Units Region 4 Kootenay MU 4-7
MU 4-7 hunting seasons · Kootenay, BC
Management Unit 4-7 is in Region 4 (Kootenay), about 2,016 km², around Nelson, Harrop, Mountain Station, Procter and Sunshine Bay.
20 general open seasons in the synopsis cover MU 4-7: Mule deer, White-tailed deer, Moose, Elk, Black bear, Cougar, Wolf, Grouse.
Parks inside the unit include Drewry Point Park, Kootenay Lake Park and West Arm 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 | ||
| Either Sex | Nov 1 – Nov 30 | Youth hunters only | ||
| Either Sex | Dec 1 – Dec 20 | Bow only | ||
| Moose | Spike-fork Bulls | Sep 1 – Sep 19 | Bow only | Bull meets the spike-fork definition Mandatory hunter report by March 31 Antlers must accompany the species licence |
| Spike-fork Bulls | Sep 20 – 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 – Mar 31 | Any licensed hunter | Bag limit 2. 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 1 – Jun 15 | Any licensed hunter | Bag limit: no bag limit (NBL). 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 4-7
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.