Limited Entry Hunting in British Columbia

The 2026 Fall Limited Entry Hunting draw has been run and results are out. Log in to WILD to check yours. Then come back here for what to do next, whether you were drawn or not.

This is the working hunter's guide to LEH in BC. What it is, how to check your results, what an authorization commits you to, and how to set yourself up for the next draw. If you're brand new and planning ahead, start with the FWID section below. It is the one piece you cannot rush later.

What is Limited Entry Hunting in BC?

Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) is BC's draw system for species and zones where a general open season would result in over-harvest. You submit an application by the annual deadline. The province draws authorizations at random. If you're drawn, you can hunt the species, zone, and season your authorization covers. If you're not drawn, you can apply again next year, and the system balances over time: successful applicants have their chances reduced in subsequent draws to improve the odds for those who have been unsuccessful.

Species available under LEH include bison, black bear, caribou, elk, moose, mountain goat, mountain sheep, deer, and turkey. Availability depends on management unit and year. Many of these species are also available through General Open Season (GOS), which does not require a draw.

LEH is the only legal path to hunt certain species in certain places. Read the synopsis for your target before you hunt it.

How do I check my 2026 LEH results?

The 2026 Fall LEH draw has been run. Check your results by logging in to WILD, or in person at FrontCounter BC, Service BC, or a participating licence vendor.

Draw winners with an email address on their FWID profile are notified by email, and results are not mailed. Do not treat a quiet inbox as an answer either way. If your email on file is stale or the message went to junk, you could be sitting on an authorization without knowing it. Log in and confirm.

If you were drawn, the authorization itself comes at no additional cost, but it is not a licence. You still need to buy your hunting licence and the appropriate species licence before you hunt.

Application fees are non-refundable, including for unsuccessful applications. That is the price of the ticket.

Where is the 2026 BC LEH Synopsis?

The official 2026 to 2027 Limited Entry Hunting Regulations Synopsis is published by the BC Wildlife Branch and posted at gov.bc.ca/hunting. The synopsis is the authoritative source for available hunts, management units, season dates, and species-specific rules for this draw. Read it before you hunt, not after.

The companion document is the 2026 to 2028 BC Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis, which covers everything outside LEH including general open seasons, bag limits, and compulsory inspection requirements. Both documents are free PDFs at the gov.bc.ca hunting page.

The synopsis is updated annually. Anything you read on third-party sites, including this one, should be cross-checked against the current synopsis for your specific hunt.

How do I log in to WILD?

LEH applications, results, and your authorizations all live in the WILD (Wildlife Information & Licensing Database) system at gov.bc.ca/hunting.

You have two login options for 2026. The first is your WILD username and password, the legacy method that still works for everyone. The second is your BC Services Card Account, new for 2026, and the one I'd recommend. If you're a BC resident, this option will auto-renew or grant your BC resident credential on your FWID when eligible. One fewer thing to scramble on before you can apply.

If you're locked out of WILD or have not logged in for a few years, recover your account now, while nothing is on fire. Service BC and FrontCounter BC offices can help if the online recovery fails.

For the next draw, expect the same rhythm: applications open in spring with an early-summer deadline, you can rank up to four hunt choices in order of preference, and you can apply as a group of up to four hunters with a Group ID. Exact dates are set by the Wildlife Branch each year and published at gov.bc.ca/hunting.

What is an FWID and how do I get one?

A Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) is the personal identification number BC issues to track everything you do as a hunter or angler in this province. You cannot apply for LEH without one. You cannot buy a hunting licence without one.

To obtain an FWID you need to either complete the CORE Hunter Education program or, if you already hold a valid Canadian Firearms Safety Course report, complete the CORE written exam through a certified examiner (the practical handling test may be waived with proof of CFSC completion).

The CORE program is administered by the BC Wildlife Federation on behalf of the province. The online CORE course is delivered through Silvercore in partnership with the BCWF, and it includes the mandatory $30 student graduation certificate required to receive your FWID. You can take the online CORE course here. Once you have your graduation certificate, request your FWID through Service BC, FrontCounter BC, or online.

