BC CORE Exam Practice Test 2026: Practice test 2

Practice test 2 of 5 for the BC CORE Exam Practice Test: 25 more questions with answers and explanations.

Hunting
British Columbia
120 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 25
Which of these makes a good backstop for a shot?
- A flat rock face or cliff behind the animal
- Open sky above a wide, flat field
- A hill or earth bank behind the target
- Open water behind the animal
Show answer
Answer: C. A hill or earth bank behind the target
Soft earth safely stops bullets. Water and rock can cause ricochets, and open sky stops nothing.
Question 2 of 25
You pull the trigger and the firearm does not fire. What should you do first?
- Look down the barrel to see what went wrong
- Turn around and show the firearm to your partner
- Keep it pointed in a safe direction and wait before opening the action
- Open the action right away and shake out the cartridge before it can cool down
Show answer
Answer: C. Keep it pointed in a safe direction and wait before opening the action
A cartridge can fire late (a hang fire). Keep the muzzle pointed safely and wait before you carefully unload.
Question 3 of 25
Why must waterfowl hunters use non-toxic shot instead of lead?
- Non-toxic shot costs less than lead shot
- Lead shot left in wetlands can poison birds that swallow it
- Lead shot damages the hull of a boat
- Lead shot is too light to reach birds flying at normal hunting heights
Show answer
Answer: B. Lead shot left in wetlands can poison birds that swallow it
Ducks and geese pick up spent lead pellets while feeding and can die of lead poisoning.
Question 4 of 25
Why should big game be field dressed soon after the kill?
- To attract other animals to the area
- To cool the carcass quickly so the meat does not spoil
- Because the law requires it within one minute of the kill in every province
- To make the animal look better in photos
Show answer
Answer: B. To cool the carcass quickly so the meat does not spoil
Heat and bacteria spoil meat. Remove the organs and let the body heat escape.
Question 5 of 25
What happened to the passenger pigeon, once one of the most common birds in North America?
- It became extinct, mainly from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss
- It became the most common bird in Canadian cities
- It moved south and now lives only in South America
- It nearly died out but was brought back to large numbers by hunters and farmers
Show answer
Answer: A. It became extinct, mainly from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss
The passenger pigeon shows what can happen without hunting laws. It helped lead to modern wildlife protection.
Question 6 of 25
How can hunters help slow the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk and moose?
- Follow carcass movement rules and submit samples for testing when asked
- Ignore sick-looking animals and keep hunting
- Put out extra feed in winter so deer can gather in large, healthy groups
- Move whole carcasses to new areas to spread the risk
Show answer
Answer: A. Follow carcass movement rules and submit samples for testing when asked
CWD is a fatal disease. Rules on carcass movement and testing help agencies track and limit it.
Question 7 of 25
How does a broadhead arrow kill big game?
- By cutting blood vessels and organs, causing heavy bleeding
- By breaking the large bones of the legs
- By a poison that is put on the tip
- By the force of the impact, which stops the heart right away
Show answer
Answer: A. By cutting blood vessels and organs, causing heavy bleeding
Sharp broadheads must hit the vital area to kill quickly by blood loss, so shot placement is very important for bowhunters.
Question 8 of 25
In the ACTS safety rules, what does the "T" stand for?
- Trigger finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard
- Test-fire the firearm at a target before every hunt to check the sights
- Take the safety off as soon as you start walking
- Tell your hunting partner whenever you see game
Show answer
Answer: A. Trigger finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard
Keep your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
Question 9 of 25
You are lost and night is coming in cold, wet weather. What is usually your first priority?
- Finding food to keep your strength up
- Climbing the highest hill
- Walking out in the dark
- Shelter, to stay warm and dry
Show answer
Answer: D. Shelter, to stay warm and dry
Cold and wet can kill in hours. Food can wait for days.
Question 10 of 25
Look at the diagram. Which hunter can other hunters see most easily?
- The hunter in the orange hat and vest (1 and 2)
- Hunter 3, because camouflage shows up well against the trees and bushes
- Both hunters are equally easy to see
- Neither hunter can be seen among the trees
Show answer
Answer: A. The hunter in the orange hat and vest (1 and 2)
Blaze orange stands out against trees and bushes, so other hunters can see you and not mistake you for game.
Question 11 of 25
You hear a noise and see a shape moving in thick brush. What should you do?
- Shoot quickly before the animal has a chance to run off
- Fire a warning shot into the air to make it move
- Do not shoot until you clearly see and identify the animal
- Aim at the sound, since game makes most noises
Show answer
Answer: C. Do not shoot until you clearly see and identify the animal
Never shoot at sound, movement or colour. Many incidents happen when a hunter is mistaken for game.
Question 12 of 25
How should you approach a big game animal that is down?
- From the front, so you can check its head and eyes and see if it is still breathing
- Quickly and directly, with your firearm unloaded
- Run straight to it before it can get up again
- From behind and slightly uphill, watching for movement and ready to shoot again
Show answer
Answer: D. From behind and slightly uphill, watching for movement and ready to shoot again
An animal that is only stunned can get up suddenly. Approach carefully from behind and watch for signs of life.
Question 13 of 25
What does "three points of contact" mean when climbing to a tree stand?
