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Special hunting rules applicable in certain territories

In Québec, you can hunt on lands in the domain of the State and on private land. Special wildlife management provisions apply to some portions of both types of land.

Private land and wildland urban interfaces

If you wish to hunt on private property, you must obtain the owner’s permission to do so. In addition, in the wildland urban interface, you must always be aware that other people may be present when you are hunting. Please see the document entitled La chasse à l'aube du XXIe siècle (PDF 573 Kb) (in French only) and abide by its recommendations.

Private land covered by a hunting access agreement

Some landowners in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Centre-du-Québec, Chaudière-Appalaches, Estrie and Montérégie regions have entered into agreements with the Department to facilitate wildlife management and access by hunters. Anyone who hunts on these landowners’ private property without permission will be prosecuted directly by the government.

The same applies to land covered by a wildlife access agreement between a landowner and an association or organization created to foster access by hunters to private land and recognized by the government.

For additional information, please contact the regional wildlife protection office.

ZECs

A controlled harvesting zone, or ZEC, is a hunting and fishing area managed by a delegate non-profit organization that you may join by becoming a member.

To hunt in a ZEC, you must:

  • register your presence;

  • abide by the dates, times and sites or sectors indicated in the registration document;

  • carry your registration document with you and produce it when asked to do so by a wildlife protection officer, wildlife protection assistant or area guardian (you may also place it in view on the dashboard of your vehicle, so that it can be seen from outside);

  • return the registration document when you leave the ZEC;

  • declare all your kills.

If you need a right of access but an officer is not on site to issue it, you must complete the form that is available at the Zec reception centre and deposit it in the place indicated, with the access fee stipulated by regulation. The completed form then serves as your right of access.

Possible restrictions

The ZEC management organization may prohibit hunting of small game (except migratory birds) using a firearm, crossbow or bow in a given sector during the moose hunting season, and may also prohibit black bear hunting for all or part of the season in the zone in which the ZEC is located.

Using an all-terrain vehicle

The use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for recreational purposes may also be prohibited during a moose or white-tailed deer hunting season, unless the vehicle is used to haul a carcass.

For additional information or to find a ZEC, please visit the Réseau zecs This hyperlink will open in a new window. website or call 1 866 567-0235.

Outfitter establishments

Outfitters are private enterprises that offer lodging and services or equipment for recreational hunting and fishing. Some outfitters have exclusive hunting rights in given areas, and where this is the case you must obtain permission from the outfitter to hunt in its area.

The Seigneurie Mitis (zone 2 east), Seigneurie Solifor Nicolas-Riou S.E.C. (zone 2 east) and Seigneurie Kenauk Nature X S.E.C. (zone 10 east) generally benefit from regulatory provisions applicable to outfitters with exclusive rights.

For additional information or to find an outfitter, please visit the Fédération des pourvoiries du Québec This hyperlink will open in a new window. website or call 1 800 567-9009.

Wildlife reserves

To hunt in a wildlife reserve, you must usually make a reservation. You must also:

  • obtain a right of access and abide by the dates, times and locations mentioned on it;

  • carry the right of access with you and produce it when asked to do so by a wildlife protection officer, a wildlife protection assistant or an area warden (you may also place it on the dashboard of your vehicle so that it can be seen from outside);

  • report on your hunt and indicate your kills when you leave the reserve.

To carry hunting gear in this type of area, you must also obtain a right of access that includes an authorization to hunt.

If you need a right of access but an officer is not on site to issue it, you must complete the form that is available at the wildlife reserve reception centre and deposit it in the place indicated, with the access fee stipulated by regulation. The completed form then serves as your right of access.

When accommodation is not available in a cabin, a right of access to hunt small game or snare hares in a wildlife reserve also authorizes a child under 18 years of age to hunt, accompanied by the holder of parental authority.

All game except black bears

To hunt an animal other than a black bear in a restricted access sector of a wildlife reserve, you must be a resident and have been selected in a random draw. You may also accompany and hunt with someone who was selected in a random draw or made a reservation.

