Why LEH Applications Get Rejected in BC
Losing the draw stings. Finding out your application was never entered in the first place is worse, and it happens to hunters every year. The rule is buried in the fine print of the LEH synopsis: if you are ineligible when the draw runs, your application is not entered, and your fee is not refunded. The system does not phone to warn you.
On Ep. 75 of the podcast I told the story of a fly-in caribou hunt on the Spatsizi Plateau, and a shared-hunt group near us whose paperwork was not in order. Paperwork ends hunts. Here is what makes you ineligible, and how to make sure none of it applies to you before the next deadline.
The eligibility stack
To apply for LEH you must be a BC resident with a Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) carrying two active credentials: a BC resident credential and a hunting credential, the one you earned by completing CORE or equivalent hunter safety training. Both need to be active at the moment you apply. One housekeeping rule that trips up more people than it should: an individual may only have one FWID. If you have somehow ended up with two profiles, get it sorted with FrontCounter BC before draw season.
The four disqualifiers
The synopsis is blunt about who cannot apply for or be issued an LEH authorization:
- You are suspended
- Your hunting licence or a credential has been revoked or cancelled
- You have overdue reports or royalties
- You have unpaid fines under the Wildlife Act or the Firearms Act
Applications submitted by hunters who become ineligible are not entered in the draw, and no refund is issued.
The sneaky one: the Mandatory Hunter Report
The disqualifier that catches otherwise careful hunters is the overdue report. If you held a moose, elk, or caribou species licence, you are required to submit a Mandatory Hunter Report by March 31. The requirement attaches to the licence, not the harvest: if you bought the species licence, the report is due, filled tag or not. Skip it, and your next LEH application can quietly die on an eligibility check.
The resident credential clock
Resident hunters must prove BC residency every three years, and a valid BC resident credential is required at the moment you submit an LEH application. If it has expired, you are ineligible to apply until you renew it. The one piece of good news: if your credential expires after you apply, while your application is awaiting the draw, it does not affect your result. And new this cycle, logging in to WILD with a BC Services Card Account can automatically renew your resident credential if you are eligible.
Two more rules worth knowing
You may only enter one application per species per draw, and species means the animal, not the class: bull moose and antlerless moose are the same species for application purposes. And if you were drawn for mountain sheep in an earlier draw, you cannot apply for a second mountain sheep hunt occurring in the same licence year.
The pre-application check
Ten minutes in your WILD profile at gov.bc.ca/WILD settles it.
- Resident credential: active today, and not expiring before you apply
- Hunting credential: active
- Reports: no outstanding Mandatory Hunter Reports
- Fines and royalties: nothing owing
Do this before the spring draw closes. Applications for early Skeena mountain sheep and Haida Gwaii black bear are due by 11:59 PM on Thursday, February 4, 2027, and the next main draw follows in spring.
Everything in this post comes from the 2026 to 2027 LEH Regulations Synopsis and our conversations with the Wildlife Branch. When the details matter, read the synopsis.
The details are the hunt
Whether you hunt on a draw or a general open season, the details are where hunts go sideways. Silvercore Club membership includes $5 million in third-party liability coverage through Lloyd's of London for $59 a year, plus The Outpost, our member-only podcast where this kind of thing gets talked about plainly, deadlines included. It keeps you sharp and has your back.
Continue on the Silvercore Path
Start with the full picture: our Guide to Limited Entry Hunting in British Columbia.
Curious what your chances really are? Read BC LEH Draw Odds: How the System Really Works.
New to hunting in BC? Start with our BC CORE Hunter Education course.
FAQ
Q: Why was my LEH application not entered in the draw? A: The most common reasons are an expired BC resident credential, an outstanding Mandatory Hunter Report, unpaid fines under the Wildlife Act or Firearms Act, or a suspension. Ineligible applications are not entered and the fee is not refunded.
Q: Do I get my LEH fee back if I was ineligible? A: No. The $6.30 application fee is non-refundable, including when the application is not entered because of ineligibility.
Q: When is the Mandatory Hunter Report due? A: March 31. Everyone who held a moose, elk, or caribou species licence must file, whether or not they harvested.
Q: What if my resident credential expires after I apply? A: Nothing. A valid resident credential is required at the time you apply, but if it expires while your application is awaiting the draw, your result is not affected.
