Units Region 4 Kootenay MU 4-21

MU 4-21 hunting seasons · Kootenay, BC

Management Unit 4-21 is in Region 4 (Kootenay), about 1,315 km², around Wasa, Fort Steele, Premier Lake and Skookumchuck.

21 general open seasons in the synopsis cover MU 4-21: Mule deer, White-tailed deer, Moose, Elk, Black bear, Cougar, Wolf, Grouse.

Parks inside the unit include Premier Lake Park, Top of the World Park and Wasa Lake Park. Hunting rules in parks differ; Huntable shows each park’s rules where you stand.

General open seasons, 2026–2028

Species	What	Season	Who	Also check
Mule deer	Bucks	Sep 1 – Sep 9	Youth hunters only
	Bucks	Sep 1 – Sep 9	Bow only
	4 Point Bucks	Sep 10 – Nov 10	Any licensed hunter	Buck meets the 4-point definition Antlers must accompany the species licence
White-tailed deer	Bucks	Sep 1 – Sep 9	Youth hunters only
	Bucks	Sep 1 – Sep 9	Bow only
	Bucks	Sep 10 – Nov 30	Any licensed hunter
	Antlerless	Oct 21 – Oct 31	Any licensed hunter
	Either Sex	Nov 1 – Nov 30	Youth hunters only
	Either Sex	Dec 1 – Dec 20	Bow only
Moose	Spike-fork Bulls	Sep 1 – Oct 14	Bow only	Bull meets the spike-fork definition Mandatory hunter report by March 31 Antlers must accompany the species licence
	Spike-fork Bulls	Oct 15 – Oct 31	Any licensed hunter	Bull meets the spike-fork definition Mandatory hunter report by March 31 Antlers must accompany the species licence
Elk	Bulls	Sep 1 – Sep 9	Bow only	Mandatory hunter report by March 31
	6 Point Bulls	Sep 10 – Oct 20	Any licensed hunter	Bull meets the 6-point definition Mandatory hunter report by March 31 Antlers must accompany the species licence
Black bear	Any	Apr 1 – Jun 30	Any licensed hunter
	Any	Aug 1 – Aug 31	Private land only	Restricted to private land only; hunter must obtain permission from landowners prior to access.
	Any	Sep 1 – Sep 9	Bow only
	Any	Sep 10 – Nov 30	Any licensed hunter
Cougar	Any	Sep 10 – Feb 28	Any licensed hunter	Bag limit 1. Not a kitten or a cougar in a kitten's company Compulsory inspection required
Wolf	Any	Jan 1 – Dec 31	Any licensed hunter	Only below 1100 m elevation, and only within (a) the East Kootenay Trench portions of MUs 4-2, 4-3, 4-20 to 4-22, 4-24 to 4-26, 4-34 to 4-37 and 4-40, or (b) MUs 4-4 to 4-7 (no closed season) In those portions of MUs 4-2, 4-3, 4-20 to 4-22, 4-24 to 4-26, 4-34 to 4-37 and 4-40 in the East Kootenay Trench and MUs 4-4 to 4-7, below 1100 m in elevation, there is no closed season. (Read conservatively: the 1100 m limit is applied to the Trench portions too.)
	Any	Sep 10 – Jun 15	Any licensed hunter	Bag limit: 3. In those portions of MUs 4-2, 4-3, 4-20 to 4-22, 4-24 to 4-26, 4-34 to 4-37 and 4-40 in the East Kootenay Trench and MUs 4-4 to 4-7, below 1100 m in elevation, there is no closed season.
Grouse (sooty/dusky, ruffed, spruce)	Any	Sep 1 – Nov 30	Any licensed hunter

Synopsis p. 39

Bag limits in Region 4

Deer: aggregate 2; mule (black-tailed) deer 1; white-tailed 2, one may be antlerless and one may be a buck. One additional deer (either species, antlered or antlerless) may be taken in the Jan 5-31 Cranbrook Deer Hunt (Map D27); provincial limit of 3 deer. Elk 1, moose 1, mountain goat 1, black bear 2 (p. 39). Wolf: no bag limit in MUs 4-5 to 4-8, 4-17, 4-18, 4-20, 4-27 to 4-31, 4-33, 4-37 to 4-40; 3 elsewhere (p. 39). Cougar: 2, except 1 in MUs 4-1 to 4-5, 4-9 to 4-27, 4-32 to 4-37 and 4-40. Grouse (dusky, spruce, ruffed): daily aggregate 5, possession 15. Synopsis p. 37

Region 4 notices

Firearm discharge is prohibited on or within 50 m of either side of the Whiteswan FSR from Inlet Creek Campground to the White River bridge crossing and the Whiteswan FSR/White-Moscow junction to the Moscow/Home Basin Campground junction (about 4.9 km).
No Hunting / No Shooting areas on the regional maps (pp. 40-41, Maps D1-D26) apply, including McDougall Wildlife Sanctuary (4-1), Elizabeth Lake (4-3), Crawford Bay (4-6), Summit Creek and Corn Creek Marsh (4-7), Selkirk (4-7, 4-8), Walter Clough WMA (4-17), Argenta Marsh WMA and Fry Creek (4-19), Skookumchuck Pulp Mill (4-20), Wasa Slough Sanctuary (4-21), Teck Coal Mountain Mine, Hwy 3 and Elk Valley coal mines (4-23), Mount Assiniboine Park, Sunshine Meadows, Fairmont, Windermere, Radium, Columbia Lake and River Sanctuary, Canal Flats shot-only area (4-25, 4-26, 4-35), Edgewater (4-35) and Bergenham/Moberly Marsh (4-36).
Elk Valley coal mine areas (Fording River, Greenhills, Line Creek, Elkview, Coal Mountain; MU 4-23) are on private property and need company permission to enter.
Access permits are required for hunting in the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area.
Snowmobiles may not be used to hunt or transport hunters or wildlife anywhere in the Kootenay Region from Apr 1 - Nov 30; many motor-vehicle and snowmobile closures apply (MU lists p. 37-38, maps at www.gov.bc.ca/kootenayaccess).
In MU 4-22 near Baynes Lake (within DD5116 or DL132, including sand peninsula), motorized use is prohibited all year, and public access is prohibited Apr 15 - Jul 15 except at public beaches #1 and #2 (Map D11). Public access is prohibited beyond 3 m of Sulphur Creek Road in the mineral lick area (MU 4-22, Map D12).
Columbia Wetlands Wildlife Management Area (MUs 4-25, 4-26, 4-34, 4-35): motorized conveyances over 10 hp are prohibited (navigable Columbia River excepted).
It is unlawful to intentionally feed or bait ungulates or turkeys in the Kootenay Region.
CWD Management Zone (MUs 4-1 to 4-8 and 4-20 to 4-25): deer, elk and moose harvested in the zone must be sampled at a designated freezer before leaving it; brain and spinal column may not be transported out of the zone.

Synopsis p. 37

Next to MU 4-21

MU 4-3 MU 4-20 MU 4-22 MU 4-24 MU 4-26

Seasons are from the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis 2026-2028 as transcribed by Huntable. This page is a summary, not legal advice or a licence. It leaves out Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) seasons, area-specific maps and in-season changes: always read the synopsis pages listed and check gov.bc.ca/hunting before you go. Spot a mistake? Tell us.