Hunting, fishing and trapping during the COVID-19 pandemic

Hunting, fishing and trapping activities are permitted this spring in Québec. The opening dates for the season are maintained.

Hunters, fishers and trappers must comply at all times with the instructions and directives related to the COVID-19 pandemic from the Direction générale de la santé publique. It should be noted that travelling between different regions and different cities must still be avoided, despite the gradual reopening of regions.

Specific directives on gatherings in the context of the COVID-19  are also in effect.

Since May 20, several Sépaq’s national parks and wildlife reserves, as well as the ZECs’ territory, are once again open to public.

The Government also announced the reopening of campings and rental accommodation as of June 1^st.

Note that these reopenings must be done in compliance with the guidelines and directives related to the COVID-19 pandemic  from the Direction générale de la santé publique.Thus, only people from the same family unit who have been confined together will be able to access the accommodation for the moment.

Besides, rental of beds in dorms or of rooms with no private bathroom remain prohibited.

Laws and regulations regarding hunting, fishing and trapping activities are valid under any circumstances, and Québec’s wildlife protection services are maintained. This means:

• Periods and quotas are still applicable, and so are catch, possession and length limits. You can find them here:
  • Periods, quotas and limits for sport hunting 
  • Periods, quotas and limits for sport fishing
  • Trapping regulations 
• A hunter’s certificate is still mandatory to carry out hunting and trapping activities. However, the required courses to obtain the certificate have been suspended. 
• Hunting, fishing and trapping licences  are still mandatory (except for fishing zone 21, where fishing in the St. Lawrence River is allowed without a licence).
• Salmon and game registration is still mandatory.

The Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP), together with the Fondation de la faune du Québec  (FFQ),is forced to cancel the Fête de la pêche.

The fishing license is therefore compulsory for all fishermen during the weekend of June 5, 6 and 7, 2020.

Activities related to the Programme de soutien à l’ensemencement des lacs et des cours d’eau (PSELCE) and the Pêche en herbe program are also cancelled for summer 2020.

Read the announcement on the subject here  (in French only).

Until further notice, courses for aspiring hunters and trappers offered by the Department’s mandataries have been suspended.

Please refer to the Fédération québécoise des chasseurs et pêcheurs  and the Fédération québécoise des trappeurs gestionnaires du Québec  to get more information on those suspensions.

Licences are still mandatory. They are available for purchase at selling agents  that provide essential services.

Before purchasing a licence or carrying out hunting, fishing and trapping activities, the Department recommends getting the right information on public health instructions and directives, since they may change according to the evolution of the situation. All hunters, anglers and trappers must comply with these instructions and directives.

Game registration remains mandatory, even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hunters and trappers may register their game remotely through an online form  available on the website of the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs. People who have limited access to the Internet may instead call 1 877 346-6763 to proceed with the registration. This service is available from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on Wednesday, when customer service is open from 10 a.m.

Some registration stations that are located in essential businesses remain open. You will find here the list of open stations  (in French only).

You will also find here the frequently asked questions  (FAQ) regarding game registration, especially regarding remote registration.

If you have to go to a registration station near you, remember that you should comply at all times with the instructions and directives related to the COVID-19 pandemic from the Direction générale de la santé publique.

Wildlife protection services are maintained in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wildlife protection officers thus continue to ensure a presence across Québec’s territory to make sure that hunting and fishing activities are done in compliance with the laws and regulations in force.

Wildlife protection officers will, if necessary, inform anglers, hunters and trappers of the rules laid down by the Direction générale de la santé publique.  If need be, the officers will be able to formulate a denunciation to the police if they note a case of non-compliance with the rules of social distancing, gathering or prohibited travelling.