The seasons in the Okanagan for birds are long, with several species having more than one season open during the year. Bag limits are high, and chances of success for bird hunters are very good indeed. Whether you are out after migratory birds or upland game birds, to exercise your terrier, your lab, or your spaniel, you will find the species best suited to your needs. Keep in mind that if you are from out of province, you will need a good guide who is familiar with all the regulations and zones involved in bird hunting in the area, as well as federal laws governing firearms usage. Let’s take a look at the different species birders can expect to find, all within a region that includes three major lake systems, three important cities, with only a three hour drive from the border with the United States to its northern tip.

Grouse: There are three species of grouse which can be hunted in the Okanagan region. The blue grouse is the largest species that can be found in North America. The spruce is a brightly covered bird that can be found in many different kinds of forest, while the ruffed is commonly known as the “fool bird” as it tends to depend on camouflage for cover, making it easy to shoot. The ruffed is the most sought after game bird in North America, and also the most wide-spread. All three species can be found in the same management units in the Okanagan, with an open season throughout the region from September 10 to November 30. There is also a special bow-only season from Dec. 1 to the 10^th.

Partridge: Partridge have also enjoyed great success in the Okanagan, although they are an introduced species. The Chukar is more populous than the Hungarian species, although both have a season that runs from the first of October to the 30^th of November. Chukars can only be hunted in the southern portion of the region, while the Hungarian variety can be taken in several more areas to the north.

Pheasant: Like many other game birds, the pheasants have benefited from the dry winters that have been part of the British Columbian environment for the last ten years. As an introduced species, pheasant are not naturally given to population growth within areas where there is heavy snowfall, as they feed exclusively on the ground. With the lack of heavy snow in the past decade, pheasant numbers have jumped in many regions, and the Okanagan is certainly one of them. If, however, this winter includes heavy snowfall that stays, many pheasants will die off due to lack of forage, and this may change the open seasons. For now, cock pheasants can be taken in most of the Okanagan MUs from October 1^st to November 30^th.

Quail: Quail have always been successful in the grassland areas and the deciduous forest of the Okanagan region. They are especially populous around the big lakes of the Okanagan, Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake. The season runs from the beginning of October to the end of November, and the large numbers available mean that this bird has the highest bag limit of any upland bird species, with a daily limit of ten and a possession limit of thirty.

Turkey: Turkey have migrated northward in the Okanagan from their historical range in the United States. As a result, the turkey season is in full swing for two periods in some MUs of the Okanagan region. The southern management units have two seasons, a fall season on any turkey in the southern MUs around Penticton and Osoyoos which runs from the 1^st of October to the 30^th of November, and a spring season on toms from the 15^th of April to the 15^th of May. The spring season is also open for turkeys in MUs ranging north in a straight line from these two, around the cities of Vernon, Enderby, and Armstrong.

Mourning Doves: The open season on mourning doves runs in all management units in the Okanagan throughout the month of September.

Ducks: There are about a dozen species of ducks available in the Okanagan region, but hunters need to pay attention to the limits placed on Harlequin, Pintails, Canvasbacks, and Goldeneyes. Aside from these four species, the bag limit daily for ducks is eight, with sixteen the possession limit. The season on ducks in the Okanagan includes all of the region’s MUs, and runs from the 12^th of September to Christmas Day.

Geese: If you are in the mood for a Christmas goose, then you are in luck when you plan a trip to the Okanagan. The season on White fronted, snow, and Ross’ Geese ends on Christmas Day, after opening on September 12^th. The season is open in all MUs.

Canada geese have exploded in numbers throughout the country, and the Okanagan is especially impacted by the large flocks of birds. As a result, you can hunt Canada geese most of the year in the region. There are three distinct seasons: September 20^th to November 28^th, December 20^th to January 5^th, and February 21^st to March 10^th. Every management unit has these seasons on Canada geese. A hunter may have five geese of all species in one day, or ten in possession.

All kinds of birders will be thrilled at the many opportunities the Okanagan region of British Columbia has to offer. With dozens of species to choose from in a variety of different geographic zones, no hunter will be disappointed in the experience this region has to offer.