This consolidation is unofficial and is for reference only.  For the official version of the regulations, consult the original documents on file with the Office of the Registrar of Regulations, or refer to the Royal Gazette Part II.
Regulations are amended frequently.  Please check the list of Regulations by Act to see if there are any recent amendments to these regulations filed with our office that are not yet included in this consolidation.
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Bear Harvesting Regulations

made under subsection 113(1) of the

Wildlife Act

R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 504

O.I.C. 88-349 (effective May 1, 1988), N.S. Reg. 60/1988

amended to O.I.C. 2015-239 (effective July 23, 2015), N.S. Reg. 287/2015



Table of Contents


Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
Click here to go to the text of the regulations.

 

Citation

Definition[s]

Type of licence/fees

Qualifications

Bear hunting open season

Bear snaring open season

Bag limit for bear

[Prohibition—female bear with cubs]

Tagging bear

Snaring bear with partner

Transporting bear

Hunting methods and equipment

Information return

Terms/conditions of licence

Repeal of old regulations

Effective date of new regulations


 


Citation

1        These regulations may be cited as the Bear Harvesting Regulations.


Definition[s]

2        In these regulations

 

                   (a)      “Act” means the Wildlife Act;

 

                   (b)     [repealed]

 

                   (c)      [repealed]

 

                   (ca)    “baiting period” means the period of time when bait may be set out for the purpose of attracting bears;

 

                   (d)     “Bear Hunting Licence” means a valid base licence which has affixed to it a valid Bear Hunting Stamp and a tag;

 

                   (da)    “Bear Hunting Stamp” means a stamp issued by the Department that, when affixed to a valid base licence, confers on the holder the privilege of hunting bear with a weapon in accordance with the Act and regulations;

 

                   (db)   “Bear Snaring Stamp” means a stamp issued by the Department that, when affixed to a valid base licence, confers on the holder the privilege of snaring bear in accordance with the Act and regulations;

 

                   (e)      [repealed]

 

                   (ea)    “cable foot snare” means a cable that is at least 4.75 mm in diameter and is capable of being set to catch and hold a bear by 1 leg only and other devices that assist in placing a loop of the cable around the leg of the bear;

 

                   (f)      “Department” means the Department of Natural Resources;

 

                   (g)     [repealed]

 

                   (h)     “Minister” means the Minister of Natural Resources;

 

                   (i)      “Resident Bear Snaring Licence” means a valid base licence which has affixed to it a valid Bear Snaring Stamp and a tag;

 

                   (j)      “special baiting permit” means a permit issued by the Department permitting the holder to set out bait for the sole purpose of viewing or photographing bear.


Type of licence/fees                                                                                                                  

3        (1)    The Minister may issue a stamp in the following form at the rates stated:

 

                (a)    Resident Bear Hunting Stamp                  $26.57

 

                (b)    Resident Bear Snaring Stamp                   $26.57

 

                (c)    Non-Resident Bear Hunting Stamp          $124.52

 

          (2)    Despite clauses (1)(a) and (1)(b), the Minister may issue a Resident Bear Hunting Stamp or a Resident Bear Snaring Stamp at no charge to a resident who is 65 years of age or older and shows proof of age and residency.

 

          (3)    The Department may issue a special baiting permit at any time during the year at no charge.


Qualifications

4        (1)    Any resident eighteen years of age or over who is certified to hunt with a weapon under the Hunter Education, Safety and Training Regulations made under the Act may apply for a Resident Bear Hunting Licence.

 

          (2)    Any resident eighteen years of age or over who is certified as a qualified fur harvester under the Hunter Education, Safety and Training Regulations made under the Act may apply for a Resident Bear Snaring Licence.

 

          (3)    Any non-resident eighteen years of age or over who is certified to hunt with a weapon under the Hunter Education, Safety and Training Regulations made under the Act may apply for a Non-Resident Bear Hunting Licence.

 

          (4)    It is an offence for a non-resident to snare for bear.

 

          (5)    No Bear Hunting Licence or Bear Snaring Licence shall be issued to any person under the age of sixteen years.

 

          (6)    (a)      Any resident or non-resident over sixteen and under eighteen years of age may apply for a Resident or Non-Resident Bear Hunting Licence and any resident over sixteen and under eighteen years of age may apply for a Resident Bear Snaring Licence provided

 

                              (i)      the appropriate licence is acquired by the parent or guardian of the applicant at the fee prescribed; and

 

                              (ii)     the applicant and the parent or guardian both sign the licence.

