Implement December bow only white-tailed deer season
Last updated on January 12, 2026The public is invited to comment on the proposed hunting regulation described below.
Status: Proposed
Region: Region 3, Thompson
Management unit (MU): Region-wide
Regulation type: Hunting
Species: White-tailed deer
Closing date: February 13, 2026 at 4:30 pm PT
Current regulation:
There is currently no bow only season for either sex white-tailed deer from December 11 to 20 in the Thompson Region.
Proposed regulation:
Implement a bow only season for either sex white-tailed deer from December 11 to 20 in the Thompson Region.
Rationale:
This regulation change is an effort to provide additional sustainable harvest opportunity to resident hunters in areas with growing white-tailed deer populations and harmonize the white-tailed deer bow seasons to more closely align with those of Regions 4 and 8 (currently December 1 to 20).
White-tailed deer have the highest population growth rate of any North American ungulate. Their numbers grow quickly because they reproduce at high rates, adapt well to human-made landscape changes and often thrive on high nutrition forage crops found in agricultural areas. They are currently expanding their range in B.C. and are becoming increasingly abundant in the Southern Interior where they overlap mule deer habitat.
Research has shown that white-tailed deer can sustain more flexible hunting seasons because they reproduce quickly and are more resilient to hunting pressure than other ungulates. This proposal also aims to support hunter recruitment and retention, help landowners and agricultural producers experiencing conflicts with white-tailed deer and address concerns about increasing overlap with mule deer habitat.
Hunter Sample Survey data show that white-tailed deer harvest has been relatively stable in Region 3 over the past 5 years. However, hunter effort has slightly declined during this period, suggesting the population has increased over time. Ministry staff have also reported seeing more white-tailed deer observations during field work including aerial surveys for other species and spring recruitment surveys for mule deer. Resident hunters and First Nations have also reported seeing more white-tailed deer in recent years.
Introducing a late-season, either-sex archery hunt from December 11-20 is unlikely to significantly change overall harvest numbers. Regions 4 and 8, which consistently report much higher white-tailed deer harvest during both rifle and bow seasons, have found extended bow seasons to be sustainable. In these regions, late-season bow harvests account for approximately 3% of the total harvest in Region 4 and 5% in Region 8.
Applying a similar proportion to Region 3, with only half the hunter days of Regions 4 and 8, suggests a projected harvest of approximately 27 deer during the proposed late-season bow hunt. This would have a negligible impact on the population, especially when compared to the broader harvest occurring during general rifle and earlier bow seasons. As a result, the proposed season is not expected to pose a risk to population sustainability.