The B.C. government is inviting public feedback on proposed changes to hunting and trapping regulations that would take effect from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028.
The consultation period opened this week and runs until Feb. 13, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time.
The review happens every two years and is led by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. According to the province, the process is meant to support sustainable wildlife management, respect First Nations’ harvest rights, and balance conservation goals with recreational and economic activity.
Roughly 60 regulation proposals are currently under consideration across British Columbia.
They include changes to limited entry hunting opportunities, general open seasons, harvesting methods, firearm restrictions, access management, and how hunting and fishing regulations are delivered to the public.
The ministry says proposed updates are based on scientific data and Indigenous Knowledge, and are developed through consultation with First Nations, hunters, and stakeholder groups.
Among the proposals posted online are extensions to firearm restricted areas, adjustments to elk and white-tailed deer seasons in several regions, new or expanded limited entry hunting zones, mountain goat hunting closures in specific management units, and changes to motor vehicle access restrictions in some backcountry areas.
The full list of proposals is searchable by species, region, management unit, and regulation type through the province’s Angling, Hunting and Trapping Engagement website.
Comments submitted through the online system are anonymous and are only visible to designated government staff and the person who submits them. The province says a summary of public feedback will be reviewed and forwarded to government staff for decision-making. Individual submissions will not be published publicly.
Finalized regulations will be published later this year in the province’s Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis and will remain in effect for two years.
In a statement released Monday, the ministry said public input helps ensure regulations remain responsive to changing conditions and community needs, while supporting healthy wildlife populations.
“Public engagement helps ensure hunting and trapping regulations remain responsive to changing conditions, support healthy wildlife populations and reflect the diverse perspectives of people who live, work and recreate on the land,” the ministry said.
Residents can review proposals and submit feedback online through the provincial government’s hunting and trapping engagement portal.
For hunters, trappers, conservation groups, and rural communities, the changes can affect access, season lengths, and allowable methods of harvest for the next two years.
And for anyone with strong opinions about wildlife management in B.C., this is the window to speak up, before the rules are locked in for the next regulation cycle.
