The Newfoundland and Labrador Regulation 76/25, known as the Open Seasons Hunting and Trapping Order for 2025-2026, establishes detailed rules governing the legal hunting and trapping of fur-bearing animals, big game, small game, and coyotes within the province. Issued under the authority of the Wild Life Regulations and the Wild Life Act, the Order applies to both the Island of Newfoundland and the Labrador region, with open seasons varying by species, location, and in some cases, hunting method. It reinforces that no person may hunt or trap without holding a valid species-specific licence for the designated area and without adhering to the prescribed open season dates.

For fur-bearing animals in Labrador, open seasons are divided into the Labrador North and South Fur Zones. Key dates for species like beaver, fox, lynx, marten, mink, muskrat, otter, squirrel, and wolf vary between the two zones, generally running from mid-October or November into late winter or spring, with longer seasons for aquatic species like beaver and muskrat. Special provisions govern wolf hunting, requiring the surrender of jawbones or skulls to the Wildlife Division by May 15, 2026. On the Island of Newfoundland, open seasons for similar species are generally shorter, beginning in late October or November and closing by late winter.

For big game, Labrador’s black bear season runs from August 10 to November 30, 2025, and again from April 1 to July 13, 2026, excluding national park areas. On the Island, black bear hunting is permitted from September 13 to November 9, 2025, and from May 1 to July 15, 2026, with an earlier bow-only season in late August and early September. There is no open caribou season in Labrador for conservation reasons, while in Newfoundland, specific caribou management areas have defined seasons between mid-September and early December, with an earlier bow season for most areas. Moose hunting in Labrador runs from mid-September to early March, with a bow season in late August and early September. On the Island, moose seasons run from September 13 to December 31, 2025, with a similar bow season, and there is a prohibition on hunting predominantly white moose in a specified management area. Polar bear hunting in a defined Labrador coastal area is allowed from February 1 to June 30, 2026.

Small game regulations in Labrador allow shooting of species like Arctic hare, snowshoe hare, ptarmigan, grouse, porcupine, and red squirrel from October 1, 2025, to spring 2026, with corresponding but slightly shorter snaring seasons ending in March. In Newfoundland, small game seasons vary by species and location. Snowshoe hare and red squirrel seasons typically begin in early October, with some island-specific exceptions and end dates ranging from early November to March. Ptarmigan seasons start in September and differ by management area, with the longest extending to early December. Grouse hunting generally runs from September 20 to late December.

By varying open seasons across species, regions, and hunting methods, and by imposing mandatory reporting and conservation restrictions in sensitive areas, the regulation aims to balance the hunting and trapping opportunities with wildlife conservation and ecosystem protection.

Newfoundland & Labrador (76/2025) August 12, 2025
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and do not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.