Saskatchewan has moved to tighten regulations for nonresident waterfowlers. Until now, the province had maintained some of the most liberal regs for nonresidents due to its lack of “term limit” licenses. That’s no longer the case.
In a March 20, 2026 press release, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that all nonresident bird hunters would be limited to two 5-day licenses each fall and one 5-day license each spring.
The provincial government said that the changes were made to address “illegal outfitting,” or the practice of non-residents illegally acting as guides within the province. “It’s been a problem for a long time because there’s money at stake,” Jordan Roswell, president of the Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters, told the CBC. “It’s created an illegal industry doing the same thing that legal outfitters are doing. It’s difficult to prove that it happens unless you can prove there’s an exchange of money for a service.”
Officials say that the new regulations will help eliminate the issue, while also preserving access to some of the best waterfowl hunting on the continent. “We are proud of Saskatchewan’s reputation as a world-class game bird hunting destination,” said Environment Minister Darlene Rowden. “These changes will help ensure our wildlife remains a shared public resource and that Saskatchewan residents see the greatest benefit.”
The move may also help address another issue that cropped up last year: nonresidents legally taking birds, then dumping them because they cannot legally bring them back to the States, where possession limits are different. This issue was at the center of an incident in which 142 waterfowl were found wasted in Saskatchewan last fall. The unfortunate event highlighted long-simmering tensions between the local community and nonresident hunters.
Local conservation groups are cheering the restrictions. “The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) applauds this initial step by the Ministry of Environment and the Government of Saskatchewan for recognizing the challenges faced by resident waterfowl hunters in the province,” SWF Executive Director Todd Smith said. “The term license for non-resident hunters shows a commitment toward protecting Saskatchewan’s incredible waterfowl resources and the hunting heritage of our residents.”
The restrictions are also part of a broader trend of states and provinces with good wingshooting moving to limit the impact of traveling hunters on residents, particularly within the Prairie Pothole region. For instance, in the 2025 season, North Dakota began requiring nonresident waterfowlers to select one zone to concentrate their hunting in.