Mule Deer Hunting in Alberta
Alberta grows some of the biggest mule deer on the continent. The coulees and broken grassland of the southeast (the 100-series prairie WMUs), the foothills and the parkland all produce heavy-antlered bucks, and the province's mix of general and draw seasons gives residents realistic shots at true trophy-class deer.
Antlered mule deer in many prairie and mountain WMUs is draw-only; archery mule deer opportunities are broader. Season dates below are quoted from the current Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations, cited row by row.
Mule deer hunting in Alberta: the basics
- Season window: archery opens late August/September 1 ahead of November rifle seasons in general WMUs.
- Sunday hunting for big game is prohibited in the prairie WMUs (102–160 series): plan Saturdays accordingly.
- Where: southeast coulees around the Cypress Hills, the Red Deer River breaks, and the foothills crop edges.
- Licences: resident hunting licence + WiN card; special draw tags for trophy WMUs through AlbertaRELM.
Mule Deer
📋 CWD mandatory head submission WMUs apply to deer (see white-tailed deer entry, p. 66). Parkland 'Antlerless deer (WMUs 212, 247 and 248) licence' also covers mule deer (p. 51).
| Zone | Season | Bag / tag limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie WMUs 102, 116, 118, 119, 124, 142, 144, 148, 150, 151, 152, 158, 160 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - N3; General: ■(Wed - Sat only) N4 - N7, N11 - N14, N18 - N21, N25 - N28 | – | ■ = special licence only; general season open Wednesday-Saturday only.Source: p. 47 |
| Prairie WMUs 162, 163, 164, 166 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 47 |
| Prairie WMUs 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 156 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ S1 - N3; General: ■(Wed - Sat only) N4 - N7, N11 - N14, N18 - N21, N25 - N28 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 47 |
| Prairie WMUs 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 156 - Antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - N3; General: ■(Wed - Sat only) N4 - N7, N11 - N14, N18 - N21, N25 - N28 | – | Archery season general; general season special licence only, Wednesday-Saturday only.Source: p. 47 |
| Parkland WMUs 200, 202, 203, 204, 228, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238, 240, 244, 246, 250, 252, 254, 256, 258, 260 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 50 |
| Parkland WMUs 212, 247, 248 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - N30 (no general season) | – | Source: p. 50 |
| Parkland WMUs 206, 208, 210, 214, 216, 220, 221, 222, 224, 226, 242 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 50 |
| Parkland WMUs 206, 208, 210, 214, 216, 220, 221, 222, 224, 226, 242 - Antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 50 |
| Foothills WMUs 310, 312, 334, 336, 348 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 352, 353, 355 - Antlered | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: S17 - N30 | – | General (non-draw) season.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMU 316 - Antlered | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 326, 328, 330, 347, 349, 350, 351, 354, 356 - Antlered | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 314, 318, 320, 322, 324, 332, 337, 338 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 339, 340, 342, 344, 346, 357, 358, 359, 360 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 300, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 308 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ S1 - O24; General: ■ O25 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 357, 359, 360 - Antlerless | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - D20 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 314, 320, 322, 332 - Antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMUs 300, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 308 - Antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O24; General: ■ O25 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Foothills WMU 358 - Antlerless | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 52 |
| Mountain WMUs 404, 406, 408 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S9 - S23; General: ■ S24 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 54 |
| Mountain WMU 410 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S9 - N30 (no general season) | – | Source: p. 54 |
| Mountain WMUs 440, 441, 442, 444, 445, 446 - Antlered | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: S17 - N30 | – | General (non-draw) season.Source: p. 54 |
| Mountain WMUs 412, 414, 416, 417, 418, 420, 422, 426, 428, 429, 430, 432, 434, 436, 437, 438, 439 - Antlered | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 54 |
| Mountain WMUs 400, 402 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ S1 - S23; General: ■ S24 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 54 |
| Mountain WMUs 400, 402 - Antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - S23; General: ■ S24 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 54 |
| Boreal WMUs 500, 501, 503, 505, 507, 508 - Antlered and antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMUs 512, 514, 515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, 534, 536, 539, 540, 541, 542 - Antlered | Archery-only: A25 - A31; General: S1 - N30 | – | General (non-draw) season.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMU 535 - Antlered | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMU 841 - Antlered | General: S17 - N30 (no archery-only season listed) | – | Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMUs 502, 504, 506, 509, 510 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMU 511 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ A25 - A31; General: ■ S1 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMUs 521, 522, 523, 526, 527, 537 - Antlered | Archery-only: ■ A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - N30 | – | Special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMUs 520, 524, 525, 544 - Antlered | Archery-only: A25 - A31; General: ■ S1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMUs 521, 522, 523, 526, 527 - Antlerless | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - D20 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMUs 502, 504, 506, 509, 510 - Antlerless | Archery-only: S1 - O31; General: ■ N1 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| Boreal WMU 537 - Antlerless | Archery-only: A25 - S16; General: ■ S17 - N30 | – | ■ = special licence only.Source: p. 56 |
| CFB Wainwright deer special licence - WMUs 728 and 730 | Bow and arrow or muzzle loader: N26 - N28; Rifle: N30 - D2, D3 - D5, D7 - D9, D10 - D12 | – | CFB Wainwright; refer to mywildalberta.ca/wainwrighthunt.Source: p. 60 |