Hunting Regulations Review

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on engageNL from February 28 to April 17, 2020. Below is a record of this engagement.

Purpose

The Provincial Government is reviewing the Provincial Wildlife Regulations as it relates to:
  • Aligning of Island Moose Management Area (MMA) season starting dates
  • Permitting hunting with crossbows
  • Permitting the use of small calibre (.17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire (HMR)) rifle ammunition

Moose Management Areas on the Island portion of the province have different hunting season start dates. In 2019, Eastern region MMA hunting season dates on the Island of Newfoundland occurred October 5 (first Saturday in October) to December 31 while all other regions on the island ran from September 14 (second Saturday in September) to December 31. Consideration is being given to aligning starting dates for all Island MMAs.

At present hunting with a crossbow in Newfoundland and Labrador is not permitted. The Department of Fisheries and Land Resources has been contacted by hunters and hunting organizations outlining their support for crossbow hunting in Newfoundland and Labrador. Crossbow hunting is an accepted hunting practice in other Canadian jurisdictions. Consideration is being given to permitting crossbow hunting within the Province.

Use of the .17 calibre HMR small rifle ammunition is currently not permitted for hunting or trapping in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Department has received requests from hunting and trapping organizations to permit the use of this ammunition. The .17 calibre HMR small rifle ammunition is recognized as a highly accurate and efficient ammunition for most types of small game hunting and trapping in most other Canadian jurisdictions. Consideration is being given to allow the use of the .17 calibre HMR small rifle ammunition to hunt and trap within the Province.

In support of this review, the Department is hosting an online consultation to encourage public and stakeholder input related to these policies and regulations.

Get Involved

You can have your say by completing the online questionnaire. The questionnaire will be available until April 17, 2020.

It should take you approximately 10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your participation.

If you have any questions related to this questionnaire or require an alternate format please contact Chris Baldwin by phone at 709-229-7811 or by email at [email protected].

Click here to complete the questionnaire

How will your input be used?

The information collected through the engagement process will be reviewed by the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources. All feedback will be considered as officials review the policies and regulations. 

Privacy Statement

Any personal information that may be received will be governed in accordance with the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 and will only be used for the purpose of collecting public feedback on the review of Newfoundland and Labrador's Hunting Regulations.

If you have any questions about how this information will be collected, used and disclosed, please contact Holly Warford, Manager of Information Management, by phone at (709) 729-3730 or by email at [email protected].

Contact Us

If you have any questions or additional comments regarding the Hunting Regulations Review please contact Chris Baldwin by phone at (709) 229-7811 or by email at [email protected].