Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) are hunting opportunities created via a "lottery", and the details are found in the LEH Synopsis. Participation in the LEH draw is available to any resident of B.C. who legally possesses a B.C. Resident Hunter Number.

The purpose of Limited Entry Hunting is to achieve wildlife management objectives without resorting to such measures as shortening seasons or completely closing areas. It is only introduced where it has become necessary to limit the number of hunters, limit the number of animals that may be taken, or limit the harvest to a certain "class" of animal.

View Limited Entry Hunting Vancouver Island Elk maps

View Limited Entry Hunting Kootenay Elk maps

View Limited Entry Hunting Maps for Region 8 – Okanagan

To find out more, please download:
How the Limited Entry Hunting System Works [PDF 95KB]

If you have any questions about Limited Entry Hunting, contact the LEH office at: 250 356-5142
LimitedEntry.Hunting@gov.bc.ca

Success in the Limited Entry draw is simply a matter of random luck. The odds that are published beside each hunt give an indication of the likelihood of a successful application, but they do not guarantee anything. For example, odds of 3 to 1 suggest that one out of three applicants will be drawn, but for any one person, this is not a sure thing. With such odds, an individual could be lucky and be drawn twice in three tries or be unlucky and apply for eight straight years without success.

Contrary to the beliefs of many, repeat success in the Limited Entry draw is actually quite low. Successful applicants have their chances reduced in subsequent draws in order to improve the chances of those who have been unsuccessful. In most cases of repeated success, an applicant has been applying for very lightly subscribed hunts.

If you have lost a Limited Entry Hunting authorization, a duplicate can be issued to you at most Service BC Offices free of charge.

Thank you for applying for the Spring 2013 Grizzly Bear and Early Skeena Mountain Sheep LEH draw. The draw has been run and you can check your results here Draw Status.

For number of authorizations to be drawn for the 2013 Spring Grizzly and Skeena Mountain Sheep draws click here [updated Jan 18, 2013]

Attention Grizzly Bear Hunters

Grizzly bear populations are sensitive to female harvest and hunting opportunities may be decreased or cancelled when the female harvest becomes a concern. Please avoid harvesting female Grizzly bears, for more information on Grizzly bear sex identification please visit Choosing Which Bear to Take courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Management Branch is pleased to announce the Special Mountain Sheep Resident Draw. This authorization provides a special opportunity to hunt your choice of Thinhorn Sheep (Dall’s and Stone’s) or Bighorn Sheep (California and Rocky Mountain) and to support conservation efforts that will benefit mountain sheep in British Columbia.

The draw allows the successful applicant to take one mountain sheep in excess of the regular bag limit during a special extended hunting period and will be valid during the limited entry hunting and general open hunting season for sheep.  If the species of choice is Bighorn Sheep, the opportunity to hunt will be extended until December 20, approximately one month past the end of the latest sheep hunting season date.  If the species of choice is a Thinhorn Sheep, the opportunity to hunt will be open earlier by 21 days prior to the opening of the regular sheep hunting season and will close on March 31.

The Special Mountain Sheep Resident Draw is valid for any male sheep. The successful resident is required to hold a valid resident hunting licence, a mountain sheep species licence and the Special Mountain Sheep authorization while hunting under the Special Mountain Sheep authorization.  While the Special Mountain Sheep authorization allows the successful application to harvest 2 sheep in the licence year, the hunter may only hold one uncancelled sheep species licence at one time.

The Special Mountain Sheep Resident Draw applications are available through Service BC Offices and vendors.

Watch for the 2014 Limited Entry Hunting synopsis for details on the 2014 Special Mountain Sheep draw.