News Releases
Government Home Search Sitemap Contact Us  


August 20, 1999
(Forest Resources and Agrifoods)


1999/2000 Big Game Licence Seasons and Quotas

Kevin Aylward, minister responsible for inland fish and wildlife, announced today the release of the 1999-2000 Newfoundland and Labrador Hunting Guide. The guide contains detailed information on this year's wildlife management plan for provincial game species including the opening and closing dates, hunting and non-hunting zones and other changes related to big game and small game hunting. The guide is being distributed throughout the province at all Government Service Centers and vendor outlets or can be picked up at any office of the Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods. While the following is a summary of this year's seasons and changes, the minister wishes to stress that because the province is divided into various management zones with different opening and closing dates, hunters are strongly advised to consult the Hunting Guide for precise information on each species.

The minister added that a copy of "Our Smiling Land - Government's Vision for the Protection and Use of Newfoundland and Labrador's Outdoor Resources" is included with this year's Hunting Guide. This report was developed following public consultations held last fall and outlines governments commitment to the people of this province through a "Declaration of Rights" to deal with outdoor issues such as ATV use and river specific licences.

LICENCE QUOTAS

On the island, 28,220 moose licences and 6,795 caribou licences are available for the 1999-2000 hunting season. This represents a decrease of 100 moose licences and an increase of 805 caribou licences from the 1998-99 hunting season.

In Labrador, 175 moose licences are available for the 1999-2000 hunting season. This represents no change to the overall quota from the previous hunting season.

Media contact: Cynthia Layden-Barron, Communications, (709) 729-6183.

---------------------------------------
HIGHLIGHTS - BIG GAME

MOOSE - NEWFOUNDLAND

  • Changes to the quotas in moose management areas were published in the 1999 Big Game Licence Application Guide. No further changes have occurred since that time.

  • Moose management sub area 15A has been discontinued. The quota for Area 15 was adjusted to reflect this change and includes the area previously known as 15A.

  • The either-sex licence type and male-only or calf licence type was adjusted in Area 44 to help reach target male:female ratios. However, no changes have occurred to the overall quota for that area.

  • The female-only or calf licence type in Area 31 has been discontinued. The overall quota of 600 licences (now 300 either-sex and 300 male-only or calf) remains unchanged from last year.

  • A significant modification has been made to the boundary line separating moose/black bear management areas 4 and 14 in response to public opinion over the 1998/99 boundary change. The quotas in these areas were also readjusted to reflect the change.

  • A slight modification to the boundary line between Area 40 and 45 has been made that now uses forest access roads instead of a straight line boundary. Hunters are advised to consult the Big Game Hunting Area Map that accompanies the licence for these areas.


CARIBOU-NEWFOUNDLAND

  • Changes to island caribou licence quotas were published in the 1999 Big Game Licence Application Guide. No further changes to the overall quota have occurred since that time.

  • Spring classification surveys for Area 65 have resulted in a change to the types of licence awarded in that area. The original quota of 100 either-sex licences has been changed to 25 either-sex and 75 anterless licences. A manual public draw held on July 15, 1999 helped to determine which hunters who applied and were successful in the computer licence draw held in May/99 would actually receive the antlerless licences and either-sex licences. The adjustment will help improve the adult male component of the herd. Hunters who hold an antlerless licence will be permitted to shoot a caribou that does not display any antler development at all. In most cases, on the Avalon Peninsula, female or juvenile male caribou do not display antlers.


BLACK BEAR - NEWFOUNDLAND

  • The boundary modification noted for moose management areas 4 and 14 and areas 40 and 45 on the island also apply to black bears. The adjustment is reflected in the Big Game Hunting Area Map that accompanies the licence for these areas.

----------------------------------------
BIG GAME SEASONS

MOOSE - NEWFOUNDLAND

Areas 1 to 13, 15 to 27, 37, 39 to
40, 42,43 & 45

Sept. 11, 1999 to Dec. 11, 1999

Area 3A (Harbour Deep residents
only who hold a valid licence)

