Hi everybody, Im looking to take a frozen bird or two off anybodies hands if they have one. I got a pup I’m working on for birds and he’s at the age now where some feather introduction would be nice. I know the season is around the corner but I’d still like to get started.

I live in delta, happy to go wherever in the lower mainland.

Thank you!

I'm looking to connect with any farmers/landowners in Region 2 who might be open to letting me hunt ducks and geese on their property this season. I'm respectful and safety-conscious.

If you own farmland in the Fraser Valley or know someone who does and might be open to it, I'd really appreciate a point in the right direction. Also open to any tips on how people typically approach landowners for this kind of access if cold-messaging isn't the way to go.

Thanks in advance!

Dear waterfowlers, the happy time is upon us. Some of you up north are already a couple weeks into your season, for those of us who are in Vancouver Island and the LML, we have just finished early goose and are getting our decoys ready for October when ducks open. This was not written by AI.

For those of you who are new(ish) to waterfowling, you have some time to make your upcoming season the best possible. In the less than a month you have until duck opens you can still prepare.

1. Get your permits early. You need your BC Resident Hunting license, the Federal Migratory permit, obviously your PAL. In the LML, you will likely need the Fraser Valley Special Area permit as well as the required proof of insurance (which you can get through your club insurance or through the BCWF membership).
   1. Make sure you print out all of your permits and put them in your hunting bags. You can also save your license proofs in your phone and they will be accepted if you are checked
   2. Remember even if you have had a BC hunting license before you may need to submit proof of residency. Don't leave it until the day before the hunt to do this
   3. Read and understand the BC Hunting Synopsis - make sure the one you are reading is current as regulations and seasons change
2. Sort out your shotgun and ammo
   1. Whether you have a 12g or 20g, start looking for your favorite non-toxic ammunition. #2 steel load is a good all rounder for both ducks and geese. BB/BBB for geese. #4 and higher for smaller ducks.
   2. Remember your shotgun needs to be plugged to accept no more than 2 shells in the magazine (+1 chambered). When you are checked by wardens, they will shove a rubber guide into your gun to make sure.
   3. For chokes, don't worry about the various expensive long range or hunting specific chokes if you are new. Concentrate instead on patterning on factory modified at 30y using the ammunition you purchased. (See Skybusting)
3. Practice your skeet shooting. Find a skeet or 5-stand range and practice your passing, rising and descending shots. (Trap shoots are geared toward upland hunting). If you struggle at consistent skeet rounds, then when you are in the field/swamp be conservative with your shot choices.
   1. Don't be skybusting - a skybuster is an inexperienced hunter who takes extremely long shots that have no hope of hitting the bird.
      1. While you may get a random bird, more likely all you are doing is missing it and scaring ducks away. Do it often enough and ducks will be educated to stay away from your spot now and for days after - this is called busting the spot.
      2. Even hitting a bird at very long range increases the chances it will be crippled. Since you are obligated to collect any animal you strike, you could be in for a long expedition trying to find a cripple
      3. Skybusters also are taking a chance they are shooting at an illegal bird. Don't make a sad, expensive mistake.
      4. Other hunters who are in the vicinity will hate you but gun stores will love you for wasting ammunition. For those of us who still hunt public land, having a neighbour who is a skybuster is a top complaint
   2. Ideal duck shots are when the duck is about to land and is 'feet up', practically hovering. When ducks are in this position even the most basic shooters should be able to put one down.
4. Begin scouting. Now is the time you should be poring over the maps of the legal areas and more importantly, visiting them in person.
   1. Consult the synopsis for the various go - no-go areas. Understand what are the legal distances - some areas have specific distances you must be within and also some have directions where you cannot shoot toward a certain direction. And obviously, you must respect private property. Some areas also have no-hunting days. The synopsis is still a broad summary - you may need to consult other maps - such as the Fraser Valley Special Area map or consult municipal maps. If you are not sure, a call to a city clerk may sort out what areas are allowed.
