Moose Hunting Regulations
made under Section 113 of the
Wildlife Act
R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 504
O.I.C. 88-405 (effective May 1, 1988), N.S. Reg. 90/1988
amended to O.I.C. 2016-102 (effective April 19, 2016), N.S. Reg. 74/2016
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
Definitions
Qualifications
Moose draw[, stamp] and licence
[Companion licensees]
Moose hunting stamps for special fundraising events
Open season for moose
Tagging and reporting
Storage permit
Transfer of moose carcass
Hunting methods and equipment
Terms/conditions of licence
Penalty
Repeal of old regulations
Effective date of new regulations
Schedule A
Moose Management Zones
Moose Management Zone 1
Moose Management Zone 2
Moose Management Zone 3
Moose Management Zone 4
Moose Management Zone 5
Citation
1 These regulations may be cited as the Moose Hunting Regulations.
Definitions
2 In these regulations
(a) “Act” means the Wildlife Act;
(aa) “companion licensee” means the holder of a valid companion moose
hunting licence;
(ab) “companion moose hunting licence” means a valid base licence which has
affixed to it a valid companion moose hunting stamp;
(ac) “companion moose hunting stamp” means a stamp issued by the
Department that, when affixed to a valid base licence, confers on the holder
the privilege of assisting the holder of a valid moose hunting licence, who
nominated him or her, in hunting moose in accordance with the Act and
regulations;
(b) “Department” means the Department of Natural Resources;
(ba) “hailing distance” means a distance that permits effective and clear 2-way
communication and is not farther than 2 km;
(c) “Minister” means the Minister of Natural Resources;
(d) “moose hunting licence” means a valid base licence which has affixed to it
a valid moose hunting stamp;
(da) “moose 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
moose in accordance with the Act and regulations;
(db) “Moose Management Zone” means an area of the Province described in
Schedule A;
(e) “storage permit” means a permit issued under these regulations permitting
the holder thereof to store the meat of a moose during the closed season for
moose;
(ea) “weapon” means a weapon as defined in the Firearm and Bow Regulations
made under the Wildlife Act;
(f) “Wildlife Resources Card” means a card issued to an individual under the
General Wildlife Regulations made under the Act.
Qualifications
3 (1) Any person
(a) who will be eighteen years of age or older on the third Monday in
September;
(b) whose hunting privileges under the Act have not been revoked;
(c) who is a resident as defined in the Act; and
(d) who has not held a moose hunting stamp in the past five years,
may apply for a moose hunting stamp by completing an application form provided
by the Department or by way of an electronic application process established by
the Department.
(2) An application for a moose hunting stamp shall be in a manner prescribed by the
Minister and shall include the applicant’s Wildlife Resources Card , the Moose
Management Zone and season applied for number and any additional information
required by the Minister.
(3) A non-refundable administration fee of $11.70 with a paper application form or
$8.04 with an electronic application shall be remitted with an application for a
moose hunting stamp.
(4) An application for a moose hunting stamp must be received by the Department not
later than the date determined by the Minister.
(5) During any calendar year, a person may apply for only the following number of
moose hunting stamps:
(a) 1 moose hunting stamp to hunt in Moose Management Zone 1, 2, 3 or 4;
and
(b) 1 moose hunting stamp to hunt in Moose Management Zone 5.
(6) An application form which is defaced or incomplete in any way is void and shall
not be considered as a valid application for a moose hunting stamp.
Moose draw[, stamp] and licence
4 (1) The Minister may determine, on an annual basis, the number of moose hunting
stamps to be issued in each Moose Management Zone.
(1A) The Minister may issue moose hunting stamps to persons selected on a random
basis from the total number of valid applications received for each Moose
Management Zone, and each stamp shall specify the zone and season for which the
stamp is valid.
(1B) An applicant who is selected under subsection (1A) for more than 1 moose hunting
stamp must choose which stamp they want issued to them, and forfeits any
entitlement to the stamp not chosen or compensation in lieu of the stamp not
chosen.
(2) A successful applicant shall be notified in writing that the applicant will be issued
a moose hunting stamp provided the applicant pays a fee of $66.30.
(3) The Minister may cancel a moose hunting stamp issued in error and the person to
whom the moose hunting stamp is issued shall have no claim for damages or
compensation other than the refund of any fee paid.
(4) [repealed]
(5) No person shall take, hunt or kill or attempt to take, hunt or kill moose unless that
person
(a) holds a valid moose hunting licence or a valid companion moose hunting
stamp and is hunting in the Moose Management Zone and during the open
season specified on the stamp; and
(b) is certified under the Hunter Education, Safety and Training Regulations
made under the Act as qualified to hunt with the weapon to be used.
