Trappers and hunters

Overview

Trappers and hunters trap and hunt wild animals for pelts or live sale. They are usually self-employed and work on a seasonal basis.

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Set traps with bait and position traps along trails

  • Operate boats or snowmobiles or travel on foot, snowshoes or skis to patrol trapline or to reach hunting areas

  • Pursue animals by observing and recognizing tracks, trails, animal droppings or broken foliage

  • Remove catch and reset traps and snares

  • Kill and skin catch for pelts, and treat and pack pelts for marketing or for transport to public auctions

  • Kill wild animals using firearms or other weapons

  • Trap live animals for sale to buyers or for relocation purposes

  • Maintain and repair trapping and hunting equipment

  • Maintain trails and access to trapping lines or hunting regions

  • Trap designated animals for bounty or other control programs

  • May train dogs for hunting

  • May monitor animal population in the trapping or hunting regions to ensure future sustainability.

Job titles

  • beaver trapper
  • fur trapper
  • game trapper
  • hunter
  • land-based seal hunter
  • land-based sealer

Employment prospects

Source: BC Labour Market Outlook 2024 edition

Annual salary

Low

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Median

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High

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Job openings

Use this interactive map to explore job openings in different regions across B.C.

British Columbia

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expected job openings (5-year forecast)

Education and training

Employment requirements

  • Completion of trapping or hunting courses may be required in some provinces.

  • A provincial trapping or hunting licence is required.

Additional information

  • In some jurisdictions, trappers may be allocated trapping areas based on their experience.

  • Trappers and hunters may specialize in trapping or hunting a particular kind of animal.

Certification requirements

Mandatory: You need the following certifications to practice as Trappers and hunters in B.C.

  • Trapping Licence
  • Hunting Licence

Trapping Licence

To practice as a trapper in B.C., you must have a Trapping Licence issued by the province of British Columbia. Eligibility is achieved by being a Canadian citizen and completing the B.C. Trapper Education course.

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Hunting Licence

To practice as a hunter in B.C., you must have a Hunting Licence issued by the province of British Columbia.

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Post-secondary programs in B.C.

No programs available in B.C.

There are currently no programs offered at public post-secondary institutions in B.C. that will qualify you for this career. Please see the B.C. Government website for other options.

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