Overview
Aerial surveys are the primary method used to assess the population size, distribution, population trends and herd composition of ungulates in Alberta.
These pieces of information are crucial to the effective management and conservation of ungulates, and are used by the Government of Alberta to set hunting licence allocations, identify areas with agricultural depredation problems, and determine priority areas for recovery actions.
Aerial surveys of ungulates have a long history in Alberta, and have continuously evolved to take advantage of new analytical techniques, aircraft, and knowledge of the abundance and distribution of ungulate species.
Currently, aerial surveys are used to monitor all species of ungulates in the province, including:
- bighorn sheep
- bison
- caribou
- elk
- moose
- mountain goats
- mule and white-tailed deer
- pronghorn antelope
Aerial surveys by season
2023 only
2022 only
2021-2022
2021 only
- Provincial Pronghorn Survey
- Willmore Aerial Mountain Goat Survey
- WMU 104 Ungulate
- WMU 106 Ungulate
- WMU 112 Ungulate
- WMU 148 Ungulate
- WMU 166 Ungulate
- WMU 208 Ungulate
- WMU 234 Ungulate
2020-2021
2020 only
- Bighorn Sheep Red Deer-North Saskatchewan Region
- Hay-Zama Wood Bison
- WMU 156 Ungulate
- WMU 164 Ungulate
- WMU 212 South East Elk Count
- WMU 220 Ungulate
- WMU 240 Ungulate
- WMU 242 Ungulate
- WMU 248 Ungulate
- WMU 250 Ungulate
- WMU 252 Ungulate
- WMU 304, 305, 306, 308 and 310 Elk Count
- WMU 336 Ungulate
- WMU 440 Ungulate
- WMU 522 Ungulate
- WMU 527 Ungulate
- WMU 728/730 Ungulate
2019-2020
2019 only
- WMU 118 Ungulate
- WMU 150 Ungulate
- WMU 160 Ungulate
- WMU 204 Ungulate
- WMU 210 Ungulate
- WMU 216 Ungulate
- WMU 354 Ungulate
- WMU 356 Ungulate
2018-2019
- SMA 7 and 8 Bighorn Sheep
- WMU 200 Ungulate
- WMU 214, 314, 316 Ungulate
- WMU 224 Ungulate
- WMU 238 Ungulate
- WMU 244 Ungulate
- WMU 246 Ungulate
- WMU 256 Ungulate
- WMU 347 Ungulate
- WMU 501 Ungulate
- WMU 508 Ungulate
- WMU 515 Ungulate
- WMU 517 Ungulate
- WMU 524 and 525 Ungulate
- WMU 528 Ungulate
- WMU 728 and 730 Ungulate
- WMU 841 Ungulate
2018 only
- MGMA A - WMU 400 and 402 - Mountain Goat
- SMA 3 and 4a Bighorn Sheep - Know Winter Ranges
- WMU 320 Moose
- WMU 322 Moose
- WMU 332 Moose
2017-2018
- Hay-Zama Wood Bison
- Hinton-Cadomin Winter Ranges - Elk Total Minimum Count
- Red Deer North Saskatchewan Bighorn Sheep
- SMA 1 and 2 Bighorn Sheep
- WMU 108 Deer and Elk
- WMU 203 Ungulate
- WMU 318 and 324 Moose
- WMU 346 Ungulate
- WMU 349 Ungulate
- WMU 351 Ungulate
- WMU 358 Ungulate
- WMU 360 Ungulate
- WMU 445 Bighorn Sheep
- WMU 506, 509,510 Elk Total Minimum Count
- WMU 506 Ungulate
- WMU 516 Ungulate
- WMU 520 Moose
- WMU 521 Ungulate
- WMU 523 Elk
- WMU 523 Ungulate
- WMU 530 Moose
- WMU 536 Ungulate
- WMU 537 Ungulate
- WMU 544 Ungulate
2017 only
2016-2017
- WMU 357 and 521 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 502 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 514 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 529 Aerial Moose Survey
2016 only
2015-2016
- Hay-Zama Aerial Bison Survey
- Lower Peace Aerial Elk Survey
- WMU 158 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 163 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 221 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 254 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 258 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 260 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 334Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMW 338 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 340 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 348 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 352 Aerial Moose Survey
- WMU 353 Aerial Moose Survey
- WMU 437-446 Bighorn Sheep Aerial Survey
- WMU 500 Aerial Moose Survey
- WMU 526 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 531Aerial Moose Survey
2015 only
2014-2015
- WMU 322 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 357 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 359 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 445 Bighorn Sheep
- WMU 509 Aerial Ungulate Survey Report
- WMU 504 Aerial Ungulate Survey
- WMU 526 Mule Deer Age/Sex Composition Survey