If you did not win a special licence and cannot accompany someone who did, you may still be able to make a reservation to hunt if places are left after the draw, regardless of whether you are a resident or a non-resident.

Black bear

You must make a reservation to hunt black bear in a restricted access sector.

Sectors set aside exclusively for bow and crossbow hunting

Some wildlife reserves offer quota sectors in which hunting is limited exclusively to bows and crossbows. It is forbidden to carry a firearm in these sectors, and hunters are not required to wear a fluorescent orange bib when hunting permitted species. A wildlife reserve may also set aside non-quota sectors for bow or crossbow hunting.

For additional information

SÉPAQ manages the activities of most wildlife reserves. For additional information, please see the SÉPAQ website This hyperlink will open in a new window..  Alternatively, you may call 1 800 665-6527.

For the Duchénier wildlife reserve This hyperlink will open in a new window., call 418 735-5222, and for the Dunière wildlife reserve This hyperlink will open in a new window., call 1 888 730-6174 (toll-free).

Wildlife sanctuaries

In wildlife sanctuaries, the conditions for use of resources are established with a view to preserving wildlife habitats in general, or the habitats of certain species in particular.

Hunting may be regulated in different ways, depending on the wildlife sanctuary concerned:

Refuge faunique de la Grande-Île (zone 7): It is forbidden to enter the sanctuary, stay in it, travel through it or carry out any activity whatsoever from April 1 to July 31.

Refuge faunique de Pointe-du-Lac (zone 7): It is forbidden to enter the sanctuary, stay in it, travel through it or carry out any activity whatsoever from September 25 to December 26.

Refuge faunique de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles (zone 8) and refuge faunique de Deux-Montagnes (zone 8): Hunting is prohibited.

Sectors B and C of Refuge faunique Pierre-Étienne-Fortin (zone 8): It is forbidden to enter the sanctuary, stay in it, travel through it or carry out any activity whatsoever from June 20 to July 20.

Refuge faunique de l'Île-Laval (zone 18): Hunting is permitted in accordance with the conditions governing access to the sanctuary.

Refuge faunique de la Pointe-de-l'Est (îles de la Madeleine, zone 21): Hunting is permitted in accordance with the conditions governing access to and travel within the sanctuary.

Refuge faunique de l'Îlet-aux-Alouettes (zone 27): It is forbidden to enter the sanctuary, stay in it, travel through it or carry out any activity whatsoever from April 1 to July 15;

Secteur A du refuge faunique des Battures-de-Saint-Fulgence (zones 21 et 28): Hunting is prohibited, except to search for an injured animal.

Secteur B du refuge faunique des Battures-de-Saint-Fulgence (zones 21 et 28):

  • a hunter may use a stationary or floating hide during the migratory bird hunting season, provided it is dismantled or removed after hunting;
  • a hunter may travel in the sanctuary otherwise than on an all-terrain vehicle during hunting seasons to access a hunting site or to bring back animals;
  • a hunting dog need not be kept on leash during the migratory bird hunting season.

Nature reserves

A nature reserve is a private property protected by a conservation agreement between a landowner and the Department. Nature reserve status is designed to ensure that the natural characteristics justifying the property’s conservation are maintained. Nature reserves are governed by the provisions of the Natural Heritage Conservation Act.

In a nature reserve, wildlife harvesting activities may be subject to more restrictive measures than those set out in the provincial regulations. Before you visit a nature reserve, you must obtain the landowner’s permission and ask about any special measures that are in force. 

For additional information, please visit the MELCCFP website This hyperlink will open in a new window. or call 1 800 561-1616 (toll-free).

Migratory bird sanctuaries and National Wildlife Reserves

Migratory bird sanctuaries and National Wildlife Areas are managed by the Canadian government. Hunting and the possession of hunting weapons or gear are permitted on certain conditions.

