Canada Regulation Changes Increase Hunting Opportunity

Waterfowlers can hunt dark geese all day in Saskatchewan, while days were added to Maritimes seasons

Two key changes Delta Waterfowl advocated for will provide additional duck and goose hunting opportunities in Canada beginning in September.

New this season, waterfowl hunters in Saskatchewan can legally hunt Canada geese, cackling geese, and white-fronted geese all day during open shooting hours, which run from a half hour before sunrise through a half hour after sunset. Previously, dark goose hunting ended at noon across much of the province from opening day through mid-October. The new regulations, announced by Environment and Climate Change Canada, are in place for the 2024-2025 season.

Delta Waterfowl submitted a letter to both the provincial and federal governments advocating the regulation change based on our volunteer membership’s interest in expanding the opportunity.

“We’re very excited that the ECCC has decided to allow additional goose hunting opportunity in Saskatchewan,” said Jim Fisher, vice president of Canadian policy for Delta Waterfowl.

Delta Waterfowl played an instrumental role in pushing for full, 107-day season allocations in the Maritimes provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island).

Delta began to advocate for the maximum days allowed for waterfowl hunting about five years ago, Fisher said.

“We’ve been leading the charge to have the Canadian Wildlife Service allocate the full season lengths,” he said. “Opportunity is important to retain our current hunters and recruit new people. The change adds critical extra days in all three Maritimes provinces.”

In addition, waterfowl hunters in Prince Edward Island will have both weekend days available to hunt because the province repealed an outdated law that had banned hunting on Sundays.

“For Islanders, it effectively doubles the opportunities for many hunters—families and students who can only hunt on weekends,” said Brian McRae, Delta director of government affairs for Canada. “Delta—The Duck Hunters Organization—continues to push for opportunities so more people can enjoy hunting. We have worked incredibly hard to advocate for seven-day hunting in all Canadian provinces and jurisdictions.”

Under the new rules, duck season on PEI will run from Oct. 1 to Jan. 15, inclusive of Sundays. The changes add 30 additional days to the season over what PEI hunters had in 2023.

“It’s an especially exciting year for Islanders who not only get a full 107-day season, they also now have seven-day hunting,” Fisher said.

Nova Scotia hunters pick up an additional eight days. The regular duck season in Nova Scotia is Oct. 1 to Jan. 15 in Zone 1, and Oct. 8 to Jan. 22 in Zone 2.

New Brunswick hunters are afforded 15 more days. The general duck season is Oct. 15 to Jan. 29 in Zone 1, and Oct. 1 to Jan. 15 in Zone 2.

For a complete list of Canada’s migratory bird hunting regulations by province, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/migratory-game-bird-hunting/regulations-provincial-territorial-summaries.html — Paul Wait