With files from Rebecca Kelli, MyCaribooNow.com

The Provincial government is currently assessing if there will be any restrictions on the Cariboo region’s hunting season due to devastating wildfires.

“I actually have heard from a couple of hunters just asking if there is going to be a hunting season and all I can tell them is I don’t know. It will be a decision that will be made by the Ministry of Lands, Forests, and Natural Resources,” says Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett.

A Ministry spokesperson confirms that a regional wildlife biologist is paying close attention to the areas and assisting with the assessment. Any changes are expected to be announced next week.

“I think once they do the assessment and they see where the fires are, are they still burning, what is the devastation, and make their decision based on science if it’s the right thing to do, then I would support it,” says Barnett.

The hunting season is scheduled to start in some portions of Region 5 – Cariboo on September 1 with the full season on September 10.