Change male-only pheasant season to any pheasant

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

Status: Proposed

Region: 1

Management unit (MU): 1-1 to 1-9

Regulation type: Hunting Regulation

Species: Pheasant

Closing date: 16:30, March 22 22, 2024

Decision statement: Pending

Current regulation

PHEASANT (Cocks), 1-1 to 1-9, Oct 1 - Nov 30, Bag limit 2 (6)

Proposed regulation

PHEASANT, 1-1 to 1-9, Oct 1 - Nov 30, Bag limit 2 (6)

Rationale

We propose to change the current cocks-only (male-only) pheasant season to an any-pheasant season in Wildlife Management Units 1-1 to 1-9 on Vancouver Island. The season dates (Oct 1 – Nov 30) and the bag limits (daily limit of 2, possession limit of 6) are not proposed to change. Ring-necked Pheasants are native to Asia and were reportedly introduced to southern Vancouver Island in the late 1800s to create a new hunting opportunity. In recent years, pheasants have also been released on private property as part of game bird club events where some birds may escape and settle on the landscape.

The proposal to allow the harvest of female and male pheasants is intended to mitigate the potential impacts of this non-native species by limiting population growth and potentially reducing the non-native pheasant population on Vancouver Island. Wildlife managers commonly implement hunting regulations focused on reducing the abundance of a non-native species and this proposal aligns with that principle.

Additional information