Canada Hunting Seasons by Province & Territory
Plan your hunt across Canada with our province-by-province season guide. Every region link below pulls together open dates, draw deadlines, permit requirements, bag limits, and the management zones you’ll need to check before stepping afield — from the Atlantic salmon rivers to the Arctic tundra.
Provinces & Territories — Pick Your Region
13 of 13 listed
Atlantic
Atlantic Canada
Newfoundland & Labrador Hunting Seasons
Big-game draw deadlines, moose & caribou calendars, bear and seabird seasons, plus Indigenous & resident licensing rules for Canada’s easternmost province.
View Season GuideAtlantic
Atlantic Canada
Nova Scotia Hunting Seasons
Whitetail deer dates, bear management areas, migratory bird windows, small-game rules and zone-based licensing for Canada’s ocean playground.
View Season GuideNorthern
Northern Canada
Northwest Territories Hunting Seasons
Community harvest rules, wildlife management zones, species tags and federal migratory-bird permits for the boreal-and-tundra NT.
View Season GuideNorthern
Northern Canada
Nunavut Hunting Seasons
Arctic dream hunting — barren-ground caribou, shaggy muskox, polar bear quotas and fall skies filled with snow geese, all under Nunavut’s wildlife rules.
View Season GuideCentral
Central Canada
Ontario Hunting Seasons
Whitetail deer, moose, black bear, spring turkey, small game, furbearers and waterfowl calendars — plus draw deadlines and the full WMU system.
View Season GuideAtlantic
Atlantic Canada
Prince Edward Island Hunting Seasons
Complete calendar for Canada’s smallest province: species on offer, license & stamp checklists, island wildlife zones and official resources.
View Season GuideNorthern
Northern Canada
Yukon Hunting Seasons
Big game across the North — moose, Dall sheep, caribou, mountain goat and grizzly — with full permit requirements and game-unit breakdowns.
View Season GuidePrairies
Prairie Canada
Saskatchewan Hunting Seasons
Whitetail deer, moose, elk, waterfowl and small game across prairie fields and boreal fringe — with draw deadlines and wildlife zones explained.
View Season GuideCentral
Central Canada
Quebec Hunting Seasons
Open season dates, permit basics, draw windows, subzone rules and official French-language resources for hunting Quebec’s woods, wetlands and farmlands.
View Season GuideAtlantic
Atlantic Canada
New Brunswick Hunting Seasons
Whitetail deer, moose, bear, turkey, waterfowl and small-game schedule — one of the most generous calendars in Atlantic Canada, fully explained.
View Season GuidePrairies
Prairie Canada
Manitoba Hunting Seasons
Whitetail deer, moose, black bear, waterfowl and elk dates — across Manitoba’s prairie parklands, boreal fringe and remote northern zones.
View Season GuideWest
West Coast
British Columbia Hunting Seasons
Mule deer, elk, moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep & caribou — Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) draw deadlines, permit requirements and unit maps.
View Season GuidePrairies
Prairie Canada
Alberta Hunting Seasons
Late-August archery deer, fall rifle season, spring turkey, snow-goose conservation hunts and a furbearer lineup that runs straight into spring.
View Season GuideExplore More Hunting Categories
Build the perfect season plan with our related hunting hubs
Frequently Asked Questions — Canadian Hunting Seasons
When does the hunting season start in Canada?
Each province and territory sets its own opener. Most general seasons begin in early September, with big-game rifle seasons running through November. Archery deer in Alberta opens around August 25 — check the specific province guide above for the exact dates.
Do I need a separate license for each province?
Yes. Licenses are province-specific — a Newfoundland license is not valid in British Columbia. You also need a federal migratory-game-bird permit if you’re hunting ducks or geese anywhere in Canada.
What are draw-based hunts?
For species like elk, moose, sheep, mountain goat and caribou, most provinces run a lottery draw (LEH in BC, draw applications in Ontario, etc.). You apply once, the system picks tag-holders, and only winners can hunt that species that season.
Are there guides available for visiting hunters?
Absolutely. Our Travel Guides section covers outfitters and lodges, while Species Guides explains behaviour and strategies for each major game animal.
Are seasons the same every year?
Not exactly. Open and close dates shift by a week or two annually, and zones or WMU boundaries can change. Always cross-check the official provincial synopsis before finalizing your trip.