[Companion licensees]
4A (1) The holder of a valid moose hunting licence may, by notice in writing to the
Minister, nominate a maximum of 4 persons
(a) who are 16 years of age or over;
(b) who are certified to hunt with under the Hunter Education, Safety and
Training Regulations made under the Act as qualified to hunt with the
weapon to be used and whose hunting privileges under the Act have not
been revoked; and
(c) who are residents as defined in the Act,
to be companion licensees.
(2) The notice required by subsection (1) shall
(a) contain the name, signature, mailing address, telephone number and
Wildlife Resources Card number of each proposed companion licensee;
(b) contain the name, signature, mailing address, telephone number and moose
hunting licence number of the moose hunting licence holder to be assisted;
and
(c) be accompanied by the fee required in subsection (4).
(3) Subject to subsections (1) and (2), the Minister shall issue a companion moose
hunting stamp to each person nominated to be a companion licensee.
(4) The fee for a companion moose hunting stamp is $24.96.
(5) All activities requiring a moose hunting licence that are performed by a companion
licensee are deemed conducted as agent of and in the name of the moose hunting
licence holder.
(6) No companion licensee shall take, hunt or kill or attempt to take, hunt or kill
moose unless the companion licensee is accompanied by and within hailing
distance of the moose hunting licence holder.
Moose hunting stamps for special fundraising events
4B Despite Sections 3 and 4, the Minister may issue a moose hunting stamp as a result of a
special fundraising event approved by the Minister for which the Minister has made a
moose hunting stamp available, to a person who is 18 years of age or older and whose
hunting privileges have not been revoked.
Open season for moose
5 (1) In all Moose Management Zones, there shall be the following open seasons for
hunting moose:
(a) the period from the last Monday in September until the following Saturday
in any year; and
(b) the period from the first Monday in October until the following Saturday in
any year.
(1A) In Moose Management Zones 1 and 5, there shall be a winter open season for
hunting moose from the second Tuesday in December until the following Thursday
in any year.
(1B) In Moose Management Zone 5, there shall be the following open seasons for
hunting moose:
(a) the period from the second Monday in October to the following Saturday in
any year;
(b) the period from the third Monday in October to the following Saturday in
any year;
(c) the period from the fourth Monday in October to the following Saturday in
any year;
(d) the period from the Monday following the fourth Monday in October to the
following Saturday in any year.
(1C) The bag limit for hunting moose is 1 moose regardless of sex.
(2) Except as provided by the Act or the regulations, no person shall take, hunt or kill
or attempt to take, hunt or kill a moose other than during an open season for
hunting moose.
(3) No person shall take, hunt or kill or attempt to take, hunt or kill or have in their
possession a greater number of moose than the total bag limit prescribed in these
regulations.
6 [repealed]
Tagging and reporting
7 (1) Whether a moose is killed by the moose hunting licence holder or companion
licensee, the moose hunting licence holder shall, immediately after the moose has
been killed and prior to transporting the moose, securely lock a tag issued by the
Department to each quarter of the moose.
(2) No person shall transport a moose or any portion thereof before affixing the tags in
accordance with subsection (1).
(3) The holder of a moose hunting licence under the authority of which a moose has
been killed shall, not later than two weeks after the end of the open season in
which the moose was killed, deliver the lower jawbone of the moose to a district
office of the Department.
(4) The holder of a moose hunting licence who kills a moose shall, not later than two
weeks after the end of the open season for which the moose hunting licence was
issued, and whether or not the holder of the moose hunting licence killed a moose,
complete and return to a district office of the Department the Moose Hunter Report
Form as prescribed by the Minister.
(5) Any person who fails to comply with subsections (3) or (4) is prohibited from
applying for a moose hunting licence for a period of seven years from the date of
the failure to comply.
Storage permit
8 (1) Where a moose has been killed under the authority of a moose hunting licence, the
moose hunting licence and companion moose hunting licences issued to the
persons who killed the moose shall serve as valid storage permits authorizing those
persons to possess meat from the carcass until July 31 of the year next following.
(2) The Department may renew a storage permit after July 31st of the year next
following.
Transfer of moose carcass
9 (1) Where a moose has been killed under the authority of a moose hunting licence and
Section 7 has been complied with, the moose hunting licence holder may transfer
not more than 15 pounds of moose meat to the occupants of another household
who may possess the moose meat without a storage permit until July 31st of the
year next following the kill of the moose.
(2) Where a moose has been killed, neither the moose hunting licence holder nor the
companion licensee shall transfer more than 15 pounds of moose meat to the
occupants of another household unless
(a) the Department is provided with one copy of the storage permit issued
under Section 8 and the name and address of the person or persons who are
to receive the moose meat and the number of pounds to be transferred to
each person; and
(b) the person who is to receive the moose meat is the holder of a storage
permit issued by the Department which is valid until July 31st of the year
next following the kill of the moose.