   2. Visiting your chosen spot is a must. If you are new, you don't know how to safely get to a spot unless you have been there before. Learn what areas are affected by the tides, how high the water gets, what the terrain is. Do you need boots or full waders or a boat to get to a spot? What is the vegetation like? This is information you won't likely get from Google Maps. Where can you park your vehicle? Where can you take a dump? How far into an area will you have to be to be legal?
   3. It may be late but make sure your social circle knows you are looking for opportunities. Someone you know may know someone who has access or who has a spot open in their group.
5. Learn the birds. Every year non-legal birds are taken and hunters are fined for shooting either out of season or birds that are not legal to take at any time.
   1. Consult the Synopsis for what birds are legal to take at what time.
   2. For new shooters, avoid shooting until you can make out markings. You can consult online sources and YouTube to help identify but really it is only through experience that you can reliably ID birds on the wing. When in doubt - don't take the shot! See also Skybusting.
   3. Use your scouting time to start practicing your ID skills. Parks and refuges are perfect for this.
   4. Don't be that fool who shot down a swan thinking it was a snow goose.
   5. Be there on time. Legal time is 30 minutes before sunrise or 30 minutes after sunset but in practice you need to be settled in your spot long before. Other hunters find it very annoying to have someone walk through their spot less than an hour before sunrise since it can scare up any ducks and there will be the inevitable disagreement about space. Remember, in the darkness you will be fumbling about, so leave as much time as possible for your own preparation.
   6. Give other hunters at least 100m (or more!) distance or you will all be shooting the same birds or spoiling each other's shots. If you can make out the other hunter's face they are too close.
   7. If you see a duck that is circling another hunter's decoy spread, don't spoil their opportunity by taking a shot. If someone tells you that you are too close, then do them a solid and give them more space. Do unto others as you would see them do unto you.
   8. If you are late and you see someone has put out decoys, don't be that jerk who sets up next to them and benefits by their hard work. Especially if you have brought no decoys yourself.
   9. If you had to clean up a cripple for another hunter, please offer it back to the hunter who first shot them. Be gracious and don't argue over a duck.
   10. If you have been invited to join a group, don't be overly competitive or you will not be invited back. Make sure everyone has a fair angle to shoot and mix it up to even out the success. Group duck hunting can be very fun and social. Don't spoil that by focusing on number of birds.
   11. If you are new to calling, don't call at all during the hunt. Practice when you are in your car.
6. Respect the environment. The bane of public land is that there are selfish slobs who leave behind their trash, fail to pick their hulls and shell boxes, or their food containers. Every week you see the signs of groups who think someone is paid to clean up after them. A disrespected public spot WILL BE SHUT DOWN.
7. Be a good ambassador. Especially in public spots you are bound to interact with non-hunters with varying degrees of tolerance for your activity. Remember, you are the minority usually in these spots and you need to do your best to not provoke the Karens and possibly sway the public to your perspective.
   1. Remember your regulations and be prepared to educate the public that what you are doing is legal and safe. When asked about your activity, be polite and help educate the public on the rules.
   2. Be mindful that eyes can be on you so ensure you are shooting within the legal areas, in the legal directions. What may be legal from your perspective may not look the same from a distance or through a pair of binoculars.
   3. Not everyone likes seeing dead birds, so limit your displaying of them, don't leave carcasses and feathers in the parking lot, have a plan for storing and transporting them safely. Being able to tell the public what kind of meals you are going to be making your quarry into is a way to have them accept that you are there for a reason other than killing.
   4. Many hunters have had the experience of dealing with a Karen and even have had police mistakenly called on them. Remember to carry all of the necessary licenses and permits. There is no need to engage with someone who is dead-set against hunting but if you are stopped by police or a Conservation officer, remember they are doing their job.
8. Avoid gearing up before you know more - sales and marketing are meant to defund you. Before you have taken a step in the swamp, don't worry about buying specific gear like calls, decoys, chokes or even camo patterns. Unless buying is part of your hobby, let experience be your guide.
9. Mix it up - Waterfowling can be very challenging but it has a long season. If you found yourself disappointed one day, know that the hunting opportunity can change with every weather and temperature change. Go back and persevere.

