Mountain Hunter - Winter 2026: Ultimate Cougar Chase, Skinner Creek Lynx Hunt, GOABC 60th Year Auction Preview, Best Practices For Ethical Hunting Adventures, Top Conservation Partners & More!

The Winter 2026 issue of Mountain Hunter launches GOABC’s year-long 60th anniversary commemorative series, honouring the deep roots, evolution, and enduring traditions of British Columbia’s guide outfitting community. This special issue blends history, adventure, and reflection, offering readers a rich mix of storytelling, conservation insights, and heritage celebration.

At the heart of the issue is the feature story “Our Evolution & 60 Facts or Legends About GOABC” by GOABC Historian Jennifer Johnson — a retrospective journey from the early Western Guidelines newsletter of 1970 to today’s full-colour magazine. The spread includes “60 Things You Might Not Know About GOABC,” drawn from both archives and campfire lore, inviting readers to guess which are fact and which are legend.

The issue also features three major adventure pieces:

“On the Edge: The Ultimate Cougar Chase” by Sheldon Y. Freeberg — an intense winter pursuit of a remarkable tom in rugged BC terrain (pp. 30–34).
“1642 Miles From Home” by Brooke Smith — a personal account of a transformative northern BC hunt, filled with camaraderie, challenge, and unforgettable landscapes (pp. 38–44).
“Skinner Creek Lynx” by Gene Fleming - celebrates resilience, family, and the joy of the chase, even when things don’t quite go according to plan. (p. 48-51).
 
Additional highlights include:

A heritage Fair Chase Kitchen recipe: a revived and modernized classic chili (pp. 18-19).
GOABC’s 60th Year Auction Preview, showcasing premier British Columbia hunt opportunities available at the 2026 convention (pp. 53–60).
GOABC President’s Corner, News & Views, and our Outfitter Directory, providing updates and resources from across the industry.
Calls for reader participation in GOABC’s 60th Anniversary Photo Contest and Best Memory submissions. (p. 2).

With a retro-inspired cover featuring Brooke Smith and a design aesthetic that nods to the magazine’s origins, this commemorative issue blends nostalgia with forward momentum. It reflects GOABC’s values — professionalism, integrity, passion, and family — while inviting readers to help shape the next chapter of the outfitting story