Game transportation and exports

As soon as you have killed a white-tailed deer, a moose, a black bear or a wild turkey, you must use the transportation coupon from your licence by identifying your animal with the unique number. You may affix, in an indelible and legible manner, the unique number from your transportation coupon to the animal. You may affix a printed copy of your transportation coupon attached to your licence purchased online, or simply affix the unique number of the transportation coupon on another medium. This must be done in such a way that the information remains legible and attached to the animal at all times. If you have a paper licence purchased from a sales agent, you may detach the transportation coupon attached to it and affix it to the animal.

Special rules apply if you hunt antlerless deer or if you hunt deer as part of a group in wildlife reserve, exclusive-rights outfitter and certain ZECs, or if you share your licence to hunt moose whitout antlers in a wildlife reserve.

If you kill a moose, you must ensure the unique numbers of the additional transportation coupons, in a number corresponding to the number of licences required per moose, are affixed to the animal on the same day it is killed. You may affix a printed copy of these transportation coupons attached to the licences purchased online, write the unique numbers directly on the moose, or simply affix the unique numbers of the transportation coupons on another medium. This must be done in such a way that the information remains legible and securely attached to the animal at all times.

Every unique number of an additional coupon must come from the hunting licence of an individual:

• who is legally entitled to hunt moose using a permitted weapon, during the period and in the area (zone, wildlife reserve, exclusive-rights outfitter or ZEC) where this animal was killed;
• who took part in the hunting expedition during which this animal was killed.

When a hunting licence for moose without antlers is shared among the members of a hunting expedition, the holder of the hunting licence for moose without antlers must affix the unique number from the transportation coupon to the moose without antlers killed, under that licence, by a member of the expedition.

Furthermore, if the moose was killed in a ZEC, all the additional coupons must come from the licences of individuals who, before the animal was killed, had paid the requisite fee to hunt moose in the ZEC, and had registered when entering the ZEC.

During a moose hunt subject to a quota in a wildlife reserve, and regardless of whether the group is a single group or a double group, the person who kills the animal must ensure that another unique number of a transportation coupon from the hunting licence of a person in the same group is attached to the animal on the day it is killed. Each person whose unique transportation coupon number was attached to the animal is then deemed to have reached their annual bag limit for moose.

In wildlife reserves, a single group of four hunters may accept a fifth hunter, provided he or she is a young person or student (see the section on Bag limits in wildlife reserves). The same applies to a double group of seven or eight hunters, who may accept no more than two additional hunters on the same conditions. Such an additional hunter, if a holder of a moose hunting licence, may affix the unique number of the transportation coupon from their licence on the animal killed, in the same way as any other group member. If the additional hunter does not have a moose hunting licence and is hunting under the licence of an adult member of the group, he or she will be deemed to have reached his or her moose bag limit and may not participate in the registration of another moose during the current year.

A young hunter who kills a big game animal or a wild turkey under a regular licence must attach the unique number of the transportation coupon from the licence under which he or she hunted, and must then comply with all subsequent requirements, including registration of the game in his or her name. 

When all the transportation coupons from the licence have been used, neither the young hunter nor the adult licence holder can continue to hunt the animal in question, for the rest of that year.

When a young hunter kills an antlerless deer under an adult’s antlerless deer hunting licence, the young hunter must comply with all obligations, such as registering the antlerless deer in its name. Once the licence has been used, the privilege to kill an antlerless deer under this licence expires, but the licence remains valid to kill a buck if the transportation coupon is still valid and has not been used. The same rule applies to the hunting licence for moose without antlers.

Below are the specific transportation rules applicable to game animals before online registration or during in-person registration. The animal’s condition may be checked by a wildlife protection officer or registration station delegate.  

If you kill a wild turkey, you must transport it and present it whole, eviscerated or not, at a registration station. 

The government has introduced measures to protect wild cervid herds and continues to take action to reduce the risk that  chronic wasting disease (CWD) will become established in wild populations.

Below are the regulatory restrictions that apply to the transportation of anatomical parts of cervids killed by hunters.

It is forbidden to import or possess whole carcasses and certain anatomical parts of cervids (except caribou) killed outside Québec. In cervids with CWD, pathogenic prions are concentrated in the organs concerned.

If you hunt outside Québec:

• Avoid hunting in or near sectors where CWD has been detected.
• If the authorities of the province or state where you killed the cervid informs you that the animal has CWD, please notify SOS Poaching – Wildlife Emergency by calling 1 800 463-2191.

The unique transportation coupon number affixed to the animal and proof of registration allow for the transportation of big game or part of it, including fur, outside Québec. This applies to residents and to non-residents who have held a valid Québec big game hunting or trapping licence. However, if the animal is a black bear, a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permit is usually required to transport all or part of the animal outside Canada (see the section on Registration, transportation and registration for non-residents).

To obtain a CITES permit, which is issued by the Canadian government, please visit the website of Environment and Climate Change Canada or call 1 800 668- 6767.

In addition, to export raw fur out of Québec for commercial purposes, a person must hold a raw fur dealer’s or tanner’s licence. However, such a licence is not required from a resident if the product is from their own hunt. An export permit may also be required, depending on the destination. In this case, a regional wildlife management office can provide the export form issued by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs.