Sport Hunting in Québec
Main Rules April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2014
Main Rules April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2014
As soon as a hunter has bagged a caribou, a white-tailed deer, a moose, a black bear or a wild turkey, he must remove from his licence the appropriate transportation coupon and attach it to the animal. In addition, when he bags an antlerless deer under an antlerless deer hunting licence (random draw) or a moose cow under a moose cow hunting licence (random draw), the hunter must perforate, at the appropriate place, the hunting licence allocated by random draw for this category of animal. When he kills an antlerless deer under a 1st harvest antlerless deer hunting licence (random draw), he must remove from this licence the transportation coupon and attach it to the antlerless deer. In wildlife sanctuaries and outfitter establishments with exclusive rights special rules may apply for white-tailed deer (see Sharing of the antlerless deer hunting licence and Hunting white-tailed deer in a group). In wildlife sanctuaries special rules may apply for moose (see Sharing of a moose cow hunting licence).
In the case of moose, the hunter must affix to the animal, on the day of the animal’s death, the number of additional transportation coupons corresponding to the annual bag limit (see Bag limits). Every additional coupon must come from the hunting licence of a person legally entitled to hunt moose, using an arm allowed during that period and in this zone, in this outfitter establishment with exclusive rights or in this zec where there is limited-access hunting for this species, and who took part in the same hunting expedition in which the animal was killed. Moreover, if the animal was a moose bagged in a controlled zone (zec), any additional coupon must come from the licence of a person who had paid, before the death of the animal, the applicable fees to hunt moose in that zec and had registered at the time of entering it.
During limited-access moose hunting in a wildlife sanctuary, all of the additional coupons must come from the hunting licences of the hunters who belong to the group, as defined on the page Bag limits, page 13. In the Chic-Chocs, Dunière, La Vérendrye, Mastigouche, Matane, Portneuf, Rimouski and Rouge Matawin wildlife sanctuaries, when a group is composed of six to eight hunters, the hunter who bags a moose must make sure, on the day of the kill, that two other transportation coupons from the hunting licences of two other hunters belonging to the group of 6 or three other transportation coupons from the hunting licences of three other hunters belonging to the group of 8 are affixed to the moose. When a group is composed of 7 hunters, at the time that the first moose is killed , the hunter must make sure that the other two coupons are affixed on that same day and, when the second moose is killed, make sure that the three other transportation coupons of the remaining three hunters are affixed that same day. When the limit is one moose per two hunters, the hunter who bags a moose must make sure that on the day of the kill, another transportation coupon from the hunting licence of another hunter belonging to his group is affixed to the animal. Each person whose transportation coupon has been affixed on the moose is deemed to have reached their annual moose bag limit.
A young person or a student may now be added, as a fifth hunter, to a group composed of four hunters with a group bag limit of one moose. If the young person or student holds a moose hunting licence, his transportation coupon will have to be affixed on the harvested moose, which will then be submitted at the registration station with 5 transportation coupons. If the young person or student does not hold a moose hunting licence and is hunting under the licence of an adult member of the group according to the "Big game hunting and young people" (see page 7), there will be only four transportation coupons affixed to the moose submitted at the registration station. In all cases, this "fifth member of the group", whether a young person or a student, will be deemed to have reached his moose bag limit and will not be allowed to take part in another moose registration during the same year.
A licence is no longer valid in cases where the transportation coupon(s) has (have) been detached or should have been. Special conditions may apply to hunting white-tailed deer in wildlife sanctuaries and outfitter establishments with exclusive right (see Sharing of the antlerless deer hunting licence and Hunting white-tailed deer in a group) as well as to hunting moose in wildlife sanctuaries (see Sharing of a moose cow hunting licence).
When a young person bags a big game animal or a wild turkey under a regular licence or 1st harvest antlerless deer hunting licence of an adult, the young person must affix to the animal the transportation coupon of the licence under which he hunted and make sure that the subsequent obligations are met such as registering the game in his name. When the licence expires, namely when all of the transportation coupons have been detached, neither the adult nor the young person can again hunt the animal indicated on this licence that year. When a young person bags an antlerless deer under the antlerless deer hunting licence of an adult, the young person must perforate the licence under which he hunted and make sure that the subsequent obligations are met such as registering the antlerless deer in his name. This licence, once perforated, expires. The same rule applies to the moose cow hunting licence.
Within 48 hours of leaving the hunting area, a hunter who bags a caribou, a white-tailed deer, a moose, a black bear or a wild turkey must himself present his licence and have his animal registered with a person, corporation or association authorized by the Department. He must state the calibre of the firearm used and the registration plate number of the vehicle used to transport the game; then allow the punching of the transportation coupon(s) and, if it is a bull moose, permit the marking of the antlers. In the case of a moose, the hunter must also produce the licences for which the corresponding transportation coupons have been affixed to the animal. Special conditions may apply to hunting white-tailed deer in wildlife sanctuaries and outfitter establishments with exclusive rights (see Sharing of the antlerless deer hunting licence and Hunting white-tailed deer in a group) as well as to hunting moose in wildlife sanctuaries.
Every hunter who bags a big game animal or a wild turkey must, at the request of the wildlife protection officer, allow him to register it immediately.
Every wild turkey bagged must be transported and submitted in its entirety, whether or not eviscerated, at a registration station.
When registering a bagged black bear, hunters must present the animal's carcass or pelt.
Any bagged caribou or moose must be transported whole or in identifiable quarters to the registration station.
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In the case of a moose presented in quarters, the hunter must also produce and make available the entire head. If unable to do so, he must produce and make available the complete lower jaw and, in the case of a male, the antlers attached to the top of the skull or a part thereof.
Any bagged white-tailed deer must be transported to the registration area either whole or in at the most two near-equal portions separated transversally along the floating ribs or kidneys (see diagram below). Moreover, when the deer is separated into two portions, the hunter must present the two parts without the head and external genitals (scrotum or vulva) having been detached from one of these portions. |
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A hunter must pay the applicable fee for registering animal.
After the registration, the hunter must make sure that the transportation coupon(s) remain affixed to the animal until it is butchered or stored or, if it is a black bear, to the pelt until it is dressed.
In a spirit of collaboration for the benefit of black bear management, all hunters are invited to provide, at registration time, the two upper premolars (see figure) and to indicate the date and precise location of capture, the sex of the animal and the presence or absence of milk.
Premolars are located right behind the cuspids. They are easy to extract as follows:
During the hunting season, a big game animal or a wild turkey can be registered at the various wildlife registration stations authorized by the Department. In addition, the registration may be made in certain regional offices of the Department under the authority of the Direction générale de la Protection de la faune.
For more information on the location, dates and times when these registration stations are open, contact the Service to Citizens of the Department at 1 866 248-6936 or www.mrnf.gouv.qc.ca/faune/stations/index.jsp or contact one of its regional offices where this information is posted on the door.
The punched transportation coupon allows the hunter to transport outside Québec a big game animal or a part thereof, including the pelt. However, in the case of a black bear, a CITES export permit is generally required if the hunter wishes to take the animal or part of it outside Canada (see page 22).
In order to export non-dressed pelts from Québec, persons other than non-residents for pelts resulting from their hunt, must hold a dealer's or tanner's licence and must obtain the proper export form issued by the Department.
