Complete Guide to Hunting in Newfoundland and Labrador

Overview

Newfoundland and Labrador is a province of vast, wild spaces and unique hunting opportunities. The island of Newfoundland supports one of the densest moose populations on the continent — remarkable given that moose were only introduced in 1904. Labrador adds 295,000 square kilometres of boreal forest and tundra supporting moose, caribou, and black bear. The province manages hunting through 73 management areas with tailored season dates and tag allocations. Hunting here is defined by remoteness, weather, and the sheer abundance of game in a landscape that has resisted intensive human development.

Wildlife Management System

The province's 73 management areas — 43 on Newfoundland and 30 in Labrador — are governed by the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. Moose tags are allocated through a draw with separate resident and non-resident categories. The draw is competitive for popular road-accessible areas on the island.

Caribou management has evolved as herds have experienced declines. Hunting seasons have been restricted or closed in several areas to support recovery — hunters must check current regulations as status changes annually.

Labrador management areas govern vast roadless territories requiring charter aircraft or boat access. Given the size of these areas, a GPS-enabled mapping tool with management area boundaries is essential. CANhunt's offline boundary overlays are built for this kind of remote hunting, where you may be days from any cell tower.

Popular Game Species

Moose — Newfoundland's signature resource. Estimated at well over 100,000 animals, the island's density is among the world's highest. The draw provides generous tag numbers relative to other provinces, and many residents draw regularly. Mature bulls can exceed 500 kilograms.

Caribou — One of the few provinces where caribou hunting is available. Regulations are dynamic — some herds are closed entirely while others maintain limited draws. Labrador caribou hunting is a fly-in expedition into subarctic terrain.

Black Bear — Common across both island and Labrador. Both spring and fall seasons available, with snaring also permitted. Many hunters pursue bear incidentally while scouting for moose.

Terrain and Habitat

The island of Newfoundland is dominated by boreal forest — dense black spruce and balsam fir with bogs, barrens, and ponds. The interior is a rolling plateau with extensive wetlands and tuckamore (wind-stunted spruce thickets nearly impenetrable on foot). The west coast Long Range Mountains add alpine terrain. Coastal margins are often treeless and exposed to Atlantic weather, but river estuaries can concentrate moose feeding. Labrador transitions from boreal forest in the south to open tundra in the north, with the Torngat Mountains approaching true Arctic terrain. Hunting Labrador requires expedition-level planning.

Licensing and Regulations

All hunters need a valid firearms licence and hunter education certification. Big game licences are species-specific and draw-allocated. Residents can apply for up to two management areas per application, with previous unsuccessful applications considered.

Non-residents must hunt with a licensed outfitter — a firm requirement with no exceptions. The outfitting industry holds exclusive hunting rights within their territories. Non-resident fees are substantially higher.

The province has specific meat care and wastage regulations. Given remote conditions, extraction planning should be part of every hunt plan. Minimum weapon calibre is .24 for big game.

Crown Land Access

Virtually all of Newfoundland and Labrador is Crown land. Private holdings are concentrated near communities and along road corridors. The limiting factor is not land access but physical access — roads, ATV trails, boats, or aircraft.

On the island, the Trans-Canada Highway and provincial roads reach many management areas, with logging roads and ATV trails extending into the interior. In Labrador, road access is limited to the Trans-Labrador Highway — the vast majority of territory is accessible only by charter float plane or boat. Weather delays can extend trips by days.

For navigation, offline mapping is not optional — it is essential. CANhunt's offline maps provide management area boundaries and topographic detail for areas where the nearest cell tower may be a hundred kilometres away.

Best Times to Hunt

Moose seasons generally run September through February. The rut in late September through early October is the most exciting calling period. Mid-October through November offers the best combination of cool temperatures for meat care and reasonable access before heavy snow. Late-season hunts in December through February target winter concentration areas. Caribou seasons where available are typically September through October. Bear spring seasons May through early July, fall August through November.

Tips for Hunting in Newfoundland and Labrador

Expect the weather to fight you. Atlantic storms bring rain, sleet, snow, and hurricane-force wind. Build weather days into your plan — on a five-day moose hunt, expect to lose at least one full day. Master the tuckamore — hunt the edges of wind-stunted spruce patches, focusing on openings, ponds, and stream corridors where moose transition between feeding and bedding. Plan your meat extraction before the shot — Newfoundland moose are big animals in challenging terrain. Multiple heavy pack-outs over rough ground are the reality. Download everything before you go — cell coverage drops to nothing in the interior. Download management area maps, boundaries, and waypoints to CANhunt before you leave home. Apply strategically — study tag quotas and applicant numbers. Less popular management areas can mean far better draw odds. Bring a satellite communicator — not optional. In the event of injury or emergency, it is your lifeline in terrain that exceeds what most eastern Canadian hunters are accustomed to.