(3) The Department may renew a storage permit issued under these regulations.
(4) No person shall possess more than 15 pounds of meat unless that person holds a
valid storage permit issued by the Department.
(5) After July 31st of the year next following the kill of the moose, it shall be an
offence for any person to possess moose meat without a valid storage permit issued
by the Department.
(6) For purposes of subsections (1), (2) and (4), the possession of moose meat in any
one household is limited to 15 pounds regardless of the number of occupants of a
household.
Hunting methods and equipment
10 (1) Notwithstanding the Firearm and Bow Regulations, no person while hunting
moose shall possess a bow with a draw weight of less than 50 pounds within the
archer’s draw length.
(2) A person who does not hold a valid moose hunting licence or a companion moose
hunting stamp shall not possess a bow, crossbow, rifle, slug or ball when
accompanying a person who is legally hunting moose.
11 [repealed]
Terms/conditions of licence
12 It shall be an offence for any person to contravene any term or condition contained on a
moose hunting licence.
Penalty
13 A person convicted of an offence under subsection 4(5) of these regulations is liable to a
fine of not less than one thousand five hundred dollars and not more than two thousand
dollars.
Repeal of old regulations
14 Regulations made by Order in Council 86-476 dated the 5th day of May, 1986, as
amended by Order in Council 87-708 dated the 9th day of June, 1987, respecting the
hunting of moose, are rescinded as of 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.
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Schedule A—Moose Management Zones
Moose Management Zone 1
Moose Management Zone 1 includes certain lands within Nova Scotia and is more particularly
described as follows:
Beginning at a point where the northern boundary of The Cape Breton Highlands National Park
meets the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) of the northern shoreline of Neils Harbour;
Thence, in a generally westerly direction following the northern boundary of the said Park
across the northern peninsula of Cape Breton Island to the OHWM of the Gulf of St. Lawrence
at the mouth of the MacKenzie River;
Thence, in a northerly direction along the OHWM of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape St.
Lawrence;
Thence, in an easterly direction along the OHWM of the Cabot Strait and Bay St. Lawrence to
Money Point;
Thence, in a southerly direction along the OHWM of Aspy Bay, Cabot Strait and Neils
Harbour to the point of beginning. Together with all inshore and offshore islands, and including
all harbours, bays, coves, rivers and inlets.
Saving and excepting all lands located in Moose Management Zone 5.
Moose Management Zone 2
Moose Management Zone 2 includes certain lands within Nova Scotia and comprises parcels
“A” and “B”, being more particularly described as follows:
Parcel “A”
Beginning at a point where the southern boundary of The Cape Breton Highlands National
Park meets the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) of the western shoreline of South Bay
Ingonish;
Thence, in a generally westerly direction along the southern boundary of the said Park across
the northern peninsula of Cape Breton Island to the OHWM of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the
mouth of the Cheticamp River;
Thence, in a generally southerly direction along the OHWM of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the
mouth of the Margaree River;
Thence, in a southeasterly direction along OHWM of the southern shoreline of the Margaree
River to the Cabot Trail;
Thence, in a southerly and easterly direction along the Cabot Trail to North East Margaree at a
point where the road southerly from Kingross meets the Cabot Trail;
Thence, in a northerly direction along the said Kingross Road a distance of approximately
4.5 km to Margaree Valley at a point where the Frasers Mountain Road to the Highlands joins
the said Kingross Road;
Thence, in a generally easterly direction along the said Frasers Mountain Road to the point
where it meets the main road in the Highlands running northerly from Hunters Mountain;
Thence, in a northerly direction along the main road through the Highlands a distance of
approximately 2.5 km to a secondary road just past the Middle Branch North River, the said
road leading easterly to the MacDonalds Mountain fire tower;
Thence, in an easterly and northerly direction along the said secondary road a distance of
approximately 11 km to the point where it crosses the Barachois River;
Thence, in a generally southeasterly direction downstream along the said River to the point
where the said River meets the OHWM of St. Anns Bay;
Thence, in a northeasterly direction along the OHWM of St. Anns Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
to Stanley Point at the northerly edge of Cape Smokey;
Thence, westerly along the OHWM of the southern and western shorelines of South Bay
Ingonish to the point of beginning. Together with all inshore and offshore islands, and
including all harbours, bays, coves, rivers and inlets .
Parcel “B”
Beginning at a point where the southern boundary of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park
(CBHNP), just to the north of Ingonish, meets the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) of the
Atlantic Ocean;
Thence, in a westerly, southerly and easterly direction following the said boundary of the
CBHNP, and enclosing the communities of Ingonish Centre and Ingonish, and the surrounding
area, to a point where the said boundary meets the OHWM of the Clyburn Brook;
Thence, in an easterly direction downstream along the OHWM of the Clyburn Brook to the
point where the said Brook meets the OHWM of North Bay Ingonish.