Feb. 5 -19, 2000

Areas 14, 28 to 36, 38, 41, 44 & 47

Oct. 2, 1999 to Jan. 1, 2000


MOOSE - LABRADOR

Areas 48, 51 to 53A, 57 & 58

Sept. 11, 1999 to Jan. 8, 2000

Areas 49 to 50, 54 to 56 & 85

Sept. 11, 1999 to Mar. 18, 2000

Areas 59 & 60

Sept. 4, 1999 to Mar. 18, 2000


CARIBOU - NEWFOUNDLAND

Areas 61 to 69, 76 to 79

Sept. 11, 1999 to Dec. 11, 1999

Area 70

Sept. 11, 1999 to Sept. 25, 1999

Area 71

Sept. 4, 1999 to Nov. 6, 1999

Area 72

Sept. 11, 1999 to Oct. 9, 1999


CARIBOU - LABRADOR

Torngat Mountains Zone

Aug. 10, 1998 to April 30, 2000

George River Zone

Aug. 10, 1999 to April 30, 2000

Other Zones

To be announced


BLACK BEAR - NEWFOUNDLAND

Areas 2, 5 and 6

Aug. 28, 1999 to Sept. 11, 1999

Areas 3, 4, 7 to 27, 37, 39 to 42

Sept. 11, 1999 to Oct. 30, 1999

Areas 28 to 30

Sept. 11, 1999 to Oct. 2, 1999

Spring Seasons 2000 - All open areas

April 22, 2000 to June 24, 2000


BLACK BEAR - LABRADOR

Torngat Mtns. and George River Zones

Aug. 10, 1999 to Nov. 30, 1999

Labrador South Zone

Sept. 1, 1999 to Nov. 30, 1999

Spring Seasons 1999 - All open areas

April 1, 2000 to June 30, 2000


---------------------------------------
HIGHLIGHTS - SMALL GAME

PTARMIGAN - NEWFOUNDLAND

  • The shooting season for ptarmigan on the Avalon/Swift Current Area (previously known as the Avalon/Burin Area) and Burin area will open on Sept. 18, 1999 and close Oct. 30, 1999. The snaring season for ptarmigan on the island has been extended by one week and will open Oct. 9, 1999 and close Feb. 26, 2000 for those areas where ptarmigan snaring is permitted. Other shooting seasons for ptarmigan on the island are consistent with last year and have been adjusted for Saturday openings and closures.

GROUSE - NEWFOUNDLAND

  • The shooting season for grouse for all open areas on the island has been extended by one week and will open on Sept. 18, 1999 and close Dec. 25, 1999. The snaring season has also been extended by one week which opens on Oct. 9, 1999 and closes Feb. 26, 2000.

SNOWSHOE HARE

  • The shooting and snaring season for snowshoe hare for most open areas on the island, except Little Bay Islands and Great Island, has been extended by one additional week and will now open October 9, 1999 and close February 26, 2000.

MODIFIED SNARING

Efforts to enhance the recovery of the endangered Newfoundland Pine Marten continue in the Northwest Grand Lake area, Red Indian Lake area and Terra Nova area. In the Northwest Grand Lake area and Terra Nova area, mandatory use of the modified snare is required. The Red Indian Lake area will remain open to traditional snaring methods. Snarers in the Terra Nova Area are advised that a boundary adjustment has been made which excludes the area north of Gambo Pond and Riverhead Brook from the original modified snaring boundary. A detailed description of the revised Terra Nova area is provided in the 1999-2000 Hunting Guide.

 

PREVIOUSLY CLOSED AREAS RE-OPENED TO HUNTING

The Loggers School Road/Stag Lake Study Area near Corner Brook and Birchy Island and Sivier Island, Bay of Exploits has been re-opened to small game shooting and snaring. Seasons for these areas are consistent with small game seasons titled island and remainder of island in the 1999-2000 Hunting Guide.

Long Island, Placentia Bay has also been re-opened to small game shooting and snaring and has seasons that are consistent with the areas titled Avalon/Swift Current area and island.

The Department of Tourism Culture and Recreations, Parks and Natural Area Division advises that the provisions which have previously prohibited hunting in the Red Fir Lake Ecological Reserve in western Labrador are now removed. Hunters may hunt game in that area during the open season in which they have a valid game licence.

 

CUT OFF FOR FIREARM SAFETY/HUNTER EDUCATION COURSES

To qualify for the 2000 Big Game Licence Draw, new hunters must complete the Firearms Safety/Hunter Education Course before Nov. 30, 1999. To register for a course, contact a College of the North Atlantic campus near you. For more information, please contact a local Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods office.

 

CRIME STOPPERS

The Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods recently joined forces with the Newfoundland and Labrador Crime Stoppers toll-free hotline. Calls are anonymous and callers may be eligible for a cash reward for information that leads to the conviction of any person charged with illegal hunting, fishing or forestry activity. Poaching is stealing.

Call 1-800-363-TIPS.

 

FEDERAL FIREARMS LEGISLATION

Effective December 1998, new regulations under the Firearms Act require licencing of all gun owners and registration of firearms. As these new regulations replace previous firearms laws, hunters of all ages may be affected. For more information about the new federal firearms regulations, please contact:

Canadian Firearms Centre
1-800-731-4000
Web Site at www.cfc-ccaf.gc.ca

 

MINORS

Newfoundland Wild Life Regulations permit small game and waterfowl hunting starting at age 16 and after graduation from a Firearm Safety/Hunter Education Course. To possess a non-restricted firearm for the purpose of hunting small game or waterfowl, the Firearms Act also requires a person under the age of 18 to:

  1. be under direct or immediate supervision of a person who can lawfully possess a non-restricted firearm (ie. the supervisor is over 18 years of age and can him or herself legally possess firearms).

  2. OR

  3. be in possession of a Minors Licence, available from the Canadian Firearm Centre's toll-free number (1-800-731-4000). All licences are subject to conditions which may include supervision.

MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS

Effective Sept. 1, 1999, Environment Canada regulations require hunters to use non-toxic shot for hunting most migratory birds in ALL areas of Canada. Subject to these regulations, no person shall possess or use shot other than non-toxic shot for the purpose of hunting a migratory game bird, except murres (turrs). Non-toxic shot regulations do not apply to provincial small game including: snowshoe hare, arctic hare (Labrador), ptarmigan or grouse.

 

SUMMARY

The minister strongly encourages all hunters to consult the 1999-2000 Hunting Guide before the beginning of this year's hunting season. The minster added that his department is committed to ensuring that opportunities for hunting and outdoor use continue to exist for the people of this province. "Our province has one of the highest hunter participation rates in Canada and we all have a responsibility to ensure that harvesting wildlife is done in a wise and sustainable manner." He further added his wishes that hunters have a safe and enjoyable hunting season.

For further information, please contact:

John Blake or Chris Baldwin
(709) 729-3509
jblake@wild.dnr.gov.nf.ca
cbaldwin@wild.dnr.gov.nf.ca

1999 08 20         3:55 p.m.


SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us


All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement