The black bear general open season hunt on Haida Gwaii is closed and is being replaced by a limited entry hunt, effective immediately, the provincial government said Thursday.
It means hunters seeking black bear will need to obtain authorization through the 2018 limited entry hunting lottery. Applications can be submitted beginning the fourth week in April.
In future years, the limited entry hunt lottery for Haida Gwaii black bears will be conducted in the early spring draw for the April 1 to June 30 and Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 seasons.
"Establishing a limited entry hunt for black bears on Haida Gwaii enables wildlife managers to better control the number of hunters, to ensure that the four-bears-per-year harvest limit is not exceeded in any year," officials said in a bulletin.
The open season hunt had started April 1.
