Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

2016 Big Game Draw closing earlier for hunters

May 21, 2016 | 6:00 AM

Hunter’s voices were heard and this year it’s an early close to the Big Game Draw for the 2016 provincial hunting season.

“Hunters have been asking us for a number of years to see if we couldn’t get the draw results out earlier so they can plan for holidays and such,” Provincial Wildlife manager Chuck Lees said.

This year the draw closes at midnight on May 25, which is seven days earlier than the deadline last year.

“With an earlier draw date and some more efficiencies in the process we can get draw results earlier, as early as the middle of June now. We want to make sure all hunters know the earlier draw date so nobody misses out on the opportunity,” Lees said.

This year’s draw includes licences for elk, moose, either-sex mule deer, antlerless mule deer and pronghorn.

Lees said they plan to have the draw results available through Hunting & Angling Licence accounts by June 15, with the exception of pronghorn which will come out in the second week of July. The later date is because ministry staff need to do surveys to determine if the pronghorn quotas are where they should be.

The quotas are similar to 2015, with more opportunities for moose and elk in the southern part of the province and a slight increase in mule deer across the province.

Lees added the draw is important to control how many animals are hunted and who exactly can hunt them.

“There’s actually more demand for the hunting opportunity than there are animals to harvest,” Lees said. “We use the Big Game Draw to distribute that hunting opportunity.”

Those selected in the draw will be available to purchase their licences beginning on August 1.

 

mkelly@jpbg.ca