Once your FWID is active and your hunting credential is on file, you can log in to WILD with either your WILD account or your BC Services Card Account.

What changed for the 2026 LEH draw?

Two changes worth knowing.

The first is the BC Services Card login to WILD. New for 2026, you can log in to WILD with your BC Services Card Account in addition to your legacy WILD username. If you're a BC resident, this also auto-renews or grants your BC resident credential on your FWID when eligible, eliminating one of the most common pre-deadline scrambles.

The second is the refreshed 2026 to 2027 LEH Synopsis. The regulations synopsis covering this draw is the 2026 to 2027 edition. Hunts, zones, and quotas have changed in places. Do not rely on prior-year memory. Pull the current synopsis from gov.bc.ca and check your specific MU.

For the broader regulatory picture, the 2026 to 2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis remains in effect through June 30, 2028. Check both documents for compulsory inspection requirements and species-specific rules.

You got drawn for LEH. What do you actually need?

If you're new to a drawn hunt, the next 60 days are different from a general open season. You're committed to a specific area, a specific season, and a specific species. Logistics matter more, mistakes cost more, and the gear and coverage you arrive with shape the outcome.

First, the paperwork. Your authorization is not a licence. Before you hunt, you need your current BC hunting licence and the species licence for your draw. Buy both before the season, not at the trailhead.

If your drawn hunt sits in the Kootenay CWD management zone (Management Units 4-1 to 4-8 and 4-20 to 4-25), mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease testing applies: any deer, elk, or moose harvested there must be submitted for CWD testing within one week, at a designated drop-off location in the zone, as a condition of your hunting licence. Build the drop-off into your exit plan.

If you drew a shared hunt, you are required to carry the paper Record of Harvest form while hunting. It is printed on the bottom of your shared LEH authorization, available through your WILD profile or from a Service BC or FrontCounter BC office. Print it before you leave cell coverage.

A few things to handle early, not late.

Liability insurance. If your drawn hunt is anywhere in the Fraser Valley Special Licence Hunting Area (Management Units 2-4 and 2-8), you are legally required to carry at least $1 million in third-party liability insurance for hunting. Many hunters do not have this until they're already in the field. The Silvercore Club exceeds the FVSLHA requirement with $5 million in third-party liability coverage through Lloyd's of London, valid across North America. Membership is $59 per year. If you're drawn in the Fraser Valley, this is the simplest path to compliance.

Authorization to Transport. If any part of your hunt involves a restricted firearm, you need an active ATT, which requires gun club membership. The Silvercore Club is RCMP-approved for ATT issuance and renewal and has been since 2007.

Gear without paying retail. Club members get standing discounts on Tangent Theta (10 percent), SAI Optics (15 percent), Tenebraex (20 percent), and other partner brands across optics, knives, and outdoor essentials. If you're buying a scope for the hunt, the discount on a single Tangent Theta covers the membership several times over.

Information and community. The Outpost is the member-only podcast for Silvercore Club members. Hunting-specific content, guests with field experience, and material that doesn't appear on the public feed.

The honest version: you do not need a Club to hunt. Plenty of people hunt without one. But if you've been drawn, the math on insurance alone makes the membership a $59 decision rather than a five-figure problem if something goes wrong. Most of our LEH-drawn members tell us the same thing.

Join the Silvercore Club.

What if you weren't drawn?

First, the draw math is designed to come back around. Hunters who were drawn have their chances reduced in subsequent draws to improve the odds for those who were not, so an unsuccessful year is not wasted. Apply again next cycle.

Second, LEH is not the only season. Many of the same species have General Open Seasons in other management units, no draw required. Pull the 2026 to 2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis and look at what GOS opportunities fit your fall. Plenty of good hunts never touch the draw system.

Continue on the Silvercore Path

New to hunting in BC? Start with our BC CORE Hunter Education course.

Do not have your PAL yet? See How to Get Your PAL in Canada.

Want to hear hunters talk LEH strategy? Listen to Silvercore Podcast Ep. 75: BC LEH Masterclass.

Already a member? Log in to pull your insurance letter for your hunt.