News Release Archive
NEWS RELEASE (CNS602) -->> NATURAL RESOURCES--DEER HUNTING SEASON DATES ANNOUNCED NATURAL RESOURCES--DEER HUNTING SEASON DATES ANNOUNCED ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dates for the 1996 general open season for hunting deer have been announced by Natural Resources Minister Eleanor Norrie. The six-week season starts Friday, Oct. 25 and will close on Saturday, Dec. 7. Hunting is not permitted on Sundays. "The buck law, which allows each hunter to take only one male, antlered deer, remains in effect again this year," said Mrs. Norrie. "This conservation measure will continue to help restock the deer herd, which had been declining until the buck law was introduced in 1993." There is no increase in licence fees this year. A resident deer hunting licence costs $21, plus GST. The fee for non-resident hunters is $100, plus GST. Resident senior citizens are not charged for their licences. The last increase in fees was in 1992. Moose hunting season, in Victoria and Inverness counties only, opens Oct. 14 and runs 12 days until Oct. 26. Two hundred moose licences were available by lottery in June. There is a bag limit of one moose per hunter. "I encourage all hunters to make safety a top priority again this season," said Mrs. Norrie. "Nova Scotia has an excellent hunter safety record, with no hunting fatalities for three consecutive years. Last year, with only five minor injury accidents, was one of the safest seasons on record." Since hunter safety education courses became mandatory in Nova Scotia in 1980, there has been a 50 per cent reduction in the number of accidents and fatalities. First-time hunters are required to take a hunting safety course, which includes both the federal Canadian Firearm Safety Course and the provincial hunter safety component. Survival training is part of the provincial program. To register for these courses, individuals should contact local offices of the Department of Natural Resources. Summaries of the 1996 hunting and fur harvesting regulations are available at local offices of the Department of Natural Resources and from licence vendors. -30- Contact: Blain Henshaw 902-424-5252 trp Oct. 04, 1996 - 4:30 p.m.