 

                   (b)     Any person issued a Bear Hunting Licence or Bear Snaring Licence under clause (a) shall, while hunting or snaring, be under the immediate supervision of the parent or guardian or any other responsible person eighteen years or over who is certified under the Hunter Education, Safety and Training Regulations made under the Act to hunt with a weapon.

 

          (7)    No person shall take, hunt or kill or attempt to take, hunt or kill bear with a weapon unless that person

 

                   (a)      holds a valid Bear Hunting Licence; and

 

                   (b)     is certified to hunt with the weapon under the Hunter Education, Safety and Training Regulations made under the Act.

 

          (8)    No person shall snare for bear unless that person

 

                   (a)      holds a valid Resident Bear Snaring Licence; and

 

                   (b)     is certified as a qualified fur harvester under the Hunter Education, Safety and Training Regulations made under the Act.


Bear hunting open season

5        A person who holds a valid Bear Hunting Licence may take, hunt or kill or attempt to take, hunt or kill the bag limit for hunting bear regardless of sex with a weapon in all counties of the Province within the open season for hunting bear which is defined as the period from the second Monday of September until the end of the general open season for hunting deer specified in the Deer Hunting Regulations in any year, both dates inclusive.


Bear snaring open season

6        A person who holds a valid Resident Bear Snaring Licence may snare the bag limit for snaring bear regardless of sex in all counties of the Province within the open season for snaring bear which is defined as the period from October 1 to the date specified for the end of the general open season for hunting deer in the Deer Hunting Regulations made under the Act, both dates inclusive, including Sundays.


Bag limit for bear

7        (1)    The bag limit for hunting bear with a weapon during the open season for hunting bear is one bear regardless of sex.

 

          (2)    The bag limit for snaring bear during the open season for snaring bear is two bear regardless of sex.

 

          (3)    No person shall take, hunt or kill or attempt to take, hunt or kill or have in their possession a greater number of bear than the bag limits for bear prescribed in these regulations.


[Prohibition—female bear with cubs]

7A     Despite Section 5 and subsection 7(1), no person who holds a Bear Hunting Licence shall take, hunt or kill or attempt to take, hunt or kill a female bear that is accompanied by one or more cubs.


Tagging bear

8        (1)    When the holder of a Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence kills a bear, that person shall immediately

 

                   (a)      detach from the Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence issued to that person the tag which forms part of the licence; and

 

                   (b)     indicate the date of kill on the Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence by cutting out both the outlined areas showing respectively the day and month of the kill.

 

          (2)    Subject to subsection (3), the holder of a valid Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence shall ensure that the detached tag remains in or upon the bear carcass until it is prepared for consumption.

 

          (3)    The holder of a valid Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence may keep the detached tag on their person provided the holder stays with the bear at all times while it is being transported.

 

          (4)    Except as provided in Section 8A for snaring bear in partnership, no person shall take, hunt, kill or snare or attempt to take, hunt, kill or snare a bear after the tag has been detached from the Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence issued to that person.


Snaring bear with partner

8A     (1)    In this Section, “partner” means a person snaring bear in partnership with another person in accordance with this Section.

 

          (2)    To snare bear in partnership, a person who holds a valid Resident Bear Snaring Licence must notify the Department in writing that they are snaring bear in partnership with another holder of a valid Resident Bear Snaring Licence named in the notice.

 

          (3)    A person may tend bear snares set by their partner.

 

          (4)    A person tending their partner’s snares must

 

                   (a)      carry their partner’s Resident Bear Snaring Licence with them while tending the snares; and

 

                   (b)     complete the necessary tagging requirements on behalf of their partner in accordance with these regulations.


Transporting bear

9        (1)    No person shall be in possession of or transport a bear carcass killed by another person unless

 

                   (a)      it is possessed or transported during the open season when the bear was taken or one day immediately thereafter;

 

                   (b)     the bear carcass has attached to it the tag of the valid Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence issued to the person who killed the bear.

 

                   (c)      [repealed]

 

          (2)    No person who kills a bear shall permit it to be transported by another person without complying with this Section.

 

          (4)    [repealed]

 

          (5)    [repealed]


Hunting methods and equipment

10      (1)    (a)      No person shall snare for bear except with a cable foot snare.

