational users year-round. In Provincial Parks and Provincial Recreation Areas, where hunting is allowed, Firearm Discharge Permits are required to address public safety concerns and to inform hunters of areas where discharge is prohibited because of site specific values and facilities.
Sulphur Gates is a Provincial Recreation Area (PRA) managed by the Parks Operations Division of the Ministry of Forestry and Parks.. It falls within the Upper Foothills Natural Region, and is located west of the Smokey River and the Town of Grande Cache, with Willmore Wilderness Park bordering the south and Highway 40 to the North. Sulphur Gates is a valuable conservation area, providing an important wildlife movement corridor in and out of the Willmore Wilderness Park. This PRA is over 26 hectares in size and includes steep valley walls and erosion resistant bedrock of the Smoky River. It provides access to the Willmore Wilderness Park and supports a wide variety of recreational activities.
Sulphur Gates PRA supports a variety of wildlife with habitats for bighorn sheep, mountain goats, grizzly and black bear, moose, whitetailed and mule deer, elk, and cougar.
In addition to hunting, recreational activities at Sulphur Gates PRA include, but are not limited to, camping, equestrian use, hiking front and back country and geocaching. Please be aware of the presence of other users, and take appropriate measures to ensure you are being safe and aware at all times.
Sulphur Gates PRA is located off Highway 40 North and can be accessed by foot or vehicle. Travel inside the park can be by a variety of ways of foot power. Off highway vehicles (OHVs) are not permitted inside the park. Hunters may use pedal bicycles and skis to travel around the park. Please be aware that adverse weather conditions could make site conditions poor (e.g. muddy or snowed in). All multi-use trails are open to hunting. Motorized travel within rivers and creeks is detrimental and prohibited
Be prepared for weather changes including precipitation, unpredictable weather, and fluctuating temperature.
Be equipped with survival gear – matches, flashlight, warm clothes, compass, extra batteries, flagging tape, food, water.
It is advised to carry flagging tape to mark your kill site and find your path back to your vehicle. Make sure all flagging is removed on your way out.
Be prepared to spend the night outdoors. Unpredictable precipitation, high elevation, and weather can make travel hazardous and you might find yourself unable to travel with or without a vehicle.
Tell a friend or family member where you are going, how to contact you, what time you expect to return, and make sure they know who to contact if you are late and they are unable to contact you.
Hunters should use caution and be aware that there are many predators in the area including grizzly and black bears, cougars, and coyotes. It is advised to carry bear spray on you and have it accessible at all times. Should it be necessary to leave your animal overnight, be sure to leave human scent around the carcass and drag the offal (organs) away from the carcass as predators/ scavengers will typically consume those parts first.
Please report any ear tags to 310-LAND upon discovery. Ear tags may be white with black numbers, or orange stating “DO NOT EAT” followed by a phone number. The “do not eat” tag is placed on animals that have been tranquilized; hunters must tag their animal and can still expect to salvage their harvest, but depending on when the animal was tranquilized, the hunter will find out whether the meat is safe to consume (or whether a replacement tag may be issued).
For deer hunters, please refer to Chronic Wasting Disease – Information for Hunters for further information.
For more information on Indigenous hunting and fishing in Alberta please refer to the webpage.
Contact 310 LAND for a conservation officer for your questions or concerns.
Hunters must also abide by federal legislation regarding firearm transport and storage in a vehicle (particularly for times when a firearm is left unattended). The park does require that firearms not in use must be unloaded and encased.
Discharging a firearm (including bow) is not permitted within a 200m buffer zone of the facility areas or 200m of the access road contained within the boundary of Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation Area.
Please leave any gate as you found it. If a gate is open, please leave it open; if it is closed, please close it behind you.
Hunters must salvage their animal in accordance with the provincial Wildlife Regulations and will not receive assistance from park employees.
Do not cut any fences to provide easy access to your harvested animal; this includes any of the interior fences or the fences belonging to surrounding landowners.
Be a conscientious neighbour! If you wish to hunt on adjacent private land or you need to access private land in order to salvage your animal on adjacent private land, you must obtain permission from the landowner before doing so to avoid trespassing.
Open fires are only permitted in the engineered facilities within the PRA (such as wood stoves and fire pits with steel rings) that are provided in campgrounds or day use facilities. Campfires are prohibited at times when a fire ban is in place. It’s an offence to burn deadfall.
Tree stands are permitted only if they are portable, man-made, self-contained (do not build it using natural materials from the park), and do no permanent damage (do not remove/knock down dead or live branches) to the tree(s) and surrounding vegetation. Tree stands must be taken down at the end of each hunt (every day) to ensure fairness and equal access to hunting locations throughout the season.
Sulphur Gates PRA has a campground with 15 un-serviced campsites and 22 equestrian campsites. The day use area has access to four horse corrals. There is also a staging area (and buffer) where hunting is not allowed. Campers, hikers, birders, canoers, equestrian users, and fishers are located within this park, please be aware of where you and others are at all times while hunting.
Please refer to the Alberta Hunting Regulations for further information.
