Migratory Bird Hunting Rule Changes

Summary#

The Canada Gazette published the final rule Regulations Amending the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022: SOR/2022-147. It makes changes to hunting rules (season dates, daily bag limits and possession limits) for the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons and removes the signature requirement for the Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit. These amendments come into force on July 31, 2022.

What it does#

• Removes the need to sign a physical or electronic Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit, so hunters can keep and show an e-permit without printing and signing it.
• Changes season dates for some goose hunts, including earlier September seasons and longer late seasons in parts of the Maritimes and an extended special conservation season in Manitoba from March 1 to March 31 to March 1 to April 10.
• Raises some daily bag limits:
  • In Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia (Zones 1 and 2) and New Brunswick (Zones 1 and 2), the September goose daily limit becomes a total of 10 Canada Geese or Cackling Geese (expressed as 5 plus an additional 5).
  • In Saskatchewan and Alberta, the daily limit for White‑fronted Geese increases from 5 to 8.
• Raises some possession limits:
  • In Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick possession limits for geese increase from 16 to 20.
  • In Saskatchewan and Alberta possession limits for White‑fronted Geese increase from 15 to 24.
• Makes many administrative clarifications and corrections to hunting zone descriptions across several provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia).
• Corrects a specific Ontario oversight to align the daily bag limit in one Wildlife Management Unit with neighbouring units (applies only where Sunday gun hunting is not allowed by the province).

Who's affected#

• Recreational migratory bird hunters in Canada, especially those hunting geese and white‑fronted geese in the provinces listed above (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and some parts of Ontario).
• Outfitters and vendors who sell physical permits may see a shift toward more hunters buying e‑permits.
• Governments and enforcement agencies will implement and promote the changes; Environment and Climate Change Canada led the regulatory change.
• Indigenous peoples who hunt under Aboriginal or treaty rights are not required to hold the federal permit and therefore are not affected by these permit changes when exercising those rights. Indigenous people who hunt outside of those rights are affected the same as other hunters.

Why it matters#

• Practical convenience: letting hunters use unsigned e‑permits removes the need to print and sign a permit. That should make buying and showing permits easier and increase use of the online system.
• Data and cost: more e‑permits can improve real‑time data for harvest surveys and reduce printing/distribution costs. The department estimated about $30,000 in one‑time compliance promotion costs related to these changes.
• Conservation and management: the season and limit changes aim to keep hunting sustainable and, in some places, to control overabundant birds (for example, the extended Manitoba season targets Temperate‑breeding Canada Geese to reduce crop damage).
  • Manitoba cited crop‑damage compensation around $385,000 for one year as part of the background on why control can matter locally.
• Hunters will see both more permissive rules in some areas (higher limits or longer seasons) and continued rules elsewhere; enforcement and public information materials will be updated before the rules take effect on July 31, 2022.