Wild Life and Fisheries Regulations
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Wild Life and Fisheries Regulations
Species schedules, seasons, bag limits, possession limits, and food-harvest rules issued under the Wild Life and Fisheries Act.
General Rules
These regulations set ordinary seasons and limits for food harvest, recreational harvest, household provision, and conservation management. The Minister may vary a season, area, limit, or method by annual notice where needed for conservation, public safety, treaty performance, or food security.
Where an annual notice, emergency conservation closure, or species recovery order conflicts with the table below, the annual notice or closure governs for that species, area, and season.
- Harvested fish and game may be used for personal, household, family, community, or assisted food use.
- Private sale of personally harvested game meat or food fish is prohibited.
- Sharing, gifting, preparing, or transporting lawfully harvested food for family, elders, neighbours, disabled persons, or persons in need is allowed.
- Wanton waste of edible fish or game is prohibited.
- Indigenous rights, treaty rights, land-claims rights, and protected cultural harvest practices are preserved.
Schedule 1 — Big Game
Moose and caribou access should be administered locally wherever possible. Residents should generally be able to hunt near the communities and regions where they live, subject to conservation limits for the local herd or management area.
| Species | Ordinary Season | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moose | Mid-September to late December, by local management area | 1 animal per local household food-harvest allocation unless varied by annual notice | Local residents should receive practical priority for the area where they live. Sex, age, and area restrictions may be set by annual notice where needed for conservation. |
| Caribou | Opened by local herd and management area notice | By local household food-harvest allocation, quota, or permit | Local residents should have first practical access where the herd can sustain harvest. Herds requiring recovery may be closed or limited until harvest is sustainable. |
| Black Bear | Spring season and autumn season, by area | 1 bear per season unless varied by notice | Sows with cubs are protected. Meat and hide should be used where fit and lawful. |
| Coyote and Wolf | Autumn and winter, or as opened by notice | No ordinary household bag limit unless varied | Pelts may be possessed. Local control may be authorised where livestock, pets, or public safety are affected. |
Local Access Principles
- Big-game allocations should favour food security, local residence, household need, and practical access over distant trophy use.
- Residents should not be forced into distant management areas while sustainable harvest is available near their home community.
- Where demand exceeds sustainable local harvest, the Department may use local draws, household rotations, community quotas, or priority for households without recent success.
- Outfitting, non-resident, and trophy opportunities shall not displace reasonable local food access for residents.
Schedule 2 — Small Game, Upland Birds, and Snaring
| Species | Ordinary Season | Daily Bag | Possession | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowshoe Hare | October to March | 6 | 12 | Snaring is allowed. Snares must be checked at least once every 24 hours. |
| Arctic Hare | Labrador only, October to March | 2 | 4 | Area closures may be issued where local populations are low. |
| Willow Ptarmigan and Rock Ptarmigan | September to March, by area | 6 combined | 12 combined | Extended or reduced Labrador seasons may be set by annual notice. |
| Ruffed Grouse and Spruce Grouse | September to December | 6 combined | 12 combined | Managed as upland game birds. Local closures may protect breeding areas. |
| Porcupine | Open for food harvest unless closed by notice | 2 | 4 | Recognised as emergency and traditional food in rural areas. |
Schedule 3 — Inland Fish, Salmon, and Food Fisheries
| Species or Fishery | Ordinary Season | Daily Limit | Possession Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Ouananiche | Mid-May to early September unless varied by water | 12 fish or 2.25 kg plus 1 fish, whichever is reached first | 24 fish or 4.5 kg plus 1 fish | Special trout management areas may set different dates, size limits, or catch-and-release rules. |
| Arctic Char | By Labrador area notice | 12 fish or 2.25 kg plus 1 fish, whichever is reached first | 24 fish or 4.5 kg plus 1 fish | Local conservation closures may apply. |
| Atlantic Salmon | Scheduled rivers, generally June to September | Catch-and-release unless retention is opened by tag notice | As set by river class and annual notice | River classes, retention tags, fall angling, and closures are set by annual salmon notice. |
| Northern Cod and Groundfish Food Fishery | Periods opened by annual food-fishery notice | 5 groundfish | 10 groundfish | Boat limits, closed areas, and species restrictions may be set by notice. |
| Smelt, Capelin, Mackerel, and Herring | Open when present unless closed by notice | Reasonable household food quantity | Reasonable household food quantity | Commercial sale requires commercial authority. Local spawning closures may apply. |
Schedule 4 — Migratory Game Birds
Migratory birds are governed by the Migratory Birds Convention Act and annual migratory-bird notices. The summary below states ordinary limits where seasons are open.
| Species Group | Ordinary Season | Daily Bag | Possession | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducks, excluding sea ducks, mergansers, and protected species | September to December, by zone | 6 | 18 | Not more than 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye; American Black Duck sublimits may apply by date. |
| Geese | September to December, by zone | 5 | 10 | Includes Canada Geese and other open goose species, subject to annual notice. |
| Snipe | September to December, by zone | 10 | 20 | Wetland and sanctuary closures may apply. |
| Sea Ducks, including eiders, scoters, and long-tailed ducks | Coastal zones, generally November to February or March | 6 combined | 12 combined | Coastal zones and species-specific closures are set by annual migratory-bird notice. |
| Mergansers | Autumn to winter, by zone | 6 combined | 12 combined | Common and Red-breasted Mergansers may be managed together. |
| Murres | Coastal zones by annual notice | As set by annual notice | As set by annual notice | Zone-specific rules, transport rules, and reporting may apply. |
Schedule 5 — Methods and Care
- Firearms, bows, crossbows, rods, nets, traps, snares, and hand gear may be used where lawful for the species and area.
- Cartridges and projectiles used for hunting must be sufficient for the game pursued and must be used with humane intent.
- Snares must be placed to avoid unnecessary suffering and must be checked at least once every 24 hours.
- Harvesters must take reasonable care around homes, roads, trails, boats, livestock, and other persons.
- Food harvest should be retrieved promptly and preserved in a fit condition for use.
Schedule 6 — Assisted Harvest
A person may harvest, clean, transport, or prepare fish or game for another person who is unable to hunt or fish because of age, disability, illness, injury, infirmity, remoteness, or another genuine physical reason.
- Assisted harvest may support elders, disabled persons, injured persons, households without an able harvester, and persons in genuine need.
- Assisted harvest counts toward the conservation limit that applies to the person or household for whom the harvest is taken, unless an annual notice provides otherwise.
- Assistance shall not be used as a disguised sale, commercial service, or means to exceed conservation limits.
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