Feeding and baiting prohibition for ungulates in Region 8

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

Status: Proposed

Region: Region 8, Okanagan

Management unit (MU): Region-wide

Regulation type: Other

Species: Ungulates (deer, elk, moose, caribou, mountain sheep, mountain goat)

Closing date: February 13, 2026 at 4:30 pm PT

Current regulation:

Currently it is not prohibited to feed or bait ungulates within 200 m of a dwelling, school yard or playground throughout the Okanagan region.

Proposed regulation:

Prohibit feeding or baiting of ungulates within 200 m of any dwelling, school yard or playground in Region 8 (Okanagan Region)

Rationale:

Banning baiting or feeding within 200 metres of dwelling, school of playground is to lower the risk of disease transmission among ungulates and reduce potential for human-wildlife conflicts. Feeding can create unnatural congregations and artificially high densities of ungulates, which in addition to elevating disease transmission (including CWD) risk can lead to problem deer and increase the risk of vehicle collisions with ungulates. This regulation has already been implemented in on Vancouver Island, the Cariboo region, and Haida Gwaii, and it’s prohibited to bait or feed ungulates throughout the Kootenay region. The same feeding or baiting prohibition is being proposed for the Thompson region. 

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