Wildlife Management Fund
ABOUT THE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT FUND
Since 2008, APOS' Wildlife Management Fund (WMF) has contributed nearly $2 million to wildlife stewardship and conservation projects throughout Alberta. Historically funded through a surcharge on the annual Allocation Use Fees and Waterfowl Renewal Fees, the WMF underwent a significant change in 2022, when APOS’ new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Alberta discontinued the surcharge and instead earmarked the entire Allocation Use Fees back into the resource, which will provide over $1 million annually to support stewardship projects, such as population surveys, species studies, management software and technology, and more.
WMF grant requests are reviewed and approved annually by a committee that includes Government of Alberta staff, members of APOS, and a representative from Safari Club International (SCI). Recommendations from the WMF Committee are forwarded to the APOS Board of Directors for approval. Under the new MOU, the APOS Board may also expend WMF funds through collaboration agreements with other like-minded organizations, including the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA).
Forms
WMF Expressions of Interest may be submitted anytime. Applications are not reviewed by the committee between September-November. If you have questions about the WMF or would like to submit an Expression of Interest, please email grants@apos.ab.ca or call 780-414-0249.
WMF Expression of Interest Form
WMF Project Summaries
2024 Alberta Mule Deer Collaring Project
Starting with 100 collars deployed between 2 study areas in winter 2024/25, the Alberta Mule Deer Collaring Project is a multi-year monitoring project that will increase our understanding of mule deer abundance and distribution and help inform management actions to ensure mule deer conservation throughout their range within Alberta. When the mule deer are collared, capture crews will take numerous measurements on the collared animals to assess body condition, age, reproductive status, and test for disease. When collared animals die, trained mortality assessors will retrieve the collar and identify the animal’s cause of death. This study was inspired by similar work that was originally initiated in Utah in 2014.
The objectives of the project are to evaluate: adult female survival and determine causes of mortality; adult male survival and determine causes of mortality; efficient population monitoring methods, seasonal movement, natural movement corridors, and seasonal habitat preference; and regional deer body condition and the correlation to changes in mule deer abundance. APOS has contributed $675,000 to get the project started, the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) has contributed $100,000, and Forestry and Parks will contribute $250,000. We are seeking additional funding partners in order to reach the desired scale of 4 study areas with 150-250 collars each; please inquire to info@apos.ab.ca
2024 Moose Literature Review & Project Identification
APOS has earmarked $30,000 to better understand the issues affecting moose in Alberta, beginning with a member survey and comprehensive literature review aimed at identifying key concerns, parallels with other jurisdictions, and research gaps. Led by Omnia Ecological Services, this project is a first step towards initiating meaningful and targeted projects that could be undertaken to support moose populations in Alberta.
2024 Building and Enhancing Wildlife Habitat on Private Lands Through ALUS
ALUS is a landowner-led organization dedicated to creating and conserving wildlife habitat on agricultural land across Canada. APOS previously supported ALUS in 2020, including seed money to start up the Pincher Creek ALUS program. Recognizing the essential role landowners play in maintaining vital wildlife ecosystems, APOS has provided $30,000 for 2024-25 to support wildlife habitat projects on private land in the County of Northern Sunrise, the County of Lac Ste Anne, Brazeau County, and the County of Vermilion River.
2024 Ungulate Enhancement Program with the Alberta Trappers Association (ATA)
In collaboration with the Alberta Trappers Association (ATA), the Ungulate Enhancement Program is a provincial initiative supporting trappers’ efforts towards sustained management of wolf populations throughout Alberta. Ongoing management of predators such as wolves is necessary to maintain balanced ecosystems on working landscapes and support the health of other wildlife populations such as moose, elk, deer, and caribou. Alberta trappers are committed to skilled professional trapping, humane practices, maintaining sustainable furbearer populations, and deep respect for all of Alberta’s land. Through payments back to successful trappers, the program helps offset the costs trappers incur to trap and process wolves. Funds generated through the sale of the top pelts will be dedicated back to the WMF.
2024 ACA Pronghorn Winter Survival and Movement Project
The Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) is conducting a comprehensive, multi-year study to investigate the impact of human-made barriers, such as fences and highways, on the movement and survival of pronghorns in southeastern Alberta. This research is critical to understanding how these barriers affect pronghorn migration, habitat use, and overall health. By tracking antelope movement patterns and analyzing survival rates, the project aims to provide valuable data that will guide future conservation efforts. APOS provided $75,000 for the initial pronghorn capture in 2024.
2024 Teeth Aging for CWD Head Submissions
As part of the Government of Alberta’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) mandatory testing program, mule deer teeth were saved in many Wildlife Managements Units (WMU). Previously, 2013-16 teeth submissions underwent cementum analysis for aging, but funds were unavailable to handle the backlog of teeth from 2017 onwards. In addition to supporting the establishment of the Wildlife Analytics Lab (WAL) at Lethbridge Polytechnic in 2023, APOS covered the expense to age the remaining teeth from 2017-22. Alberta now has mule deer age data spanning multiple WMUs and nearly a decade to help inform management decisions.
2024 University of Alberta – Ian Gazeley/Mark Boyce
APOS was proud to be asked to support the Bighorn Ram Movement Ecology and Disease Risk Project from the University of Alberta. This project started in 2022 with 35 GPS collars placed on rams between the Waterton National Park boundary and Canmore. In 2024 there were a total of 17 additional collars to deploy. For more information on this project, please visit grad.biology.ualberta.ca/boyce/ian-gazeley.
2023 Establishment of the Wildlife Analytics Lab (WAL) at Lethbridge Polytechnic
With a contribution of more than $145,000, APOS played a key role in supporting the launch of Lethbridge Polytechnic’s groundbreaking Wildlife Analytics Lab (WAL), the first of its kind in Canada. This innovative lab uses cementum analysis, a technique that examines growth rings in teeth, to provide crucial data about wildlife species, including age and reproductive history. The insights gained from this research are invaluable for conservation efforts, wildlife management, and understanding the ecological balance across diverse species, as well as interesting context for hunters. For more information about the lab and its pioneering work, please click here.
2020 Redcliff Adopt-a-Tree
Redcliff Cypress Regional Waste Management Authority is planting trees throughout the northeast portion of their landfill. This project is intended to create a functioning ecosystem that can provide food/water sources, shelter, nesting, fawning and reproduction opportunities for all wildlife species in the surrounding area. Click here to learn more.
2020 ALUS Canada Partnership
Four ALUS communities will receive funding for nature-based enhancement projects such as new habitat for wildlife. To read the press release click here. To learn more about ALUS click here.
2020 Alberta Conservation Association: Hunter Survey App
The ACA is expanding the moose hunter app (2012-16), partnering with iHunter to capture citizen science wildlife observations from hunters on all wildlife species. To learn more about ACA click here.
2020 Alberta Conservation Association: Landowner Survey
An online survey was developed to collect information from Alberta landowners about their perspectives on allowing hunting on their private land. To learn more about ACA click here.