Thence, in a generally westerly, northerly, easterly and northerly direction following the
OHWM of the western shoreline of North Bay Ingonish and the Atlantic Ocean to the point of
beginning. Together with all inshore and offshore islands, and including all harbours, bays,
coves, rivers and inlets.
Moose Management Zone 3
Moose Management Zone 3 includes certain lands within Nova Scotia and is more particularly
described as follows:
Beginning at a point where the Barachois River meets the ordinary high water mark (OHWM)
of the western shoreline of St. Anns Bay;
Thence, in a southerly and easterly direction following the OHWM of the western, southern
and eastern shorelines of St. Anns Bay to Cape Dauphin;
Thence, easterly in a straight line across the mouth of The Great Bras d’Or to Table Head;
Thence, easterly along the OHWM of the Atlantic Ocean to the county boundary between
Victoria and Cape Breton Counties;
Thence, in a generally southwesterly direction along the said County boundary across
Boularderie Island and the waters of St. Andrews Channel to a point where the waters of the St.
Andrews Channel join the waters of the Great Bras d’Or;
Thence, northwesterly in a straight line to a point midway between McKay Point to the south
and Red Head to the north;
Thence, in a westerly direction along the centre line of St. Patricks Channel to the mouth of
Nyanza Bay;
Thence, northerly and easterly along the centre line of Nyanza Bay to the mouth of the Baddeck
River;
Thence, upstream along the centre of Baddeck River to its intersection with the centre line of
Highway No. 105;
Thence, northwesterly along the said Highway to its intersection with the Cabot Trail;
Thence, northerly along the Cabot Trail to North East Margaree at a point where the road
southerly from Kingross meets the Cabot Trail;
Thence, in a northerly direction along the said Kingross Road a distance of approximately
4.5 km to Margaree Valley at a point where the Frasers Mountain Road to the Highlands joins
the said Kingross Road;
Thence, in a generally easterly direction along the said Frasers Mountain Road to the point
where it meets the main road in the Highlands running northerly from Hunters Mountain;
Thence, in a northerly direction along the main road through the Highlands a distance of
approximately 2.5 km to a secondary road just past the Middle Branch North River, the said
road leading easterly to the MacDonalds Mountain fire tower;
Thence, in an easterly and northerly direction along the said secondary road a distance of
approximately 11 km to the point where it crosses the Barachois River;
Thence, in a generally southeasterly direction downstream along the said River to the point
where the said River meets the OHWM of St. Anns Bay at the point of beginning. Together
with all inshore and offshore islands, and including all harbours, bays, coves, rivers and inlets.
Moose Management Zone 4
Moose Management Zone 4 includes certain lands within Nova Scotia and is more particularly
described as follows:
Beginning at a point where the centre of Baddeck River intersects with the centre line of
Highway No. 105;
Thence, northwesterly along the said Highway to its intersection with the Cabot Trail;
Thence, in a northerly, westerly and northerly direction along the Cabot Trail to the point where
the Cabot Trail intersects the western shoreline of the Margaree River near Margaree Harbour;
Thence, northerly along the said western shoreline to the ordinary high water mark (OHWM)
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence;
Thence, in a generally southerly direction along the OHWM of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to
Hefferman Point on the northeastern shoreline of the Strait of Canso;
Thence, in a southeasterly direction along the OHWM of the northeastern shoreline of the Strait
of Canso to Grant Point near the mouth of Ship Harbour;
Thence, in a southeasterly direction along the OHWM of the northeastern shoreline of Ship
Harbour to the county boundary between Inverness and Richmond Counties;
Thence, northeasterly along the said County boundary to the point where it meets the OHWM
of West Bay;
Thence, northerly along the said County boundary across the waters of West Bay and The Bras
d’Or Lake to the county boundary line between Victoria and Cape Breton Counties;
Thence, in a northeasterly direction along the Victoria-Cape Breton County boundary through
the Barra Strait to a point where the waters of the St. Andrews Channel join the waters of the
Great Bras d’Or;
Thence, northwesterly in a straight line to a point midway between McKay Point to the south
and Red Head to the north;
Thence, in a westerly direction along the centre line of St. Patricks Channel to the mouth of
Nyanza Bay;
Thence, northerly and easterly along the centre line of Nyanza Bay to the mouth of the Baddeck
River;
Thence, upstream along the centre of the Baddeck River to its intersection with the centre line
of Highway No. 105 at the point of beginning. Together with all inshore and offshore islands,
and including all harbours, bays, coves, rivers and inlets.
Moose Management Zone 5
Moose Management Zone 5 includes certain lands within Nova Scotia known as the Pollets
Cove-Aspy Fault Wilderness Area, as designated under subsection 11(2) of the Wilderness
Areas Protection Act and described in Schedule B to that Act.