Hunters Guide

BC · topic practice

Animal identification practice questions for British Columbia

By Hunters Guide. Last reviewed September 18, 2026.

These 4 animal identification questions are drawn from the BC CORE Practice Exam. They are original practice items written from published Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education curriculum topics, with an explanation on every answer.

Animal identification questions

  1. 1A cinnamon-coloured bear feeds on a slide. Coat colour tells you nothing. What do you look at instead?

    1. Body size against nearby trees
    2. Shoulder hump, facial profile, ear shape, and front claw length
    3. Whether it runs uphill
    4. The time of day
    Show the answer

    Shoulder hump, facial profile, ear shape, and front claw length

    Black bears range from black through cinnamon to blonde, so colour is the least useful cue on the animal. Structure does not change with coat, and getting this wrong is both an offence and a conservation failure.

  2. 2Why must you identify a bear's sex and whether it has cubs before shooting?

    1. It affects the trophy score
    2. Because taking a female with cubs is an offence and leaves the cubs unlikely to survive
    3. It determines the meat quality
    4. It is only relevant in spring
    Show the answer

    Because taking a female with cubs is an offence and leaves the cubs unlikely to survive

    A sow with cubs is protected, and the cubs rarely survive without her. Watching long enough to be certain is part of the shot decision.

  3. 3How can elk be distinguished from moose at distance?

    1. Elk are darker overall
    2. Elk have a pale rump patch and branched antlers; moose are darker with a long overhanging muzzle, a dewlap, and palmate antlers
    3. Moose are always smaller
    4. Only by track size
    Show the answer

    Elk have a pale rump patch and branched antlers; moose are darker with a long overhanging muzzle, a dewlap, and palmate antlers

    Rump patch, muzzle shape, and antler form are all visible at range. Antlers also disappear seasonally, so body structure matters more than headgear.

  4. 4Why is positive identification required before every shot, even in an open season?

    1. To improve accuracy
    2. Because seasons, sexes, and species are regulated separately, and a mistake is an offence regardless of intent
    3. Only to satisfy the landowner
    4. It is a courtesy, not a requirement
    Show the answer

    Because seasons, sexes, and species are regulated separately, and a mistake is an offence regardless of intent

    Open for one species does not mean open for what is standing there. Good faith is not a defence for shooting the wrong animal.

Ready for the full set? Take the BC CORE Practice Exam.