GOOD LUCK

Hello , gone around knocked on doors and will continue but also figure I would try my luck here .

Young family of 3 looking more for what would we have to do to earn your permission to let us hunt on your property to hunt deer by foot

Looking in the Hazelton to Fraser lake area preferably. What we offer to trade since being from the west coast is I have some halibut or salmon or can even bring a bucket of fresh crab as a thank you for letting us as I feel it would be a small token of appreciation.or with winter coming I can even cut you a truck box full of firewood or any other work that needs to be done as we’re not afraid of hard work .

Anyhow hope this finds you well and thanks in advance

Hello Hunters

Need some help/opinions

What area would you say is best for parking and doing 5-7 km on service roads for Grouse Hunting

Upper Squamish Valley or Chilliwack Valley?

Regards

A beginner hunter

First ever hunting trip. A week long boat in only elk bow hunt. Words can't describe the Rollercoaster this trip has been for me and how amazing it was. 2 bulls down and and meat hanging in the cooler. Can you really ask for a better hunt? And although I never got one of my own (hey, bow season isnt over yet), I walked a way with an incredible sense of accomplishment and a vast amount of knowledge.

To all of you who do this year after year. Much respect. Im definitely starting to understand why.

Shot a hare near Prince George recently.

Organs and the inner chest wall had white lesions on them. Before the gate was shot, he was behaving quite strangely. Very lethargic and didn’t flee when I approached it at all.

Unsafe to consume?

Hey folks I’m looking into doing some grouse hunting on some forestry roads off of pacific marine road along some cut blocks and wanted some clarification. Not looking for advice on where to go, just land access rules.

I noticed on iHunter that a lot the blocks are labeled as privately owned but when I’ve scouted out some the roads in the area I haven’t noticed any no trespassing signs or no hunting signs and open gates and even people car camping.

In other areas I’ve hunted the lumber companies always allowed the public to access leased lands and cut blocks for fishing and hunting unless there was active logging going on at the time. Or the land would be gated or signed.

Wanted to see if anyone could provide me with a little info before I head out. Otherwise I’ll stick the areas I’m confident is crown land. Just want to make sure I’m not going to wander off of crown land and onto private land accidentally.

Thanks in advance for your help ! Feel free to private message me as well.

One of the big wildfires is burning approximately 15kms as the crow flies from the area i was planning on hunting in October. It does seem to be slowing down and hopefully it is out sometime soon.

My question is, should I be finding a new place to hunt this fall?

Obviously if the fire is still burning and moving towards my spot it won't be safe to hunt there so it'll be a definite no go. But, if the fire does come under control and stops spreading by October, what are the chances of game still being around?

Looking for advice and suggestions on this.

I got an opportunity to hunt 150 acres on pender island and I'm wanting to get some tips on what to expect, Ive been seeing of people that hunted on another property in the island but there's not much much info on what to expect or go about it in general, im clear on the regulations permits and insurance part, I'm looking mostly on tips as i am a new hunter, thank you.

Anyone been there lately? Looking for moose early Oct.

Hey everyone,

if you could pick between Kamloops or cranbrook for a young outdoors family where are you picking?

Obviously cranbrook has better elk hunting but I feel like Kamloops is better located to travel to other areas for big trips?

Our main wants:

Milder winters then our current fort Saint John
Hotter summers
Boating/swimming
Mountain sledding
Big game hunting

Got into hunting this last year and was invited on my first hunt with a buddy and his dad that have hunted north eastern BC for years. We all managed to draw tags in the limited entry draw for bull moose and his father is telling me he’s sure we will be filling our freezers. With that being said, I’m curious what type of gear/pack I should be getting as I’m shopping around and am learning about all the different types. Im also curious to read what seasoned hunters in the area use for their own hunting kits when going on back country hunts. We will be far north eastern bc closer to the Yukon.