 

                   (b)     No person shall snare for bear within 100 feet of the boundaries of any common or public highway.

 

                   (c)      No person who has set a snare for bear shall fail to examine it at least once every day.

 

                   (d)     For the purpose of these regulations, “day” is defined as the time period between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m.

 

          (2)    No person shall set out bait for the purpose of attracting bears within the distances prohibited under the Firearm and Bow Regulations made under the Act for discharging a weapon near a school, dwelling or any other place listed in those regulations, unless the person has the consent of the owner or occupier of the place.

 

          (3)    [repealed]

 

          (4)    [repealed]

 

          (5)    [repealed]


Information return

11      The holder of a Bear Hunting Licence or a Resident Bear Snaring Licence shall, not later than 2 weeks after the end of the season for which the licence was issued,

 

                   (a)      complete and return to an area office of the Department an information return as required by the Minister; and

 

                   (b)     where the licence holder has killed a bear, submit the lower jawbone or skull of the bear to an area office of the Department for extraction of a pre-molar tooth together with the completed information return required under clause (a).


Terms/conditions of licence

12      It shall be an offence for any person to contravene any term or condition contained on a Bear Hunting Licence or Resident Bear Snaring Licence.

 

13      [repealed]


Repeal of old regulations

14      Regulations made by Order in Council 87-959 dated the 18th day of August, 1987, respecting the snaring of bear are rescinded as and from the 1st day of May, 1988.


Effective date of new regulations

15      These regulations shall come into force on and after the 1st day of May, 1988.




 

 


Legislative History
Reference Tables

Bear Harvesting Regulations

N.S. Reg. 60/1988

Wildlife Act

Note:  The information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the Bear Harvesting Regulations made under the Wildlife Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

60/1988

May 1, 1988

date specified

Apr 21, 1988

90/1989

Jul 1, 1989

date specified

Jul 27, 1989

181/1990

Jul 15, 1990

date specified

Jul 27, 1990

166/1991

Jul 15, 1991

date specified

Jul 26, 1991

148/1992

Jul 15, 1992

date specified

Aug 7, 1992

137/1994

Aug 17, 1994

date specified

Sep 2, 1994

89/1995

Jun 20, 1995

date specified

Jul 7, 1995

116/1996

July 1, 1996

date specified

Jul 19, 1996

105/1997

Jul 1, 1997

date specified

Aug 15, 1997

60/1999

Jul 15, 1999

date specified

Jun 18, 1999

77/2001

Jun 22, 2001

date specified

Jul 13, 2001

103/2003

May 1, 2003

date specified

May 16, 2003

120/2004

Apr 1, 2004

date specified

Apr 6, 2004

116/2005

Jun 9, 2005

date specified

Jun 24, 2006

154/2006

Aug 17, 2006

date specified

Sep 1, 2006

167/2007

Apr 1, 2007

date specified

Mar 30, 2007

222/2008

Apr 1, 2008

date specified

Apr 18, 2008

379/2008

Sep 9, 2008

date specified

Sept 26, 2008

161/2009

Apr 1, 2009

date specified

Apr 14, 2009

85/2010

Jun 22, 2010

date specified

Jul 16, 2010

137/2011

Apr 1, 2011

date specified

Apr 15, 2011

165/2013

Apr 1, 2013

date specified

Apr 12, 2013

240/2013

Jun 25, 2013

date specified

Jul 12, 2013

165/2015

Apr 1, 2015

date specified

Apr 8, 2015

287/2015

Jul 23, 2015

date specified

Aug 7, 2015

 

The following regulations are not yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added

am. = amended

fc. = fee change

ra. = reassigned

rep.=repealed

rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

2(a)...................................................

am. 148/1992

2(b)...................................................

rep. 116/2005

2(c)...................................................

rs. 137/1994; rep. 85/2010

2(ca)..................................................

ad. 137/1994; rs. 85/2010

2(d)...................................................

rs. 60/1999

2(da)-(db).........................................

ad. 60/1999

2(e)...................................................

rep. 154/2006

2(ea)..................................................

ad. 116/2005

2(f)....................................................

am. 148/1992

2(g)...................................................

rep. 154/2006

2(h)...................................................

am. 148/1992

2(i)....................................................

rs. 60/1999

2(j)....................................................

ad. 137/1994; rs. 85/2010

3 ........................................................

ra. from 3(1) 60/1999; ra. as 3(1) 116/2005

3(a)-(c)........................................

