BC CORE Exam Practice Test 2026: Practice test 3

Practice test 3 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 field carry gives you the best control and lets you raise the firearm quickly?
- The two-hand (ready) carry
- The shoulder carry, muzzle behind
- The sling carry, on the back
- The trail carry, in one hand
Show answer
Answer: A. The two-hand (ready) carry
In the two-hand carry, both hands hold the firearm with the muzzle up and ahead, so you control it fully.
Question 2 of 25
Why is cotton a poor choice for cold-weather hunting clothing?
- Cotton clothing is not allowed by law
- Cotton is too bright and scares game
- Cotton is too heavy and stiff even when it is dry
- Cotton holds water and loses its warmth when wet
Show answer
Answer: D. Cotton holds water and loses its warmth when wet
Wool and synthetic fabrics keep more warmth when damp.
Question 3 of 25
Many hunting licences include a wildlife habitat stamp or certificate. What does it help pay for?
- Hunting trips for conservation officers
- Repairs to hunters' firearms
- Conservation of wildlife habitat
- Road repairs in rural areas
Show answer
Answer: C. Conservation of wildlife habitat
Habitat fees, such as Nova Scotia's Wildlife Habitat Stamp, are a way hunters help pay for conservation.
Question 4 of 25
What is "carrying capacity"?
- The number of hunters allowed in an area
- The weight a hunter can carry out of the bush
- The number of animals an area can support over time
- The amount of cargo space in a hunting vehicle
Show answer
Answer: C. The number of animals an area can support over time
When a population grows past carrying capacity, habitat is damaged and animals starve or get sick.
Question 5 of 25
What is "biological surplus"?
- Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
- Meat that is left over after a successful hunt and is given away to friends and family
- Animals that are kept in zoos and wildlife parks
- Animals that are raised on farms for food
Show answer
Answer: A. Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
Many of these animals would die naturally. Regulated hunting can take part of this surplus.
Question 6 of 25
What does "fair chase" mean?
- Giving the animal a head start before you shoot
- Hunting without an unfair or improper advantage over the animal
- Chasing animals with a vehicle until they get too tired to run any farther
- Shooting animals only when they are running
Show answer
Answer: B. Hunting without an unfair or improper advantage over the animal
Fair chase is a key part of hunter ethics and respect for wildlife.
Question 7 of 25
Three hunters walk in a line, numbered 1, 2 and 3 from left to right. Where may hunter 2, in the middle, shoot?
- Anywhere in front of the line
- Into the zones of hunters 1 and 3 if game crosses
- Only into the zone straight ahead
- Behind the line if game doubles back
Show answer
Answer: C. Only into the zone straight ahead
Each hunter shoots only into their own zone of fire. Hunter 2's zone is straight ahead.
Question 8 of 25
After unloading, how should you get the firearm to the other side of a fence when you are alone?
- Throw it gently over the fence onto soft ground
- Hold it over your head with one hand as you climb
- Lay it on the far side, muzzle pointing away, then cross away from the muzzle
- Lean it against a fence post with the safety on, then climb over right beside it
Show answer
Answer: C. Lay it on the far side, muzzle pointing away, then cross away from the muzzle
Laying the unloaded firearm on the far side, muzzle away, means you are never in front of the muzzle while you cross.
Question 9 of 25
How should you get your firearm or bow up into a tree stand?
- Raise it unloaded with a haul line once you are secure in the stand
- Carry it loaded in one hand so it is ready
- Have a partner on the ground throw it up to you
- Carry it slung on your back while you climb up, so both hands stay free
Show answer
Answer: A. Raise it unloaded with a haul line once you are secure in the stand
Climb with both hands free. Then pull up the unloaded firearm or bow with a haul line.
Question 10 of 25
Before shooting, what must you be sure of about the animal?
- Only that it is big enough to be worth the work of dragging it out of the bush
- Only that no other hunter has seen it first
- Only that it is standing inside an open field
- Its species, and that its sex or antlers are legal for your licence
Show answer
Answer: D. Its species, and that its sex or antlers are legal for your licence
Licences and tags are often for one species, sex or antler type. If you are not sure, do not shoot.
Question 11 of 25
Which feature helps tell a mule deer from a white-tailed deer?
- A mule deer raises a wide, white tail like a flag when it runs away
- Male mule deer never grow antlers
- A mule deer has small, short ears
- A mule deer has a narrow white tail with a black tip
Show answer
Answer: D. A mule deer has a narrow white tail with a black tip
White-tailed deer have a broad tail that is brown on top and white underneath. Mule deer have a thin, black-tipped tail and large ears.
Question 12 of 25
What should you do before using a tree stand each season?
- Nothing, as long as the stand worked well last year and has been left on the same tree
- Paint the whole stand blaze orange so others see it
- Inspect the stand, straps and harness, and make sure the tree is healthy and strong
- Only check that the seat cushion is still comfortable
Show answer
Answer: C. Inspect the stand, straps and harness, and make sure the tree is healthy and strong
Straps and parts wear out over time, and dead or leaning trees can fail. Check everything before you climb.