- Use three separate straps to attach the stand firmly to the tree trunk
- Stop and rest three times on the way up the tree
- Climb with three people so someone can catch you
- Two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand, always on the steps
Show answer
Answer: D. Two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand, always on the steps
Keeping three points of contact means you are never holding on by only one hand or one foot.
Question 14 of 25
What is hypothermia?
- A bad sunburn from snow reflecting the sun
- A high fever caused by an infection picked up from drinking creek water
- A drop in body core temperature because the body loses heat too fast
- A type of food poisoning from spoiled meat
Show answer
Answer: C. A drop in body core temperature because the body loses heat too fast
Wind, wet clothing and cold water make the body lose heat fast.
Question 15 of 25
Why should you never "dry-fire" a bow or crossbow (release the string without an arrow or bolt)?
- It wastes arrows
- It only matters for crossbows, not bows
- It makes the string too tight to draw again
- It can break the bow and injure you
Show answer
Answer: D. It can break the bow and injure you
Without an arrow to take the energy, the bow can be damaged or come apart.
Question 16 of 25
The trail carry points the muzzle ahead and down. When is it unsafe?
- When someone is walking in front of you
- When someone is walking behind you on the trail
- When you are walking alone through open fields
- When you are on flat ground
Show answer
Answer: A. When someone is walking in front of you
In the trail carry the muzzle points ahead, so it should not be used when another person is in front of you.
Question 17 of 25
Why should you never shoot at water, ice or a flat rock?
- It is only unsafe at night, when you cannot see
- The bullet or shot can ricochet in an unexpected direction
- The noise carries over water and ice and scares away every animal for miles around
- The splash or chips can damage the barrel
Show answer
Answer: B. The bullet or shot can ricochet in an unexpected direction
Projectiles can bounce off hard or flat surfaces, including water, and travel toward people you cannot see.
Question 18 of 25
Where should you aim for a quick, ethical kill on big game?
- The heart-lung (vital) area
- The head, for an instant kill
- The hindquarters, to stop it running
- The neck, to save the most meat
Show answer
Answer: A. The heart-lung (vital) area
The heart and lungs are a large target, and a hit there kills quickly and wastes little meat.
Question 19 of 25
You fall and are hanging in your harness. Why is it urgent to get help or relieve pressure on your legs?
- The harness straps will slowly loosen and let you slip out of them completely
- Your movement will scare away all the animals nearby
- Hanging still in a harness can quickly cut off blood flow to the legs
- It is not urgent, as long as the harness is holding you
Show answer
Answer: C. Hanging still in a harness can quickly cut off blood flow to the legs
Hanging without moving can become life-threatening (suspension trauma). Use a relief strap to stand, move your legs and call for help.
Question 20 of 25
When shooting a crossbow, where must your fingers and thumb be?
- Resting on the string to feel it
- Wrapped over the rail to steady it
- Below the rail, out of the path of the string
- In front of the bolt to guide it
Show answer
Answer: C. Below the rail, out of the path of the string
A crossbow string moves with great force and can badly injure fingers in its path.
Question 21 of 25
What does the mechanical safety on a firearm do?
- It unloads the chamber when you switch it on
- It blocks part of the firing mechanism, but it can fail
- It locks the action closed so it can be stored loaded
- It makes the firearm completely impossible to fire by accident
Show answer
Answer: B. It blocks part of the firing mechanism, but it can fail
A safety is a mechanical device that can wear out or break. It never replaces safe muzzle control.
Question 22 of 25
How is regulated hunting used as a wildlife management tool?
- It helps keep populations within what the habitat can support
- It is used to wipe out species that are too common
- It replaces the need to protect any habitat
- It is used to remove every predator, such as wolves and bears, from an area
Show answer
Answer: A. It helps keep populations within what the habitat can support
Seasons, bag limits and quotas are set so hunting takes part of the population each year without harming it.
Question 23 of 25
Is it acceptable to let the edible meat of big game spoil?
- Yes, if the animal is a small one
- Yes, as long as you keep the antlers and the hide for yourself
- No. Wasting edible meat is illegal and unethical
- Yes, once the hunting season has ended
Show answer
Answer: C. No. Wasting edible meat is illegal and unethical
Provinces such as Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba ban abandoning or wasting the edible flesh of big game.
Question 24 of 25
Why should you avoid shots at running animals or at very long range?
- They damage the barrel and wear out the firearm
- They are only a problem when other hunters are near
- They are much more likely to wound the animal instead of killing it quickly
- They are against the law in every province and can cost you your licence for life
Show answer
Answer: C. They are much more likely to wound the animal instead of killing it quickly
Ethical hunters only take shots they are confident will hit the vital area.
Question 25 of 25
In Canada, where are the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples, including hunting rights, recognized and affirmed?
- Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982
- Each provincial hunting regulation summary
- The Migratory Birds Convention
- The Criminal Code
Show answer
Answer: A. Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982
Section 35 recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal and treaty rights. BC's CORE exam includes a section on Indigenous peoples and hunting.

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