fc. 120/2004

3(1)..............................................

rs. 90/1989; am. 60/1999; ra. as 3 60/1999; ra. from 3 116/2005

3(1)(a)-(c)....................................

am. 60/1999; fc. 167/2007, 222/2008, 161/2009, 137/2011, 165/2013, 165/2015

3(2)...................................................

rep. 60/1999; ad. 116/2005

3(2)(a)..........................................

am. 89/1995

3(3)...................................................

ad. 85/2010

4(1)...................................................

am. 154/2006

4(2)...................................................

am. 137/1994, 154/2006

4(3)...................................................

am. 154/2006

4(5)...................................................

am. 137/1994

4(6)(a)...............................................

am. 137/1994

4(6)(b)...............................................

am. 137/1994, 154/2006, 85/2010

4(7)...................................................

rs. 154/2006

4(7)(b).........................................

am. 85/2010

4(8)...................................................

rs. 154/2006

5........................................................

ra. from 5(1) 105/1997; am. 105/1997, 103/2003, 287/2015

5(1)1.............................................

am. 181/1990, 166/1991, 89/1995; ra. as 5 105/1997

6........................................................

am. 148/1992, 116/2005, 379/2008

7(2)...................................................

am. 85/2010

7A.....................................................

ad. 103/2003

8(4)...................................................

am. 379/2008

8A.....................................................

ad. 379/2008

9(1)(b)...............................................

am. 90/1989, 60/1099

9(1)(c)...............................................

rep. 60/1999

9(2)...................................................

rep. 60/1999

9(2)...................................................

ra. from 9(3) 60/1999

9(3)...................................................

ra. as 9(2) 60/1999

9(4)-(5).............................................

rep. 60/1999

10(1)(a).............................................

am. 116/2005

10(1)(c).............................................

am. 90/1989

10(1)(d).............................................

ad. 90/1989

10(2).................................................

rs. 85/2010

10(2)(a)........................................

rs. 137/1994

10(2)(b).......................................

ra. as 10(2)(c) 137/1994

10(2)(b).......................................

ad. 137/1994; am. 77/2001

10(2)(c)........................................

ra. as 10(2)(d) 137/1994

10(2)(c)........................................

ra. from 10(2)(b) 137/1994

10(2)(d).......................................

ra. from 10(2)(c) 137/1994

10(2)(e)........................................

ad. 137/1994

10(2)(f)........................................

ad. 116/1996; rs. 77/2001

10(2)(g).......................................

ad. 116/1996

10(3).................................................

ad. 166/1991; ra. as 10(5) 137/1994

10(3).................................................

ad. 137/1994; rs. 85/2010; rep. 240/2013

10(4).................................................

ad. 137/1994; rs. 85/2010; rep. 240/2013

10(4)(b).......................................

am. 103/2003

10(5).................................................

ra. from 10(3) 137/1994; am. 103/2003; rep. 85/2010

11......................................................

rs. 89/1995, 77/2001

13......................................................

rep. 105/1997

“firearm and bow” replaced throughout with “weapon”...............................

am. 85/2010

“firearm or bow” replaced throughout with “weapon”...............................

am. 85/2010

Note that changes to headings are not included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections:

 

Note

Effective
date

1

Original text does not include any other subsections in s. 5.

 

2

References to the Minister and Department of Lands and Forests should be read as references to the Minister and Department of Natural Resources in accordance with O.I.C. 1991-971 under the Public Service Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 376. (corrected by N.S. Reg. 148/1992)

Sep 16, 1991

3

References to the Minister and Department of Natural Resources should be read as references to the Minister and Department of Lands and Forestry in accordance with O.I.C. 2018-188 under the Public Service Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 376.

Jul 5, 2018

4

References to the Minister and Department of Natural Resources should be read as references to the Minister and Department of Natural Resources and Renewables in accordance with O.I.C. 2021-210 under the Public Service Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 376.

Aug 31, 2021

Repealed and Superseded:

N.S.
Regulation

Title

In force
date

Repealed
date

126/1980

Regulations Respecting Black Bear made under the Lands and Forests Act

Aug 15, 1980

Aug 19, 1987

168/1987

Bear Snaring Regulations made under the Lands and Forests Act

Aug 19, 1987

May 1, 1988

Note:  Only regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this table.  It may not reflect the entire history of regulations on this subject matter.

 

 


Webpage last updated: 10-05-2022