Question 13 of 25
What is the first step of PROVE, the routine for checking that a firearm is unloaded?
- Look down the bore from the muzzle end
- Point the muzzle in the safest available direction
- Open the action as quickly as you can
- Remove the magazine and put it in your pocket
Show answer
Answer: B. Point the muzzle in the safest available direction
PROVE starts with pointing the muzzle in the safest direction, so nothing bad happens if the firearm fires while you check it.
Question 14 of 25
Is the Canadian Firearms Safety Course the same as provincial hunter education?
- Yes, one replaces the other in every province and territory across Canada
- No, but hunter education is the federal course
- No. They are separate courses, and provinces require their own
- Yes, but only for people who hunt with a bow
Show answer
Answer: C. No. They are separate courses, and provinces require their own
Saskatchewan and Manitoba, for example, say the CFSC does not meet their hunter education requirement.
Question 15 of 25
Which countries signed the Migratory Birds Convention in 1916?
- The United States and Mexico only
- Canada, France, Great Britain and Mexico together
- Canada and Mexico, acting alone
- Great Britain (for Canada) and the United States
Show answer
Answer: D. Great Britain (for Canada) and the United States
The 1916 convention between Great Britain, acting for Canada, and the United States protects birds that migrate across the border.
Question 16 of 25
In Canada, who manages most wildlife, such as deer, moose and bears?
- Provincial and territorial governments
- Municipal and town councils
- Private hunting clubs and outfitters in each region
- The United Nations
Show answer
Answer: A. Provincial and territorial governments
Each province and territory sets its own hunting laws, seasons and licences for most wildlife.
Question 17 of 25
Before hunting on private land, what should you do?
- Park out of sight of the house
- Only call a conservation officer
- Get permission from the owner or occupant
- Nothing, as long as the land has no signs posted on it
Show answer
Answer: C. Get permission from the owner or occupant
You need the owner's or occupant's consent. In Alberta, occupied land is protected even without signs.
Question 18 of 25
In the PROVE routine, what does the "E" stand for?
- Examine the bore for obstructions
- Empty your pockets of loose cartridges
- Exit the vehicle before loading
- Eject the scope from its mounts
Show answer
Answer: A. Examine the bore for obstructions
The last PROVE step is to check that the barrel is clear. A blocked barrel can burst when fired.
Question 19 of 25
In which member of the deer family can both males and females grow antlers?
- Elk
- White-tailed deer
- Caribou
- Moose
Show answer
Answer: C. Caribou
Caribou are the only North American deer in which females normally grow antlers too.
Question 20 of 25
In the "1-10-1" principle for falling into cold water, what happens in the first minute?
- You stop feeling cold because the body adjusts
- Cold shock: gasping and fast breathing that you must get under control
- You lose consciousness from the cold right away
- You can swim normally for a while, because the body has not cooled down yet
Show answer
Answer: B. Cold shock: gasping and fast breathing that you must get under control
After about 1 minute of cold shock, you have about 10 minutes of useful movement, and about 1 hour before hypothermia causes unconsciousness.
Question 21 of 25
How should the tether from your harness to the tree be set up?
- Short, with little slack, attached above head height
- Attached near your feet, below the platform
- Long, so you can move around the platform freely and stand up to shoot
- Loose, so it hangs below the platform
Show answer
Answer: A. Short, with little slack, attached above head height
A short tether above your head keeps any fall very short, so you can climb back onto the platform.
Question 22 of 25
Why should you never run a fuel-burning heater or stove in a closed tent or blind?
- It can produce deadly carbon monoxide
- Its smell scares away game nearby
- It uses up too much drinking water
- It makes the tent too bright at night
Show answer
Answer: A. It can produce deadly carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide has no colour or smell. Make sure there is good airflow.
Question 23 of 25
What is a widely recognized distress signal?
- Waving one arm above your head
- One long shout every hour, followed by a single flash of light
- Two short flashes of a light
- Three of anything, such as three whistle blasts or three fires
Show answer
Answer: D. Three of anything, such as three whistle blasts or three fires
Signals in threes are widely recognized as a call for help.
Question 24 of 25
When should you be connected to the tree when using a tree stand?
- Only when you stand up to take a shot
- From the moment you leave the ground until you are back on the ground
- Only while sitting on the platform, because climbing up and down is the safest part
- Only on windy days, when the tree is moving
Show answer
Answer: B. From the moment you leave the ground until you are back on the ground
Use a lifeline while climbing and a tether while in the stand, so you are protected the whole time.
Question 25 of 25
In the diagram, why is shot 1 safe and shot 2 unsafe?
- Shot 1 is safe only because the hunter is closer to the deer
- Both shots are equally safe because the hunter is kneeling and aiming carefully
- Shot 2 is safe because the house is too far away to reach
- Shot 1 ends in an earth bank; shot 2 is against open sky, with a house hidden beyond the ridge
Show answer
Answer: D. Shot 1 ends in an earth bank; shot 2 is against open sky, with a house hidden beyond the ridge
A safe shot needs a backstop that will stop the bullet. On a ridge, the bullet can travel on to places you cannot see.

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