Hunting Throughout Canada

Are you interested in adding hunting to your list of life skills but don’t know where to begin? The Covid pandemic has awoken a sense of self sufficiency in the public, and for many hunting is a big part of that journey.

The process for obtaining your hunting licence will differ slightly depending on where you wish to hunt, but in most cases you will need to complete hunter education training and testing.

For your quick reference, we have broken down the minimum age as well as training options in the chart below.

Keep in mind that information contained in this article is subject to change and you should always confirm with the governing body that manages hunting in your region.

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Québec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Hunting in Alberta

• Minimum Age Requirement: 10* For Game Bird, otherwise 12
• Training Options: Online 
• Testing: Online
• Licence: Wildlife Identification Number (WiN)
  > Where to get your Wildlife Identification Number: In Person or Online
• Governing Body: Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association (AHEIA)

Hunting in British Columbia

• Minimum Age Requirement: 10
• Training Options: In-Person or Online
• Testing: In-Person
• Licence: Fish & Wildlife ID (FWID)
  > Where to get your Fish & Wildlife ID: In Person or Online
• Governing Body: British Columbia Wildlife Federation (BCWF)

Hunting in Manitoba

• Minimum Age Requirement: 10* For Apprentice Hunter Education Certification to hunt game birds and wild turkey under a shared bag provision, otherwise 12
• Training Options: In-Person or Online
• Testing: In-Person or Online
• Licence: Hunter Education Card (HE)
  > Where to get your Hunter Education Card: In Person
• Governing Body: Manitoba Wildlife Federation

Hunting in New Brunswick

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: In-Person and Online* Training consists of 2 Parts, Part A: Canadian Firearms Safety Course which is required prior to the hunter training and Part B: Atlantic Hunter Education Course
• Testing: In-Person
• Licence: Outdoors Card Number (OCN)
  > Where to get your Outdoors Card Number: In Person or Online
• Governing Body: New Brunswick Natural Resources and Energy Development

Hunting in Newfoundland and Labrador

• Minimum Age Requirement: 14* to complete training, 16 to hunt small game, 18 to hunt big game.
• Training Options: In-Person* Must complete both CFSC & HE Course
• Testing: In-Person
• Licence: Outdoors Identification Card (OIC)
  > Where to get your Outdoors Identification Card: In Person or Online
• Governing Body: Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries, Forests and Agriculture

Hunting in the Northwest Territories

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: Online or In-Person* by request
• Testing: Online or In-Person
• Licence: General Hunting Licence (GHL)
  > Where to get your General Hunting Licence: In Person
• Governing Body: Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources

Hunting in Nova Scotia

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: Online or In-Person* only available for age 14+
• Testing: In-Person
• Licence: Wildlife Resources Card (WRC)
  > Where to get your Wildlife Resources Card: Online
• Governing Body: Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry

Hunting in Nunavut

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12* to hunt small game, otherwise 16
• Training Options: Online* training and testing is optional
• Testing: Online
• Licence: Harvesting Licence for Small Game, and Harvesting Licence AND species authorization tag(s) to hunt big game.
  > Where to get your Harvesting Licence: In-Person
• Governing Body: Government of Nunavut Department of Environment

Hunting in Ontario

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: Online or In-Person
• Testing: Online
• Licence: Outdoors Card (OC)
  > Where to get your Outdoors Card: In-Person or Online
• Governing Body: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Hunting in Prince Edward Island

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: Online and In-Person* Training consist of 2 components, first online training, then an in-person field day.
  > If you plan to hunt with a bow then you must also complete the Bow Hunter Safety Course; this is done online.
• Testing: Online
• Licence: Prince Edwards Island Wildlife Card
  > Where to get your Prince Edwards Island Wildlife Card: In-Person or Online
• Governing Body: Prince Edwards Island Environment, Energy and Climate Action

Hunting in Quebec

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: In-Person or Online * format of training depends on training required
  > To hunt in Québec, you must hold and carry a valid hunting licence and the hunter’s certificate corresponding to what you plan to hunt with (firearms, crossbow, bow, etc) unless you have an introductory licence
• Testing: *depends on training required based on what you plan to hunt with
• Licence: Québec Hunter Licence and Hunting Certificate
  > Where to get your Québec Hunting Licence: In-Person or Online
• Governing Body: Québec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks

Hunting in Saskatchewan

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: In-Person or Online
• Testing: In-Person
• Licence: Hunting, Angling & Trapping Licence (HAL)
  > Where to get your Hunting, Angling & Trapping Licence: In-Person or Online
• Governing Body: Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment

Hunting in Yukon

• Minimum Age Requirement: 12
• Training Options: In-Person and Online (2 components)
• Testing: In-Person
• Licence: Yukon Hunter Education Card
  > Where to get your Yukon Hunter Education Card: In-Person or Online
• Governing Body: Yukon Department of Environment

It is important to note that any youth who wishes to hunt will need to be accompanied and supervised by a properly licensed adult.

The license which is issued to the hunter upon successful completion of training is often a lifelong licence which allows them to purchase species tags and migratory bird licences. This license could be free, have a one time fee, or an annual fee depending on the region that the licence is issued. These fees are separate from and in addition to your species tags, or any other licenses for hunting specific game animals or game birds.

In some areas, such as in Nova Scotia, Québec, or Prince Edward Island, you may even be required to have additional training if you plan to hunt with a crossbow. This is training is above and beyond the typical Hunter Education Course that is required to obtain your hunting license.

Obtaining your hunting licence is only the very first step in a lifelong education. Hunter education courses are not designed to teach you everything about hunting, rather they are designed to help ensure that you will be a safe, legal and ethical hunter.

Hunting involves a great deal of care and consideration for the animals which you plan to hunt, as well as the environment that you will be hunting in. It’s important that you research the animal that you plan to harvest as thoroughly as possible. You will want to be able to confidently identify the animal to determine if it is of lawful size, age, species or sex. Knowing what the axial sounds like, they eat, where they live, what behaviours they exhibit, what possible diseases they could carry, what does the game care look like, and the list goes on.

On top of that, there are equipment selection and use considerations, and essential safety principles that should be observed.

To assist you in your journey of becoming an ethical and successful hunter, we have created various articles on different hunting and firearms topics that will shorten the time of trying to find what you are looking for. Here are some resources to help you on your journey:

• Firearms and Hunting Terminology
• Common Hunter Education Questions and Answers
• Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations 2020-2021
• Plants to Avoid in the Bush
• Animal Diseases to be Aware of When Hunting
• How to Choose a Rifle Scope
• How to Mount and Install a Scope on a Rifle
• New BC Hunting Regulations
• How to Update Your FWID
• What Animals Can I Hunt?
• What to do After the Shot is Fired
• How to Get a Gun in Canada
• Limited Entry Hunting, LEH
• Legal Shooting Areas in British Columbia and Canada
• Pro-Tips Hunting (Youtube Channel)
• The Silvercore Podcast – A podcast about hunting, firearms, hiking, outdoor adventure, success, health and more with the people and businesses that comprise the community all from a uniquely Canadian perspective.

This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive, but it does give a good basis to start from. We highly recommend that your research and education be an ongoing process, and if there is anything that you would like to see added to the list, give us an call or email and we will create an article, podcast or video so that others can benefit from the sharing of knowledge.

Thanks for reading,

Corrine Owerko