Heads up hunters, new provincial regulations are on the way.

As of April 1, hunters are required to carry all species licences during a hunting trip.

article continues below

The licences must be for the current licence year, including cancelled and uncancelled licences, and hunters must be able to produce these documents when asked to by a conservation officer.

This and other changes come into effect as the provincial government amends B.C.’s Wildlife Act. Other changes include enforcing the closure on the grizzly bear hunt and increasing the amount of meat a hunter must retrieve from big game species.

To help enforce the ban on all grizzly bear hunting, taxidermists and tanners will be required to report any grizzly bears or grizzly bear parts brought to them, according to a government news release.

Mandatory components of the report include evidence establishing legal possession, such as a licence or permit. Failure of a taxidermist or tanner to submit a report within 10 days of acquiring any grizzly bear parts will result in a $230 ticket.

Taxidermists and tanners can still work on legally possessed grizzly bear parts that were obtained before hunting of grizzly was closed, or on grizzly bear parts that were obtained outside of B.C.

The requirement for a hunter to collect edible portions of the animal will include taking neck and rib meat, in addition to the four quarters and loins.

Also, the requirement to remove the edible portions will apply to the cougar, in addition to mule (black-tailed) deer, white-tailed deer, fallow deer, moose, elk, mountain sheep, mountain goat, caribou, bison and black bear.