Antlerless elk LEH boundary change

The public is invited to comment on the proposed hunting regulation described below.

Status: Proposed

Region: 7B

Management unit (MU): 7-35

Regulation type: Limited Entry Hunting

Species: Elk

Closing date: 16:30, March 22, 2024

Decision statement: Pending

Current regulation

There is currently an antlerless elk LEH hunting opportunity that includes all of M.U. 7-35.

Proposed regulation

Change the boundary for the antlerless elk LEH in M.U. 7-35 to the ridgeline of Butler Ridge, excluding Twelve Mile Road from the LEH area.

Rationale

In MU 7-35 there is a General Open Season (GOS) from  September 1 to October 31 with a bag limit of one 3-point or greater bull elk and a GOS from September 15 to October 15 with a bag limit of one antlerless elk. There is also a LEH season from December 1 to February 28 with a bag limit of one antlerless elk.

Twelve Mile Road between Road 250 and Dunlevy Creek is currently under a 400-metre single projectile (firearm) prohibition.

The Twelve Mile Road area has had high levels of non-compliant elk hunting and conflict between elk hunters and local landowners. Typical noncompliance involves trespassing on private property, hunting cultivated land without permission, discharging firearms in a closed area, (maintained roadway), and hunting in a closed season in that the activity occurs within the maintained roadway and road allowance. All these violations involve public safety aspects and relationships between hunters and landowners. The majority of violators have been hunters who are not local and therefore less familiar with the area. Removing the Twelve Mile Road area from the winter elk LEH hunt would shift hunter pressure away from the area, simplify regulations and compliance, and provide an additional enforcement tool.

The new boundary would follow the ridgeline of Butler Ridge from Canyon Road near Hudson’s Hope northwest along the ridgeline to Husky Oil Road, then following Husky Oil Road generally southwest to the MU boundary.  This boundary was chosen for enforceability, ease of identifying open and closed areas, and maximum effect.

Additional information

Proposed LEH boundary amendment