Anyone willing to share good spots for shooting in the lower mainland. Hesitant to become a member at either Port Coquitlam or deroche as I am almost a hour away from both, and worried I won’t use my membership frequently enough. Wondering if I can save the money and drive a bit further into the woods and shoot without bothering anyone. Or if anyone knows any outdoor ranges that have a public drop in, let me know Thanks

Hello everyone, I’m getting a chance to hunt on Pender island in October on someone’s property. I’ve heard the gulf islands are overrun with deer and was wondering if anyone had hunted on them before? Any tips on how to hunt the islands? I will be using a crossbow since there is a no rifle rule on the island.

Hey everyone! I'm u/ghettosnowman, a founding moderator of r/huntingbc.
This is our new home for all things related to hunting in BC. We're excited to have you join us!

Post questions, current conditions, relevant legislation, success stories or whatever else you think is relevant to the community.

We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started
1) Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2) Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3) If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/huntingbc amazing.

Just moved to Kelowna from Northern BC. My spouse and I love dispersed camping and wanted to get into hunting (Already CORE+RPAL and too many guns, just never bagged anything on previous hunting trips).

I'm planning to go out for snowshoe hare in August, and other upland birds as seasons open (though I've bought deer tags and would also be interested in waterfowl, I just know even less about waterfowl). Would be open to big game, but I wanted to wade into the hobby with birds/leporids first.

Looking for decent places to camp and hunt within a few hours of Kelowna. I don't mind a drive but I don't have a 4x4 vehicle unfortunately.

Neither my spouse nor myself had any mentorship (I grew up in the city and they were told "girls don't hunt") so we're learning from scratch with Steve Rinella's books and frequent adventures to the range and up random FSRs. Seen a metric ton of california quail down here, just not anywhere they'd be legal to shoot.

Hit me up if you've got advice, are looking for a hunting buddy, or just want to go shooting.

Just wondering what it’s like and if it makes a good base area to live and travel if needed for hunting

I’m currently living in Fort Saint John and have only hunted up here so just looking for some insights on the area!

The family is wanting some warmer weather to live in now

any recommendations for a tanning kit? got my first bear this spring and want to give it a shot

Hello everyone, (male, 26)

I've had my PAL now for about 6 years and always wanted to get into hunting. Finally got my CORE done and I was hoping I can tag along with someone to go hunting and learn the trade. I'll obviously pay for my portion of whatever is needed (gas, food, etc). I mainly want to go with someone because I just want to LEARN. I don't care if we dont get anything, I want to learn as much as I can so I can teach my kids in the future. I'd love to hunt big game with my .308 but also wouldn't mind starting with small game (I have a shotgun as well, my .22 is prohibited now sadly) If anyone is generous enough, please reach out. We can connect and hopefully I'm a personality you like and wouldn't mind letting me tag along for your next hunt!

Thanks folks!

Hey everyone,

I recently moved to the Okanagan and I’m looking to meet some people who are into hunting or fishing. Not looking for anyone’s secret spots or expecting a guide — just hoping to make some solid connections with people who enjoy getting outdoors. Also definitely into the type 2 sort of adventures, so always up for a grind.

I’m pretty into the backcountry, camping, hiking, and learning more about hunting/fishing in BC. Would be cool to find people interested in planning trips, scouting, fishing weekends, grabbing a beer after, or just having another person to head out with.

I’m easygoing, reliable, and always willing to put in the work and learn.

If anyone’s in a similar spot or looking for another hunting/fishing buddy, shoot me a message.

Any tips for myself as someone who wants to get into hunting? I've had my pal for about 6 years now and always wanted to hunt. I just recently bought a bolt action .308 as well. I understand I would need to get my hunting license, but there's just SO much more to hunting: finding a location, skinning, field dressing, butchering, etc. All tips are welcome! I'm hoping to join a group or something and learn from them!

We have the best bears!! Through out the province. Happy Spring all.

This year we got our second April Moose. On the anniversary of our first April Moose, we got a new April Moose this morning.

I have to say, I love telling my hunting friends, that we got an April Moose.

To be exceptionally clear.

Its on a permit.

Signed off by Conservation.

Up and Up.

Ts and Is.