B.C. updates hunting seasons, zone boundaries and closed areas for moose, mountain goat, elk, caribou and other species

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

B.C. Reg. 89/2026 amends three hunting regulations under the Wildlife Act, making a wide range of changes to open seasons, bag limits, closed-area boundaries, and zone maps across all eight wildlife management regions of British Columbia. New no-open-season closures are created for mountain goat in several zones of Management Units 5-4, 5-5, 5-6, and 5-15, and for moose in zones of M.U.s 7-33 and 7-43; hunting in those areas requires a Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) authorization. Moose open-season schedules are revised for multiple northern and Peace Region management units, and antlerless elk bow-only restrictions are introduced for certain September dates in Region 4 zones. The Limited Entry Hunting Schedule I is replaced in full with a new table that reorganizes all LEH authorizations for species including elk, moose, mountain goat, mountain sheep, caribou, bison, deer and turkey across all regions; Region 8 is also renamed from 'Thompson-Nicola' to 'Okanagan' throughout. Dozens of zone boundary maps in Schedule II are replaced with updated 2026 versions, and the Management Unit Regulation's regional base maps are replaced with new 2026 region-specific maps. Licensed hunters and outfitters planning hunts in British Columbia should review the updated LEH Schedule I, revised zone maps (available at the Wildlife Branch and online), and any new closed-area restrictions for species and units they intend to hunt.

Who this affects: licensed hunters in British Columbia · limited entry hunting applicants · registered trappers and outfitters · guide outfitters operating in affected management units · wildlife managers and conservation officers