Trapping in Québec
Main regulations - Season 2011-2012
Main regulations - Season 2011-2012
Traplines are parcels of land located in ZECs, wildlife sanctuaries and specially designated lands of the State domain (refer to the section Regulations applicable to certain territories).
Operation of the trapline is conditional upon obtaining a nine-year lease of exclusive trapping rights. This lease sets the conditions of the agreement between the Department and the lessee regarding the harvesting of furbearing animals on this trapline. The exclusive rights granted for this trapline are subject to compliance with the lease’s conditions.
In addition to the price of a professional trapping licence, trapline holders must pay the annual fee of the rent of the trapline, between September 1st and November 1st, to a computerized distributor of hunting, fishing and trapping licences. In 2011, this fee is set at $1.63 per km2 of trapline (plus tax). The minimum fee payable for a trapline is $16.44.
To trap on a trapline, a person must have a lease with exclusive trapping rights for said trapline. Every other person may also trap there if he has in his possession a document attesting to the authorization to trap obtained from the leaseholder. The same rule applies to trap on a territory with exclusive trapping rights belonging to an outfitting operation (see form Authorization to trap on a territory where exclusive trapping rights have been granted (PDF Format, 17 Kb) page 18).
Holders of a lease with exclusive trapping rights may erect buildings for the purposes of carrying on their activity. They must, however, comply with the standards and conditions established by regulation. Trapline holders may obtain this information at the Department's Customer Services at
1 877 346-6763
If they lose or relinquish their trapping rights, trappers must transfer ownership of their buildings to the new lessee in accordance with the stipulated terms and conditions. To be authorized to trap on the land, the new lessee must have acquired the buildings. However, in cases where the sound value of a building is superior to the maximum value established by regulation ($6000) and the owner does not consent to sell it at the maximum value, he is required to demolish or remove the building within one year.
The holder of a territory under lease with exclusive trapping rights may, if he submits a written application from January 1st to August 1st of the current year, be authorized by the Department to assign all of his rights and obligations to a holder of a trapper’s certificate if he respects the conditions established by regulation, including the obligation, for the lease holder, to have trapped on this trapline during the year preceding that of the transfer. To learn about the conditions, please contact the regional office of the region in which the trapline is located (see form Transfer of exchange of a trapline (PDF Format, 19 Kb) page 18).
Two holders of a territory under lease with exclusive trapping rights may, if they submit a written application from January 1st to August 1st of the current year, be authorized by the Department to exchange their rights and obligations resulting from the lease, if they respect the conditions established by regulation, including the obligation, for each lease holder to have trapped on his trapline during the current year of the transfer. To learn about the conditions, please contact the regional office of the region in which these traplines are located. These transfers entail certain fees (see form Transfer or exchange of a trapline (PDF Format, 19 Kb) page 18).
Holders of a professional trapping licence who hold a lease with exclusive trapping rights (trapline or outfitting operation) are required to deal, on an annual basis, during the period when their licence is valid, with a fur trader, dresser or auction house for at least 15 raw pelts from at least five furbearing animal species trapped on the territory described in their lease.
Where the surface area of the trapline described in the lease is 20 km2 or less, the number of raw pelts is reduced to ten and they must come from at least three furbearing animal species trapped on the territory described in the lease.
Furbearing animals trapped outside the territory described in the lease or on other traplines must not be included in this calculation.
