Booking a hunt in BC? The checklist

[Daz]

Hi All.
I thought after reading Darren H's post on his 2019 moose hunt here in BC i would provide a somewhat lengthy rundown of the reality of BC hunting in 2019.

First off, this is a big province with massive differences in geography and distribution of game. Hunting mountain goats in region 4 is not the same as hunting goats in region 6.

Guide/Outfitters own tenures, meaning they are the sole licensed GO in the area. BUT, they do not have exclusive access: ALL areas are open to resident hunters. You will always have the risk of competing against BC Resident in any zone for any hunt (where Darren was hunting there are 125 "any bull" resident limited entry allocations, plus open spike fork as well as other seasons).

All areas of the Province have unregulated harvest YEAR ROUND by Indigenous residents (any animal-any time year round). The closer you are to an Indigenous community ("rez" in slang), the more likely those populations are thinner and jumpier.

Moose are the most sought after game animal in the Province, and they are in decline.

Part 2 will be the mechanics of looking for an outfitter...

[Daz]

Part 2

Where to begin?
What do you want to hunt, and how do you want to hunt it.
Look to the Guide Outfitters of BC site to start: https://www.goabc.org/

This provides an overall listing of most areas, tenures and opportunities. This also will allow you to explore the geography and accessibility of each outfitter's tenure. How much has logging road access? Where is the nearest town? As a traditional bowhunter your best opportunities come from hunting the least pressured animals.

You can then begin calling regional biologists to see what the game populations are in each area (remember: this is your hard earned cash and perhaps your once in a lifetime trip).

Narrowed it don to three areas and outfitters?
Now reach out to them and get a minimum of TEN references, at least six of which are bowhunters (trad preferred but not necessary).

Pick five and begin asking the questions:
What was pressure like?
How many animals did you see?
Were the guides able to get you into effective bow range?
Would you book there again?

Part 3 next

[Daz]

Part 3

The nasty part is that you get what you pay for.

A hunting trip into an area that is easily accessible will cost less and have a shorter waitlist than a trip into a remote area. Most good outfitters in Northern BC are running a three year waitlist for hunts for goats, sheep, and moose.

Remember, if you can drive into camp (quad or truck), so can any other residents of BC. The majority of resident hunters (for moose especially) are looking for an easily retrievable animal. (I packed out over five hundred pounds of moose meat and antlers on my back three weeks ago, and i can testify that it sucks).

But perhaps this fits with your level of fitness and comfort. That's ok, but don't expect "pack in remote hunting" with vehicle access.

If your outfitter cannot or will not provide references, move on to one that will. Ask for pictures of the hunt area. Look on Google Earth at the tenure. You can often see the location of camps which will give you an idea on access.

This is an amazing place to hunt, but it can be daunting for non-residents to navigate the process of finding a good opportunity with a solid outfitter.

[Tim Finley]

Good info . Do you need a guide and outfitter or can you hunt with a resident friend ?

[ozy clint]

Any non residents, which is anyone who doesn't live in BC must hire a guide.

For a DIY enthusiast BC is off the list. Beautiful as it is.

Next door in Alberta a licenced hunter is allowed to 'host' a non resident, even a non resident alien once every 2 seasons. Non resident aliens can get unlimited coyote/wolf tags and a 2 bear license. Other species are available on a more limited basis I believe.

[ozy clint]

This is an amazing place to hunt, but it can be daunting for non-residents to navigate the process of finding a good opportunity with a solid outfitter.

IMO this is due partly to the fact that any non resident must use a guide. This limits supply and creates a lot of demand which results in a commercial environment where dodgy operators can still make a living. I worked for one there in 2008. Having seen the industry from that perspective was an eye opener.

Do your best to winnow the chaff from the grain and choose wisely.

[Daz]

Any non residents, which is anyone who doesn't live in BC must hire a guide.

Not completely true. A Canadian resident may be sponsored with an appropriate Permit to Accompany by a resident BC Hunter if they fall within certain criteria:
         
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/fishing-hunting/hunting/permit-to-accompany

Clint, i get the sense that you still feel a certain amount of unhappiness over your time here in BC (especially your inability to hunt here even though you were allowed to guide), but these policies exist in this province for some valid historical and political reasons, and they are unlikely to ever change in our lifetimes.

[ozy clint]

Cool, I always thought that even Canadian non residents needed to be guided.

What are they historical and political reasons you mention?

BC is an awesome place and I enjoyed my time there. It's just not an option for me as an alien that likes DIY/ tag along with a resident friend type of hunts.

[ozy clint]

I see in that link that non resident aliens must be directly related to the BC resident accompaning them.

[slatty]

Might as well have all the info here. I've "hosted" my father from Alberta on several hunts in BC. The process isn't difficult. But the criteria is strict and it has to be a family member. Anyone else has to be guided. Here's the criteria for the accompany to hunt permit off their website.

Applicants may accompany either or both:

A non-resident – a person who is not a resident of British Columbia but who

is a Canadian Citizen, a permanent resident of Canada; or,
has his/her sole or permanent residence in Canada and has resided in Canada for the 12 month period immediately prior to the date of this application.
A non-resident alien (a person who is neither a resident nor a non-resident) whose relationship to the applicant falls within the following categories: father, mother, spouse, brother, sister, daughter, son, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, grandson, grand-daughter, grandfather, grandmother, brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Note: "COUSIN" is not an accepted relationship

[Daz]

Cool, I always thought that even Canadian non residents needed to be guided.

What are they historical and political reasons you mention?

BC is an awesome place and I enjoyed my time there. It's just not an option for me as an alien that likes DIY/ tag along with a resident friend type of hunts.

Clint,
There were a few dark chapters in the past that involved unscrupulous non-resident "hunters" and "guides" (both Canadian and foreign nationals) in the 50's/60's and up until mid 70's that saw the need for regulation changes.

This history coupled with the relations with Indigenous peoples and their unresolved title claims make any expansion of opportunities to non-resident BC hunters unlikely. We were fortunate here that certain people were acutely aware of the amazing gifts that we have here, and they had the foresight to protect it and manage it for future generations. Many people in the province that hunt are subsistence hunters (both First Nations and Non-FN) that live in rural areas, and as such they take precedent over tourism hunters.

Each Province has the authority to manage game as they see fit, and as such each Province is different in their approach. We often hear from residents of other jurisdictions that they want more opportunities here. Our Province has the mandate to manage wildlife for residents first.

To be honest, there is no necessity for allowing any hunting by any non-residents. That is just a bone thrown to the small but vocal guide/outfitting community (that has lost a lot of credibility here over the last fifteen years, but that is for another day...).
Selfish? Perhaps to some, but this is our land and our resources. We determine how it is used.

[ozy clint]

I heard that grizzly hunts have been stopped as well since I was there. Has there been a noticeable difference in their distribution and population?

[Daz]

I heard that grizzly hunts have been stopped as well since I was there. Has there been a noticeable difference in their distribution and population?

Yes, the hunt was halted in 2018. We have a very healthy 15 000+ grizzlies (so many that WA State has asked for and will likely receive a transplant to the Cascade Range). The hunt was not stopped due to any sound biology, but rather due to urban dwellers buying into the myth of charismatic mega fauna.

We will not see the full effects of the ban for another three years (after the bears begin to overpopulate and have a serious run at three seasons of calves/fawns).

A few First Nations are exercising their rights and conducting hunts to manage them on their territories.

[YoungMarine]

Good info. Thanks for posting.

[Wudstix]

Very useful and helpful.