Hunter Information

Meeting Minutes from the Provincial Agriculture Zone Wildlife Program - KBR program Regional Agriculture Wildlife Committee (RAWC)

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

PAZWP Brochure (2010) (PDF 865 KB)

USE RESPECT WHEN HUNTING – TIPS FOR HUNTERS

Contents

The original pilot projects that PAZWP-KBR is built upon, have both been concluded (the East Kootenay Landowner Enfranchisement Program (EKLEP) and the Peace River Enfranchisement Program (PREP)). Signage, insurance waivers and vehicle dash cards will still be made available to landowners who wish to post their land to invite hunters to help reduce local ungulate herds and move them off their fields. In the East Kootenays, please contact the Kootenay Livestock Association office (Cranbrook) during business hours at 250-426-4315. In the West Kootenays, please contact the Selkirk Resource District office (Castlegar) during business hours at 250-365-8607.

There will be no local hunt coordination this fall for any area in the Kootenay Boundary Region. Government and its partners have created a new hunt coordination website called the “Hunter-Landowner Link”.

Before you go hunting, please ensure that you have permission to cross over OR hunt on private land. Study your maps prior to heading out, to know where the Crown and private land parcels are located and who you will need to contact. If you hunt on leased Crown Land, including grazing leases, even if no livestock are present, permission is still required from the lease holder (the Wildlife Act, Land Act and Trespass Act may all apply). When hunting on open Crown Range, please drive on existing roads only, obey all posted signs, leave all gates as you found them; do not cut any fences or drive though ditches or over pipes; and please pack out all garbage.

Remember: Your actions can directly help maintain wildlife habitats and landowner/hunter relationships!

BCWF Outdoor Passport Program

CRESTON VALLEY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA – A SPECIAL FEATURE IN THE KOOTENAYS

CVWMA is open to waterfowl hunting October 1 annually. Please check in at the CVWMA Headquarters before your hunt to obtain any news, updates or cautions, and get your map and permit (for a minimal charge, online permits are now available). There is absolutely no motorized access to retrieve downed game (no trucks, ATV’s and/or snowmobiles) on the CVWMA property. Access and hunting will be closed near the heron rookery in Leach Lake right by the lure crop, in February annually, so read and heed all official signage.

Hunters are responsible for exhibiting ethical behaviour on both private and Crown land, including obeying all applicable laws. People must be aware of their surroundings at all times when hunting; for example: not shooting near people, vehicles, equipment or buildings; not driving over irrigation pipes or through ditches; not tampering with water control structures. Hunters are requested to report witnessed irresponsible behaviour or any property damage to CVWMA Headquarters. People must leave the site as they found it: for example, shutting gates if they had been originally closed or leaving them open as requested; removing spent shells, casings, and all garbage. Pack out what you pack in.

PREPARE IN ADVANCE - MAPS

Please review the Limited Entry Hunt (LEH) maps already prepared for your use.

If you have access to a computer and the internet, you can make your own maps of your selected hunting areas by using any one of these FREE ONLINE mapping resources at:

Some of these sites have online tutorials that will assist you in learning how to make your map, as you usually have to add ‘layers’ to the base map to show where roads, watercourses and private lands are located. Usually there is one ‘cadastral layer’ with all these features combined together, but it can be called by different names. If you do not have computer access, please check with your local “Service BC” office (formerly called the GA or government agent) or “Front Counter BC” office for assistance in making maps. FYI - there may be a charge if you request someone look up the landowner’s name from the District Lot or Parcel Identifier Numbers.

Prepared maps of Zone X of MU 4-03* Thanks to ARDCorp and the Kootenay Livestock Association for their support in preparing the following maps:

2010 Elk "Zone X of 4-03*" 1:50,00 Map Book (PDF 18.5 MB)

2010 Elk "Zone X of 4-03*" Tabloid Scale 1:375,000 (PDF 8.5 MB)

2010 Elk "Zone X of 4-03*" Map A Scale 1:80,000 (PDF 5.0 MB)

2010 Elk "Zone X of 4-03*" Map B Scale 1:80,000 (PDF 4.8 MB)

* Note: Includes portions of Wildlife Management Units 4-2 to 4-5 and 4-20 to 4-22.

DISCLAIMER: These maps are subject to change and are updated as new information becomes available.

FENCES & GATES ARE TOOLS FOR MANAGING RANGE

Rangelands are beautiful, open places that provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, forage for livestock, and habitat for fish and wildlife. One part of forage management is using fences to control where and when livestock graze to ensure the proper degree of use. This helps ensure there is sufficient forage for wildlife as well as livestock. Leaving gates open or cutting fences allows cattle to go where they are not supposed to be and can cause overuse on specific areas. Gates left open on or near highways can cause livestock - motor vehicle accidents.

By regulating where and when livestock graze, the range resource can be improved or maintained. Also, by moving livestock from one grazing area to another, the forage is given a chance to regrow and then provide feed for wildlife. Studies have shown that this “conditioning” of forage provides more nutritious feed for wildlife than if the forage was not first grazed by livestock. The regrowth after grazing provides higher protein forage than in the ungrazed areas that mature early and become dried out.

Remember, we all are owners of the Crown Forest and Range resources and all who enjoy their use have a responsibility to help keep them productive and attractive. Please treat all lands as you would like others to treat your property. Drive only on existing roads, obey posted signs, close gates after you open them, do not cut fences and pack your garbage out. You are participating in land management either positively or negatively, by the decisions you make when enjoying the landscape!

Photo by Donna Thornton

HAVE A SUCCESSFUL & ENJOYABLE HUNTING SEASON!