10 Best Places To Hunt in British Columbia

10 Best Places To Hunt in British Columbia

British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province sitting between the Pacific Ocean and the continental divide of the Rocky Mountains. It covers around 944,000 square kilometers – bigger than France and Germany combined. You’ll find diverse terrain in this province with forests, lakes, mountains, grassy plains, inland deserts, as well as rocky coastlines and sandy beaches.  

 

The government allows non-resident hunters to hunt deer, elk, moose, caribou, mountain sheep, mountain goat, cougar, lynx, bobcat, wolf, black bear, and wolverine. For more information, check out Non-Resident Hunting in B.C.

Experience the Splendour of Hunting in BC 

If you’re planning a hunting trip in BC, you’ll find this article quite useful. Below we provide suggestions for the best hunting locations, what terrain, climate, and game animals you can expect there, as well as companies you can contact for guided hunts and accommodation.  

1. Nanaimo: Black Bear, Roosevelt Elk, Cougar, and More 

The harbor city of Nanaimo is located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. It sits in a narrow coastal plain surrounded by agricultural and timberland. 

 

The city experiences partly cloudy, dry, comfortable, and short summers and mostly cloudy, wet, frigid, and long winters. Temperatures usually fall between 36°F to 73°F throughout the year and are rarely below 26°F or above 80°F.

 

The areas surrounding the city offer opportunities to hunt black bears, Roosevelt Elk, cougar, mountain goat, Columbia Blacktail Deer, and wolf. Trophy West Guide Outfitters offers lodging and guided hunts for all the species mentioned above. 

 

2. Vancouver: Black Bear, Mountain Goat, Mule Deer, and More 

Located in the Lower Mainland region of BC is the coastal seaport city of Vancouver. Being situated near the North Shore Mountains, the city and its surrounding areas consist of both flat and hilly terrain. 

 

Vancouver’s climate is considered oceanic or marine west coast. Summers are typically dry and often result in moderate drought conditions while the rest of the year is rainy with winters being long and frigid. Temperatures typically fall between 35°F to 73°F and are rarely below 24°F or above 80°F.

 

Fraser River Outfitters offers accommodation and Lillooet hunts for black bear, mountain goat, mule deer, Shiras Moose, and cougar. 

 

3. Kamloops: Black Bear, Grizzly, Moose, and More 

Sitting where the North and South Thompson rivers meet is the city of Kamloops. The city is situated on the rain shadow leeward of the Coast Mountains, just northwest of the Okanagan Desert. 

 

The city’s climate is semi-arid due to its rain shadow location, with areas west of the city having a desert climate. Summers are typically warm and dry while winters are freezing and snowy. 

 

Game animals around the area include black bears, grizzly, cougar, lynx, bobcat, mountain goat, mule deer, whitetail deer, and moose. For guided hunts including the above-mentioned species, you can contact Adams Lake Outfitters. 

 

4. Nelson: Stone Sheep, Canadian Moose, Mountain Caribou, and More 

Sitting on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, nestled in the Selkirk Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, is the “Queen City” of Nelson. As a city in the mountains, the area around Nelson is expectedly rugged and mountainous. 

 

Summers in the city are warm and dry with cooler temperatures at night with winters being cold and snowy. Temperatures typically fall between -9°F to 75°F and rarely below -30°F or above 84°F.

 

Contact Terminus Mountain Outfitters for transportation to their remote lodge. They offer guided hunts for Stone Sheep, Canadian Moose, mountain caribou, mountain goat, Rocky Mountain Elk, black bear, and wolf.

 

5. Williams Lake: Cougar, Mule Deer, Moose, and More 

The city of Williams Lake is located in BC’s Central Interior, in the region known as the Cariboo. Williams Lake sits in a sheltered valley surrounded by evergreen forests with plateaus on either side. 

 

Because of its sheltered location, summers in Williams Lake are comfortable and partly cloudy with winters being snowy, mostly cloudy, and freezing. Temperatures usually fall between 15°F to 77°F and rarely below -10°F or above 87°F.

 

The areas around Williams Lake are known for their cougars and huge mule deer, although they’re also a habitat for moose, bobcat, lynx, wolf, and black bear. Fraser Valley Outfitters offers guided hunts for the above-mentioned species as well as accommodation. 

 

6. Smithers: Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Moose, and Mountain Goat 

Smithers is a town in northwestern BC located on the Bulkley River, halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. The town sits in a valley with hilly and mountainous terrain to the west and the Bulkley River to the east. 

 

Summers are comfortable in Smithers while winters are freezing and snowy. Temperatures usually fall between 13°F to 73°F and rarely below -10°F or above 85°F.

 

Hunts around the area usually revolve around grizzly bears, black bears, moose, and mountain goats. Contact Driftwood Valley Outfitters for accommodation and guided hunts for these game species.

 

7. Prince George: Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Cougar, and More 

Prince George is the largest city in northern BC and is often called the province’s “northern capital”. It sits where the Nechako and Fraser rivers meet and at the crossroads of Highway 16 and Highway 97. 

 

Prince George summers are comfortable while winters tend to be snowy and freezing. Temperatures usually fall between 12°F to 76°F and rarely below -15°F or above 86°F.

 

Lobo Peak Outfitters offers accommodation as well as spot-and-stalk adventure hunts for moose, black bear, grizzly bear, cougar, lynx, and mule deer with add-ons for wolf. 

8. Fort St. John: Elk, Moose, Mule Deer, and More 

Sitting on mile 47 in northeastern BC is the town of Fort St. John, one of the largest towns on the Alaska Highway (97) and Highway 29 to Hudson’s Hope. The terrain in the area is mostly flat with river-sculpted valleys covered in mostly aspen, pine, and spruce. 

 

In this town, summers are comfortable and partly cloudy with winters being frigid and snowy. Temperatures usually fall between 3°F to 73°F and rarely below -22°F or above 82°F.

 

Trophy animals harvested around the area have received awards at the Northern BC Guides Awards Evening. Horseshoe Creek Outfitters offers guided hunts for these animals which include elk, moose, mule deer, whitetail deer, black bear, and wolf. They also offer accommodations. 

9. Penticton: Elk, Moose, Bear, and More 

The city of Penticton is located in the Okanagan Valley of BC’s Southern Interior. It lies between Okanagan and Skaha lakes surrounded by pine and fir-covered mountains and high country. 

 

Penticton is known for having one of the best year-round climates in Canada with temperatures usually falling between 24°F to 85°F and rarely below 10°F or above 94°F. Summers are typically short, warm, and dry while winters usually freezing and snowy.  

 

Game animals around the area include elk, moose, black bear, mule deer, whitetail deer, and lynx. Contact Kettle River Guides for accommodation and guided hunts for these game animals and more. 

10. Yukon: Dall Sheep, Alaska-Yukon Moose, Caribou, and More  

The Yukon is the northwestern corner of Canada bordered by Alaska and the Northwest Territories. The bulk of the area is a subarctic plateau interspersed with mountains. 

 

The climate in the territory is primarily subarctic, as you would expect from a place with subarctic terrain. With most of the province sitting at a high elevation, summers are usually warm with temperatures averaging 77°F or more. 

 

Blackstone Outfitters offers single or combination hunts for Dall or Fannin sheep, Alaska-Yukon Moose, mountain and barren ground caribou, grizzly bear as well as chances for wolf and wolverine. They also offer traditional horseback hunts, river float trips, and backpack hunts with pack dogs. 

MORE ADVENTURE RELATED READING:

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-David & Team AdventureHacks