Feb. 6, 2015

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Ministry of Forests Lands and
Natural Resource Operations

Wildlife Harvest Allocation Decision 2015
What is the decision?
• The minister’s decision is to approve the allocation framework with clearly set splits for
each hunt that is in ‘Category A’ throughout the province. The decision does not include
General Open Season opportunities such as mule deer, whitetail deer, black bear, etc.
which are unaffected.
• By regionally tailoring the allocation decision, impacts on resident hunters are minimized.
Resident hunters will continue to receive priority shares of the wildlife allocation, with a
stable and predictable percentage.
• Vacant areas and areas not currently allocated to guides will continue to be maintained as
unguided areas, and available for resident hunting.
• The decision to have clear and legislated/regulated splits for each harvest will result in less
discretion in the hands of regional managers – and therefore more certainty for all user
groups. Until legislative/regulatory amendments can be made, the allocation splits will be
set in policy.
• Targeted increased shares of allocation for guide outfitters to help ensure the guide
outfitter industry remains economically viable.
• No additional mitigation measures for guides will be made available beyond the increased
harvest percentages as noted.
What are the specific allocations, and how do they compare to the pre-2014 allocation
amount for each sector?
Consult the following chart:
REGION SPECIES
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1
1
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4

Bull Elk
Either Sex Elk
Grizzly Bear
Bull Elk
Mountain Goat
Grizzly Bear
Moose
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Mountain Goat
Grizzly Bear

RESIDENT %
SPLIT
85
85
60
80
65
60
85
70
60
65
68

INDUSTRY
(Guides) % SPLIT
15
15
40
20
35
40
15
30
40
35
32
1

 4
5
5
5
5
6 North
6 South
6 North
6 South
6 North
6 North
6 South
6 North
7A
7A
7B
7B
7B
7B
8
8
8
8

Bull Moose
Moose
Bull Caribou
Grizzly Bear
Mountain Goat
Thin Horn Sheep
Moose
Moose
Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat
Caribou
Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear
Bull Moose
Grizzly Bear
Mountain Goat
Antlerless Elk
Grizzly Bear
Bison
Bull Moose
Big Horn Sheep
Mountain Goat
Grizzly Bear

80
75
75
60
65
60
75
75
65
65
75
60
60
77
60
65
98
60
82
80
70
65
60

20
25
25
40
35
40
25
25
35
35
25
40
40
23
40
35
2
40
18
20
30
35
40

Why didn’t you increase resident opportunity for moose to 90/10 across the province?
• The revised allocation splits provide more resident hunting opportunity for moose, and we
remain committed to looking for more opportunities to increase.
• Province-wide, the overall average allocation for moose is about 85/15.
Would you consider resident-only hunting seasons?
• While resident hunters are given priority, having resident-only seasons would have severe
negative economic impacts on the guiding sector.
How are First Nations traditional hunting rights affected by the Harvest Allocation Policy?
• The First Nations hunt is not affected. Prior to setting allocations between resident and
guided hunters, calculations are made to ensure that overharvesting will not occur. This
calculation takes into account both naturally occurring mortality and First Nations
harvesting.
Why do we allow hunting at all in B.C.?
• Hunting is a long standing recreational and commercial activity in BC and around the world.
Hunting is a part of the culture which through history served to feed families, protect
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 people from predator and agricultural crops from damage, and provide recreational
outdoor activities.
Why do we allow non-residents to hunt in B.C.?
• B.C. has benefited from non-resident hunters for over 100 years.
• Guide clients are one of the highest spending tourists per capita to visit B.C.
Why are we changing the allocations to increase what the guide outfitters get to hunt?
• Some guides have been significantly impacted by the current allocation policy to the point
that their businesses are in jeopardy.
• This change allows for some relief and additional opportunity to increase the likelihood of
success for those businesses.
• We are still committed to resident priority.
How is this maintaining resident priority when resident share is clearly impacted from what
they have today?
• Resident hunters will continue to receive priority shares of the wildlife allocation, with a
stable and predictable percentage.
• By regionally tailoring the allocation decision, impacts on resident hunters are minimized.
• Vacant areas and areas not currently allocated to guides will continue to be maintained as
unguided areas, and available for resident hunting.
How much of the Province is currently not allocated to a guide territory, and are these areas
concentrated in a specific area of the Province?
• The majority of these areas are in the south central part of the Province as well as the
north east.
Is the Province considering basing allocations on Population Management Units?
• No decision has been made at this time, but the Province is still considering this idea.
What are the benefits of this decision to BC Wildlife Federation?
• Legislated/regulated splits, meaning less discretion in the hands of regional managers.
• Less ability for appeals by either resident or non-resident hunting groups.
• No allocation of vacant or unallocated areas to the guiding sector where residents may
continue to hunt.
• Certainty of resident priority shares of wildlife allocation, with a stable and predictable
percentage.
What did the BC Wildlife Federation request that they will not receive?
• Set percentage splits at the levels they wanted.
What are the benefits to Guide Outfitters of this decision?
• Certainty on allocation splits, with a stable and predictable percentage.
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 •

Increased shares of allocations which will help with the impacts caused by the allocation
policy.

What did the Guide Outfitters request that they will not receive?
• Regional allocations based on larger geographic areas.
• A return to a success factors model, rather than the current ‘hard quota’ approach.
• Ability to access vacant and unallocated areas.
• Extra mitigation measures (for example mitigation fund and access to unallocated areas)
beyond the allocation splits.
What are the impacts to the resident hunters?
• In total, this model represents a transfer of approximately 60 animals from residents to
guides.
• In a majority of hunts (21 of 34), there will be a slight reduction in hunting opportunities.
• In 7 of 34 hunts, there will be a slight increase to resident hunting opportunities.
• In 6 hunts there will be no change from the previous allocation.
• The total reduction is estimated at about 600 hunting opportunities, which is
approximately four per cent of the total allocated hunting opportunities in the Province
(approx. 17,500 total hunting opportunities). This does not include General Open Season
opportunities such as mule deer, whitetail deer, black bear, etc.
• Of the 45,700 animals harvested by resident hunters each year in B.C., only, 3,729 – or 8
per cent are on allocation.
What are the impacts to the guides?
• Guides will receive an increase to their total hunting opportunities.
• While a small percentage of total resident opportunity, represents a considerable
difference to the guiding industry.
• This shift represents a minimum economic value to guides of approximately $2.6 million
per year, and will help ensure the sector remains viable.
Why is there such a large shift of grizzly bear harvest from residents to guides compared to
other species?
• Shifting grizzly bears will have minimal impact to residents, but be of considerable value to
guides.
• Grizzly hunting is inherently difficult and due to very low success rates, residents harvest
very few of the resident share at present.

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