When it comes to planning a successful hunt, there’s no substitute for up-to-date insider information to help point you in the right direction. So here are the latest game trends, hot spots and regulation changes in Thompson Region as well as the rest of the province.

As for actually filling your freezer, though, the rest is up to you. Happy hunting.

DEER: This should be a banner year across most of the province—thanks to several mild winters and conservative harvest regimes. Whitetails, in particular, have increased in numbers and distribution. In the Kootenay, Omineca and Skeena regions, more permits are available. Mule deer hunters can also expect more animals, although there may be fewer mature bucks in the Peace region than previous years (bowhunters will nonetheless have more opportunities). On Vancouver Island, black-tailed deer hunters will be happy to find populations recovering following a drop in the 1990s due mostly to predation.

ELK: Mild winter weather has contributed to generally increasing or stable populations across most of the elk habitat. On Vancouver Island, expanding Roosevelt elk numbers have resulted in two new areas being opened up. In the Peace region, the Fort Nelson area herds will offer good opportunities, and populations are thriving throughout the Kootenays, with new antlerless draws available at low elevations. In the Okanagan region, the Princeton and Grand Forks herds saw the best harvest success ever in 2005, making expectations high for this year.

On the rise: B.C.’s elk population is looking up   A CLOSER LOOK: B.C. MOUNTAIN GOATS The first extensive mountain goat survey in B.C.’s Okanagan region in more than 20 years has revealed a more drastic population decline than expected. The number of mountain goats now sits between 220 and 300, down from 560 in 1984. Biologists have not pinpointed the reason for the decline, but say hunting is a factor. A complete closure of the area’s mountain goat hunt was considered, but officials opted instead to issue fewer outfitter and individual hunting permits while biologists figure out the cause for the decline. Province-wide, the mountain goat population totals 35,000, with most of the animals inhabiting the Skeena region.

MOOSE: With around 175,000 animals, B.C. remains the greatest producer of trophy-class Canada moose. Top hunting locations are the Cariboo, Omineca, Peace and Skeena regions (there may have been a minor loss of Skeena moose in the late winter due to ticks). The mountain pine beetle infestation in the southern Bulkley Valley area of the Skeena region should benefit moose over the long run by eventually creating new browsing ground. Moose numbers in the Thompson region are up, resulting in extra limited-entry hunt licences. Here, hunters should focus on the Shuswap, Nicola and Bonaparte areas.

UPLAND BIRDS: While grouse numbers remain down overall, last year’s marginal increases are expected to continue. Hunters would do well to focus on Vancouver Island and the Cariboo, Peace and Omineca regions, while blue grouse hunters should enjoy success on the Island and in the Nicola and Fraser River areas. Blue grouse populations are still of concern in the southern interior. For chukar hunters, the Thompson and Fraser River breaks are the best bets.

WATERFOWL: In the early fall, focus on the low-lying wetlands of Regions 3, 4, 5 and 8, and the medium and large wetlands of Regions 5, 6 and 7. For late-fall and winter hunting, coastal areas and estuaries of the Strait of Georgia (parts of Regions 1 and 2) are hot spots. Waterfowl surveys in the B.C. Interior show dabbler and diving duck numbers are up an average of 40 per cent this year, or 18 per cent above the long-term average between 1988 and 2005. Canada goose numbers are four per cent higher, meanwhile, but 90 per cent below the long-term average. The fall flight is expected to be average to above-average.

OTHER: California bighorn sheep populations continue to struggle in the Fraser River area, largely due to disease affecting lamb recruitment. In the Okanagan, recent fires have improved sheep range; as a result, new transplants are planned for the region. Mountain goat numbers appear to have decreased significantly in the north Thompson region, and surveys are underway to confirm trends. Concerns are similar in the Okanagan, meaning hunters should expect restricted allocations and seasons (see “A closer look: B.C. mountain goats,” above).

Outdoor Canada 2007