For additional information, please visit the site Web d’Environnement et Changement climatique Canada This hyperlink will open in a new window. website or call 1 800 668-6767 (toll-free).

Nord-du-Québec

Hunters in zones 17, 22, 23 and 24 must comply with the Act respecting hunting and fishing rights in the James Bay and New Québec territories. The territories are subdivided into three categories.

To hunt on Category I and Category II lands, you must have the requisite hunting licence and must also obtain permission from the Cree, Inuit or Naskapi authorities concerned.

In these zones, you may only hunt with a firearm or a bow. Crossbow hunting (even if you have an attestation of physical disability) and hunting with a bird of prey are prohibited.

For additional information on these hunting areas, please contact the local or regional Nord-du-Québec wildlife protection office.

Areas where hunting is not permitted

Hunting is prohibited in:

  • Zone 19 north

  • National and provincial parks

  • Forest stations

  • Ecological reserves

  • The Réserves faunique Assinica and the Réserve faunique des Lacs-Albanel-Mistassini-et-Waconichi (zone 22)

  • The Sanctuaire de la Grosse-Île (zone 3)

  • The Sanctuaire de chasse du parc de la Gatineau (zone 10)

In addition, hunting is not authorized in the following areas:

  • Charles-B.-Banville, Estcourt, Ixworth and Parke (zone 2);
  • Drummondville (territory located in Saint-Majorique and Drummondville) (zone 7);
  • Bois de Belle-Rivière (zone 8);
  • Centre touristique et éducatif des Laurentides (located in Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré) (zone 9);
  • A portion of the Townships of Aiguebelle and de Destor (zone 13);
  • A portion of the  Réserve de biodiversité des Lacs-Vaudrey-et-Joannès (zone 13);
  • Centre d'études et de recherche Manicouagan (zone 18);
  • Mont-Sainte-Anne (zone 27);
  • Les Palissades (zone 27);
  • Massif de Petite-Rivière-Saint-François (zone 27);
  • Montmorency Forest Sector A (zone 27);
  • Chute-à-Michel (cégep de Saint-Félicien) (zone 28).

For additional information, please contact the regional office concerned.

Areas where hunting is restricted

Hunting is more restricted at the following five locations than in the areas in which they are situated:

Sectors 1, 2 and 3 of the Parc régional de la SeigneurieduLacMatapédia (zone 1)

Crossbow and bow hunting, frog hunting, small game hunting with a bird of prey and hare snaring are permitted, but hunting with a firearm is prohibited.

Macpès territory (zone 2)

Small game hunting and black bear hunting with a crossbow or bow, hare snaring, small game hunting with a bird of prey and frog hunting are permitted, but hunting with a firearm is prohibited.

White-tailed deer hunting with a crossbow or bow is authorized from October 5 to October 18 in 2024 and from and from October 4 to October 17 in 2025, and moose hunting with a crossbow or bow is permitted from September 28 to October 6 in 2024 and from September 27 to October 5 in 2025.

Montagne de Rigaud territory (zone 8)

White-tailed deer hunting is permitted using crossbow and bow during the seasons where theses hunting implements are allowed. The territory is bounded to the north by the Outaouais River and the Lac des Deux Montagnes; to the east by the eastern boundary of Route 201 and Montée Lavigne and its continuation to Lac des Deux Montagnes; to the south by the southern limit of Chemin SainteMarie, Chemin du DeuxièmeRang and Montée Cardinal that runs to Ontario; and to the west by the QuébecOntario border.

A portion of the Canal de Beauharnois and the adjacent lands (zone 8)

Hunting is prohibited from September 17 to December 26 in 2022 and from September 16 to December 26 in 2023.

Foreshore of Île aux Oies and a portion of the foreshore of Île SainteMarguerite (Comté de Montmagny) (zone 3)

Small game hunting, including hunting of migratory birds, is prohibited.

Regulatory Information

Last update: December 18, 2023

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