British Columbia: Hunting Season Is Finally Here

© By Othmar Vohringer

Today, September 1st, is the official start of the fall hunting season in our, and some other regions of the province. Until September 9th, when the general open season starts, only bowhunters can go out hunting. Having missed the spring season this year due to house and property improvement tasks, I am really looking forward to spending some time with my compound bow and crossbow in pursuit of mule and whitetail deer during the early part of the hunting season.

There are a few changes this year to the regulations for the Thomson region (Hunting Region 3). Bag limits of whitetail deer have been increased to two of either sex. The operation of all motor vehicles, excluding snow mobiles, has been prohibited anywhere over 1,700 meters above sea level, except on existing roads and designated trails. Hunting for Sharptailed grouse is partially closed in MU 3-30. Other changes to the hunting season are the dates for moose and other wildlife in certain management units of our region. Make sure you read and understand the regulation changes before you head out on a hunting trip in any particular management unit or to a different region. Fines for violations can be very steep and depending on the case, carry jail sentences and prohibition from hunting from one to several years.

The bulk of my hunting time this year will be spent with my younger brother who will be visiting us from Switzerland for three weeks. While I accepted the fact that I lost my twin brother earlier this year, two days after our birthday, I would be lying to say that I am fully recovered from this loss. More than that though, my brother’s passing made me realize that we all live on borrowed time and should spend more time with our family and friends. In this regard I look forward to spending more time with my wife and brother. There will be more fishing, more hunting and hiking together in our beautiful province than in previous years. It is these times that bring us memories that we will fondly remember for many years to come.

Most hunters have a “bucket list” of hunts they would like to go on. My bucket list is not very big or ambitious. I don’t dream of some exotic hunt in a foreign land. Mine includes a hunt for mountain caribou, a moose hunt in the northern tundra of our province and an elk hunt somewhere in the Kootenays or Peace region. I am hoping that I will be able to go on these hunts by next year and of course would like if my brother could join me in this endeavour. The planning for these hunts and information gathering has already begun.

To this day I’ve never forgotten how fortunate I am to share my outdoor passion with my wife Heidi and my brothers. There is no better way to enjoy the outdoor activities than with your spouse and family. With this in mind, I wish you all a safe and enjoyable start of a new hunting season during which you hopefully will make many great memories with your family and friends that will be treasured for a lifetime.