If you want to go hunting, you’ll need some know-how and a hunting licence.
If you’re a British Columbia resident who hasn’t had a licence before, you’ll have to take a Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) class or obtain the CORE manual to do the self-study method.
The course teaches firearms and wildlife safety, as well as a variety of skills useful to hunters and outdoorsmen. It’s mandatory for obtaining a hunting licence.
Successful completion of the course and two examinations are necessary to obtain a B.C. resident hunting number card and a first B.C. hunting licence.
On behalf of the Ministry of Environment, the BC Wildlife Federation is responsible for CORE program administration and you’ll have to contact the BCWF for a study manual. This can be done on its website at www.bcwf.net and the cost for a manual is $16.50 and $13 shipping for non BCWF members, or $14.50 plus $13 shipping for members.
The manuals can also be purchased in some sporting goods stores.
A helpful online supplement for exam preparation is the Hunter Education Internet course, which is located at www.ihea.com. It features a practice quiz, which may be helpful in studying for the exam.
CORE courses and exams are conducted by certified examiners. Several can be found in the South Cariboo and their contact information is listed on the BCWF website.
The exam is two-part with a written component that involves 75 multiple-choice questions based on the CORE Manual and the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis. A score of 56 is required to pass the test.
The practical component requires the safe handling of two out of five types of firearms actions, including identification and loading/unloading of dummy ammunition. A score of 21 out of 27 is required to pass this test.
There is a $10 fee for testing of each component and a $30 fee for the graduate certificate.
Vince Forsberg of Lone Butte has been teaching the course since 1969 and is one of the original instructors who taught when it was still known as the Hunter Training Program.
“People have always needed to take a test to get a hunting licence, and in the old days, it was really hard. You even had to write a paragraph, but these days it’s all multiple choices.”
He generally holds one course a year during late winter when people have extra time on their hands. It’s done in his home over the course of three weekends with class-time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. Testing is done on a fourth weekend and cost for the entire package is $75.
Forsberg says the course material is invaluable for those new to hunting and notes that being able to identify different species of deer and other animals is paramount.
“You need to be able to identify your target, whether it’s a white tailed deer or a mule deer, and the different varieties of sheep. A person has to understand antlers and terms associated with them.”
Many other aspects, such as safety and survival in the outdoors and the actions associated with firearms and different ammunition are also covered.
Forsberg adds hunting is not only a man’s domain. He says a growing interest in the health benefits of eating wild meat and in sharing a common hobby with their partner is drawing greater numbers of women to his classes.
“I’m seeing more and more females every year. There’s a huge interest with the ladies.”
