Implement new youth only antlerless elk limited entry hunting (LEH)

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

Status: Proposed

Region: Region 7A, Omineca

Management unit (MU): 7-07 to 7-10, 7-15, 7-24

Regulation type: Limited Entry Hunting

Species: Elk

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

Current regulation:

There is currently no youth private land only LEH antlerless elk season in MUs 7-07, 7-08, 7-09, 7-10, 7-15, and 7-24.

Proposed regulation:

Implement new youth-only private land LEH hunting opportunity and new zone 7-07, 7-08, 7-09, 7-10, 7-15, and 7-24 around Prince George mirroring opportunities in the Vanderhoof Wildlife MUs. Proposed tentative authorizations of five and proposed range of authorizations (RoA) is 1-25, is reflective of current harvest strategies within the Omineca and allow for authorizations to be within RoA when populations change.

**Restricted to private land only within MU 7-07, 7-08, 7-09, 7-10, 7-15 and 7-24.

Rationale:

During inventory of the Prince George elk populations around Prince George in the winters of 2023 and 2024, wintering else densities exceed 600 individuals, primarily on agricultural lands which indicates increasing populations over the past 10 years. Also during the last two years, private landowners have expressed concerns regarding increasing conflict with elk, including damage to fences, crops, and agricultural land, mostly in 7-15 and 7-24.

One tool to address elk/human conflict on this private property is to use LEH authorizations for antlerless elk in the fall and winter, in an attempt to haze elk away from the property, while also providing hunting opportunities to resident hunters. Authorizations were increased in 2024 and 2025, for both youth and non-youth antlerless LEH within the southern Omineca.

The objective of this proposal is to address hunter access to private land for elk haze hunt and provide a new youth-only hunting opportunity. Management of the haze hunt has previously involved issuing Wildlife MU-specific authorizations, but pairing hunters with landowners is always a challenge. Amalgamating the zones in areas of similar elk populations and conflict areas (Robson Valley, Prince George, Vanderhoof) provides flexibility for landowners to have more hunters harvest elk on their property if desired and allows hunters more options for private property for which their authorization is valid.

As of 2024, wintering elk population for 7A estimated at 2350 to 3070 elk in the Omineca.

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