Migratory Game Bird Hunting Changes 2026-28

Summary#

These are the final Regulations Amending the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 — SOR/2026-118. They change hunting season dates, daily bag limits and possession limits for many migratory game birds across provinces and territories for the next two hunting seasons, and make several clarifying and corrective edits. The regulations came into force on June 12, 2026.

What it does#

• Updates season dates, daily bag limits and possession limits in Schedule 3 of the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 for the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 hunting seasons across several provinces and zones.
• Examples of specific changes:
  • Prince Edward Island: sets American Woodcock season to fixed dates, September 26 to December 10 (replaces an earlier floating date).
  • Nova Scotia: delays Zone 2 goose season so it runs October 23 to January 22 (start moved by 7 days).
  • Quebec: restores the Canada Goose/Cackling Goose daily bag limit to 5 (previously 3) in certain districts, creates a new limited Sandhill Crane season for residents on farmland (first Saturday after September 11 to the first Friday after September 24) with daily bag and possession limits of 1, and reduces spring Snow Goose special-season daily bag limits from 20 to 12 and shortens that season in some districts (for example, from March 1 – May 31 to April 10 – May 18).
  • Ontario: removes a temporary goose bag-limit reduction in WMU 65; adds a short winter Canada Goose season beginning the fourth Saturday in February (a 7‑day season in specified WMUs) while shortening parts of the regular season by 7 days; establishes Sandhill Crane seasons in parts of the Hudson and James Bay, Northern and Central districts for residents only (examples: September 1 to September 14 in Hudson & James Bay) with daily bag and possession limits of 1; shortens and reduces special-season limits for Snow and Ross’s Geese in some WMUs (e.g., bag limit 20 → 12, season shortened to April 1 – April 30 in some areas).
  • Alberta: expands where Sandhill Crane hunting is allowed by adding several provincial wildlife management units to Zone No. 1 and keeping a season September 1 to December 16 in those areas.
• Administrative and clarification edits:
  • Adds a separate entry in federal tables to make clear there is no open season for Harlequin Ducks in several provinces.
  • Reinstates a “farmland only” restriction in Ontario for the special spring measures season where that limitation was accidentally removed.
  • Fixes geographic coordinates for two islands in New Brunswick.
  • Adds a definition of “resident of Canada” (a person whose primary or habitual place of residence is in Canada).
• Small estimated administrative cost to update public materials: $2,600.

Who's affected#

• Hunters (resident and non-resident) across provinces where seasons, bag limits or possession limits changed.
• Outfitters, hunting guides and tourism operators in regions with new or expanded seasons (e.g., Sandhill Crane areas).
• Provincial and territorial governments and federal enforcement officers who manage and enforce hunting rules.
• Farmers and agricultural communities in areas where seasons were added or adjusted to address crop damage (Sandhill Crane, Canada Goose).
• Birdwatchers and conservation groups, since changes can alter how many and when birds are hunted and seen.
• Indigenous peoples: the regulations do not apply to people exercising Aboriginal or treaty harvesting rights, but changes may affect the overall availability of some species used for food or cultural purposes.
• If it is unclear who will notice specific local changes, check the detailed federal hunting summaries or provincial notices for your area.

Why it matters#

• These adjustments aim to keep hunting sustainable by matching rules to recent population trends and management goals.
• Some changes increase hunting opportunity (more liberal bag limits or added short seasons); others reduce pressure on vulnerable populations (lower spring bag limits, shorter spring seasons).
• New limited hunts (notably for Sandhill Crane in parts of Quebec, Ontario, and expanded areas in Alberta) are meant to help manage crop damage while being tightly restricted (resident-only in many cases, small bag limits).
• Clarifying entries (e.g., marking Harlequin Ducks as no open season, fixing coordinates, defining “resident of Canada”) should reduce confusion for hunters and help enforcement.
• Overall costs to the public and businesses are expected to be minimal, while enforcement and outreach will be adjusted to reflect the changes.