Regulations
WMU 446, Kakwa River
What the 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations and the Wildlife Regulation say about hunting at your waypoint, gathered on 28 September 2026. Read it as a briefing, then read the guide itself.
This page is not the law
Seasons, quotas and rules change every year and sometimes mid-season. The printed guide is itself only a summary of the Wildlife Act and the Wildlife Regulation. Before you hunt, check your species and your WMU in the official guide, and carry your licences and tags on paper.
Which unit you are in
The waypoint lies in Wildlife Management Unit 446, Kakwa River, and so does the ridge point. That was checked two ways: by a query against the Government of Alberta's own boundary service, and again by this guide's program, which tested the points against the official polygon. The nearest boundary is 3.7 km from the waypoint at 4° true. WMU 442 (Sheep Creek) begins 3.7 km away to the north. WMU 444 (Mount Hamell) begins 11.7 km away to the south-east.
The legal unit is the written description in the regulation, not any map: Smoky River, Sheep Creek, Horn Creek, the height of land to Copton Creek, Kakwa River, Prairie Creek and the 16th baseline. If you hunt near an edge, read the description for 446.
2026 seasons in WMU 446
| Species | What may be taken | Archery only | General season | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Antlered and antlerless | 25 Aug to 16 Sep | 17 Sep to 30 Nov | General Supplemental antlerless licence valid in 440 to 446 |
| Mule deer | Antlered only | 25 Aug to 16 Sep | 17 Sep to 30 Nov | General No antlerless season listed |
| Elk | Antlered, six point or larger | 25 Aug to 16 Sep | 17 Sep to 30 Nov | General No antlerless season in 446 |
| Moose | Antlered only | 25 Aug to 23 Sep | 24 Sep to 30 Nov | Draw Rifle season by special licence, residents only. Archery season on the archery moose licence. |
| Bighorn sheep, trophy | Four fifths curl ram | None | 25 Aug to 31 Oct | Draw Draw code 37, WMU 444 and 446, residents only |
| Bighorn sheep, non-trophy | As the licence states | None | 10 Sep to 31 Oct | Draw |
| Mountain goat | No season in WMU 446 | Closed | ||
| Caribou | No season anywhere in Alberta. Threatened species. | Closed | ||
| Grizzly bear | No season anywhere in Alberta. | Closed | ||
| Black bear | Not a cub, not a sow with a cub | 25 Aug to 31 Aug | 1 Sep to 30 Nov | General No baiting in 446. Second bear licence not valid here. |
| Cougar | Either sex | None | 25 Aug to 30 Nov | General Residents only, no dogs in the fall season |
| Wolf | From the opening of any big game season to 31 May 2027 | Residents need no licence | ||
| Ruffed, spruce and dusky grouse; ptarmigan | Daily 5, possession 15 of each | 1 Sep to 15 Jan | Game bird licence | |
Source: 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations, big game season tables, and the 2026 draws booklet, cross-checked against Schedule 15 of the Wildlife Regulation as consolidated to 17 September 2026. Antlerless moose and antlerless mule deer do not appear in the 2026 tables for 446 and are read here as closed.
What the words mean
- Six point elk: a bull with at least one antler whose main beam carries five or more tines, each at least 7.6 cm (3 inches) long. Count twice. Brow tines count.
- Four fifths curl ram: seen from the side, a straight line from the front of the horn base to the horn tip passes in front of the front edge of the eye. Full curl is a different rule and applies only in WMU 400 and 302.
- Archery only: bows only. A crossbow is not a bow for this purpose and cannot be used in an archery only season.
Rules particular to the mountains
These apply in WMUs 400 to 446, which includes yours.
- Off-highway vehicles and weapons. Unlawful to carry a weapon on an off-highway vehicle from one hour before sunrise until noon during an open big game season. It applies to bird hunters too. The exception is direct travel to an isolated campsite with weapons and ammunition out of view in separate locked containers.
- Aircraft. No helicopter may carry big game hunters or their game. No hunting big game within six hours of stepping out of an aircraft.
- Pack animals. No pack goats and no domestic sheep, to keep disease from wild sheep and goats. Pack dogs must be leashed or within 50 m.
- Marked animals. Anyone who kills or finds an animal wearing a collar, tag or other device must report it and return the device. Some marked animals carry a tag warning not to eat the meat before speaking with Fish and Wildlife, because of the drugs used to handle them. On Caw Ridge, marked animals are common.
Rules that apply everywhere
- Legal hours. You may hunt from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The light table gives the times for every day to the end of November.
- Roads. No shooting from, along or across a provincial highway or any road that is paved, oiled, graded or regularly maintained. No loaded firearm in or on a vehicle.
- Buildings and occupied land. No hunting or shooting within 183 m (200 yards) of an occupied building, or on occupied land without consent. A working mine site is occupied land.
- Ammunition. For big game: no rimfire, nothing under .22 calibre centrefire, no non-expanding bullets. Semi-automatics are limited to five rounds in the magazine.
- Hunter orange is not required in Alberta. On a ridge shared with other hunters and riders it is still a good idea.
- Sunday hunting is allowed in 446.
- Waste. It is unlawful to let the edible meat of game go to waste. The guide sets out what must be packed out, and the exceptions.
Licences
| You need | Resident | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Identification Number (WiN) | $10 | Once, then renewed. Everyone needs one. |
| Wildlife certificate | $35 | Each year. $12 for resident youth and seniors. |
| Deer licence | $50 | White-tailed or mule deer, each its own licence. |
| Elk licence | $50 | |
| Antlered moose special licence | $65 | By draw. |
| Trophy sheep special licence | $95 | By draw. |
| Black bear licence | $30 | |
| Cougar licence | $30 | |
| Game bird licence | $20 | |
| Bowhunting permit | $10 | To hunt with a bow in any season. |
Prices are before GST, from the 2026 guide. Tags must be carried on paper; they cannot be shown on a phone. Buy at AlbertaRELM or a licence issuer in town.
Not an Alberta resident? To hunt big game, wolf or coyote you must be with an outfitter's guide or a licensed hunter host. Game birds need no guide.
After the shot
- Tag at once. Put the tag on the animal as the licence instructs before you move it.
- Evidence of sex and species must stay attached as the guide sets out until the animal is home or at a butcher.
- Registration. A male bighorn over one year old must be registered in person, by appointment, within 14 days of the season closing or 30 days of the kill, whichever comes first. The nearest offices that register sheep are Grande Prairie and Edson. A cougar must be registered within five business days.
- Chronic wasting disease. WMU 446 is not on the 2026 list of units where deer heads must be submitted. Voluntary submission is always welcome.
Who to call
10925 84 Avenue. The office for this district. There is no Fish and Wildlife office in Grande Cache.