General Information

Resident Big Game and Landowner
Hunting Licence Draw Procedures

General Provisions

The multi-level draw system was put in place in 1996, in order to ensure that for species where demand exceeded supply, a clear, transparent system was put in place to give all Manitoba hunters who wished an opportunity to hunt those species an equal chance to do so.

A Draw licence is valid only in the area(s) for which it is issued and, in the case of a Landowner Licence, only on land owned by the landowner. Draw Moose and Draw Moose Archery licence holders are not eligible to purchase a non-draw (General) Moose licence, a non-draw (General) Conservation Moose licence or nondraw Archery Moose licence, except under the exchange program.

Following the completion of the draw, a "Notice of Success" and an "Invoice for Licence Fees" (fee per applicant dependant on draw entered) will be mailed to the first person listed on each successful application. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised by a letter to the first applicant listed on the application.

Each pair of successful applicants (those applying on the same application) must observe party hunting regulations and must sign each other's licence prior to beginning their hunt. Either licensee may hunt alone; however, he/she must have the game tag on his/her person.

Notice: The number of hunting licences/tags available for draw hunting seasons may be amended, should conditions warrant.

There will be no exchange, refund or transfer of licences awarded as a result of a draw. Applicants are required to pay the licence fees for licences awarded to them.

Youth-Hunting provisions have been extended to include all Draw licences. The same qualifications and privileges apply.

How It Works

There are five levels of priority operating in this system, Group 1 being the most favourable through to Group 5, the least favourable.

Applicants will have their personal ranking in the multi-level draw system assigned as follows:

• All applicants will be assigned a personal ranking of Group 4 in their first year of application. Note that a "first-time" applicant to a Draw is a person who has not applied for a Draw in 1996 or later.
• For each Draw year in which an applicant is not successful in being awarded a Draw licence, their assigned ranking will be moved up one level in the following Draw year.

Unsuccessful applicants already at Level 1 will remain at Level 1 in the following Draw year.

Hunters who have applied to the Draw in 1996 or later do not have to apply every year in order to advance their ranking for that draw. The system will automatically advance their ranking one level each year until they win a licence or reach Group 1. However, in order to win a licence in a particular year, an application must be made in that year. An applicant who is successful in being awarded a Draw licence will have their ranking reassigned to Level 5 for the following Draw year.

1. When two applicants holding different assigned rankings apply on the same application form, the application form will be entered into the draw at the less favourable of the two rankings.
2. Application forms, according to their overall ranking, will be processed as follows:
1. Group 1 applications will be sorted according to their first hunting-season choice. Separate draws will be made for each of the hunting season choices.
2. If any licences remain after these draws, all unsuccessful Group 1 applications will be sorted as to their second hunting- season choice. Separate draws will be made for those areas which have licences available.
3. If any licences remain after these draws, all Group 2 applications will be processed in the same fashion as Group 1.
4. If any licences remain after these draws, all Group 3 applications will be processed in the same fashion as Group 1.
5. If any licences remain after these draws, all Group 4 applications will be processed in the same fashion as Group 1.
6. If any licences remain after these draws, all Group 5 applications will be processed in the same fashion as Group 1.
3. Results of the draw will be mailed by mid-June each year. Phone calls regarding the results will not be answered until this mailing has occurred.
4. Applicants awarded licences as a result of an annual Draw will have their ranking set at Group 5 for the next year's Draw, i.e., the effect of the multi-level system is to assign the most recent Draw winners to the least favourable level commencing in the following year, (Group 5), and each year, to advance applicant rankings at the various levels, to the next best level, until they reach Group 1 or win a licence.
5. The multi-level rankings for the Big Game Draw and the Landowner Elk Draw are independent of each other. (i.e., an applicant who is successful in any given Draw will have his/her level affected only for subsequent Draws that they are eligible for). However, applicants who become excluded from draw participation due to a past unpaid draw debt will be excluded from, and have their priority frozen in all subsequent licence draws, regardless of the origin of the debt, until the debt is settled.