In Canada, fishing and hunting regulations are overseen by the territorial or provincial governments, with the exception of tidal fishing, which is overseen by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. What this means, simply, is that each area of Canada has its own set of rules and regulations, as well as licensing procedures, when it comes to these outdoor recreational pursuits. All of the provinces and territories have regulations available year round for both fishing and hunting which include information on how to go about purchasing a license. An important factor to note for anyone living outside of the country, and in some cases even outside of the province or territory, is that in order to hunt or (rarely) to fish legally, you must be accompanied by a guide registered within that province or territory. In most cases, this will mean that your outfitter can make sure you have done everything necessary for a legal hunting or fishing trip, but if you are just looking to do a little research on what the different provinces or territories have to offer, here are some places to look.

Internet Every single province and every single territory has a website which includes all major governmental departments. This means that a quick search of the site will allow you to find a complete fishing or hunting synopsis, which includes information not only on species and seasons, but also on specialty hunts and the costs of different licenses. The easiest way to get to these sites is through a quick search on any of the big engines, with the keywords “hunting regulations in (province or territory)”. The search is guaranteed to yield up useful results on the very first page, just be sure to double check and make sure that the synopsis you are looking at is for the current year.

Phone The governments of the territories and provinces all operate out of legislative buildings, and there will be government buildings within many different cities and towns where further information can be gathered. These buildings can be reached by phone, but this method is not as convenient as the internet, which can be accessed 24/7.

Your outfitter One of the best ways to keep abreast of license information within any province is through an outfitter that operates within the province. Provinces and territories only license outfitters to operate after they have been strictly examined, and thus they are aware of all of the regulations regarding hunting and licensing within their territories. They can be a wealth of information when it comes to keeping track of licenses and permits, and what type of forms need to be filled out in order to hunt, fish, or carry firearms within a given jurisdiction.

The most important thing to keep in mind when looking for licenses in for fishing or hunting in any Canadian province or territory is that the procedure, cost, and seasons are bound to be different depending on where you are going. What tends to be the same all across the country is that residents from other countries must have a guide when it comes to big game, with various stipulations from province to province for small game, birds, and fishing. The procedure I would recommend is first to look up the regulations in their PDF form on the internet, in order to find out where you would like to go and what kind of price you can expect to pay for your license. Then, depending on species, look for a solid outfitter with a good reputation for organization; once you secure a guide, the rest of the trip takes care of itself.