2024 leh

[Redthies]

So I have been an Alberta resident hunter for about 30 years.
Before that I was a BC resident hunter.
I loved the random draw system. I remember the excitement when the draw results came in the mail, this was before internet.
You never knew what you would draw that year.
You were like a little kid waiting for Santa Claus
Now in Alberta we have a point system, nice but boring. I have 8 priority points for a certain moose draw, I need 10,so 2 more years. Boring.
Give me the BC system any day. Love being unpredictable.

And I put in for 32x before being drawn for anything. I’ll take predictable.

Neither system is perfect, but there are merits to points.

[Darksith]

And I put in for 32x before being drawn for anything. I’ll take predictable.

Neither system is perfect, but there are merits to points.

Well a 30:1 moose hunt which is prett common will leave you waiting another 30 years. I don't know how anyone doesn't get drawn every 5 or 6 years if you really are committed to getting a draw. Most I assume want to hunt their back yard and refuse to travel

[Redthies]

Well a 30:1 moose hunt which is prett common will leave you waiting another 30 years. I don't know how anyone doesn't get drawn every 5 or 6 years if you really are committed to getting a draw. Most I assume want to hunt their back yard and refuse to travel

I typically put in for hunts with very low odds, like the doe draw in Pemberton which has usually been 2:1 or similar. I understand the nature of the odds. Most of the draws I put in for were 5-8 hour drives. Now that I live 5 hours out from my old area, I can put in for draws “in my back yard”, and in fact have taken a very nice sized white tail literally off my front porch. I still put in for out of area hunts though, including a doe draw 4 hours away (in a good friends back yard) and elk in an area I’ve spent a lot of time, but it would be a cold and nasty camp if I draw it.

[Arctic Lake]

Is there any advantage to applying early for your LEH choices ?
If you apply for a hunt right when the LEH comes out
or wait until the last few days is there any difference ?
Arctic Lake

[vincentcui]

Is there any advantage to applying early for your LEH choices ?
If you apply for a hunt right when the LEH comes out
or wait until the last few days is there any difference ?
Arctic Lake

Theoretically no difference, technically huge difference as Spring Bear season also serves the purpose of Moose scouting. Some of my bear spots also hold moose; not a lot, no monster bulls but the draw odd is somewhat reasonable. I tend to put in LEH in June after my bear hunt in May; I would have got some levels of conclusions of the worthiness of moose LEH in those areas.

[BCbillies]

Here are a couple of tiny tweaks that BC could try before even talking about draw changes:

1) If you draw an LEH, you are automatically charged for the tag. There are thousands of successful LEH draws in BC where the hunters don't even buy a tag after drawing. It is optional, after all. It costs less than a beer in most bars. There are countless instances when someone draws a moose and a goat and doesn't even buy the goat tag because they drew the moose. Automatically charging for all successful LEHs will make some think twice and will improve the draw odds of the hunts. This would be most apparent for goats, most likely cutting the draw odds in half.

Would be interesting to see how this would unfold as the Gov't is focused on maintaining a sustainable harvest rate. Would they simply reduce the number of allocations? I'm not sure spending $40 is enough for folks to be motivated enough to get out there and make it happen . . . $200 or $300 for the tag and yes they're likely motivated.

As an example let's use a northern goat LEH area with roughly 60 allocations and 120 hunters applying (2:1 odds). As it is now roughly half (30) of the hunters with success in the LEH draw actually buy a tag and of those with a tag a quarter cut their tags (7). "If" the tag price is high enough and the Gov't kept the allocations at 60 most tag holders would likely put in the effort and hunt with roughly a quarter cutting a tag (15). With the potential of the harvest rate doubling it would be expected that the number of allocations going forward would be reduced from 60 to 30 so not convinced the odds would actually improve. The Gov't would likely adjust (reduce) the allocations to maintain a healthy population and harvest rate.

[high horse Hal]

Seeing recent changes to the hunter survey and how it is now electronic instead of random mail,
Do all successful LEH get a special report to file? Do they all get a regular survey?

I seem to recall having a leh permit a few years ago and not getting surveyed for that species but I may be mis-remembering

[Redthies]

I got a survey after my unsuccessful moose draw this past season. It specifically mentioned the draw, so I don’t think it was just the random one, unless the government actually pays attention to itself?? That can’t be it…

[HarryToolips]

Seeing recent changes to the hunter survey and how it is now electronic instead of random mail,
Do all successful LEH get a special report to file? Do they all get a regular survey?

I seem to recall having a leh permit a few years ago and not getting surveyed for that species but I may be mis-remembering

IIRC, I have always gotten a survey to fill out pertaining to my LEH I have drawn. What they should do is send the surveys to everyone, including FN's, and have everyone declare all their harvest, and have a box to check if you were drawn for an LEH permit or not..

[LBM]

I've been a BC Resident hunter for the last 20 years. 7 years ago, I started applying elsewhere - Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, and Nevada. I've had good success in these places as well - I've drawn 2 elk, 3 mule deer, and 2 antelope, and I have a 100% assurance that I will draw an elk and mule deer next year.


After applying in those other jurisdictions, I have realized that BC's draw system is by far the worst, even when comparing a resident LEH draw to a non-resident draw in other jurisdictions.


BC can't even implement kindergarten-level improvements to our LEH. How can anyone expect them to implement Grade 3 level draw changes?


Here are a couple of tiny tweaks that BC could try before even talking about draw changes:


1) If you draw an LEH, you are automatically charged for the tag. There are thousands of successful LEH draws in BC where the hunters don't even buy a tag after drawing. It is optional, after all. It costs less than a beer in most bars. There are countless instances when someone draws a moose and a goat and doesn't even buy the goat tag because they drew the moose. Automatically charging for all successful LEHs will make some think twice and will improve the draw odds of the hunts. This would be most apparent for goats, most likely cutting the draw odds in half.


2) I can't recall in the last 20 years the price for tags or the LEH draws going up. I know that only a fraction of the LEH and tag fees go to the HCTF and the rest to the government, but with the rampant inflation we've seen in the last 10 years, the real revenue for wildlife MGMT has gone down dramatically.


We will never get there, but the best solution, in my opinion, is a stripped-down version of Wyoming's hybrid draw system for BC. This consists of a percentage of tags being full random (like they are now), while another percentage is points-based. Ignore the regular & special draw stuff they have. If you draw, regardless if its the random or points portion, your points go back to 0. This way, you would have the opportunity for new hunters while also allowing people to make longer-term hunting plans and reduce the free-for-all, apply for everything and get nothing system we have now.


I don't expect BC to implement any of the above. The only thing that will change in BC is that more species and areas will move from GOS to LEH.


I think it speaks to the lack of regard for hunters and hunting in BC when compared to other Western jurisdictions in North America.

In regards to #1 pay up front to start with, when i use to apply for sheep in Nevada it was a $1000 dollars if you didnt draw all was returned but $7 application fee this would weed out alot that apply just because.