NL Seasons

Hunting and angling, Newfoundland and Labrador, 2026 to 2027.

Open today, 30 Sept 2026

Moose, Island (most zones)until 31 Dec 2026
Moose, Labradoruntil 14 Mar 2027
Caribou, Island (open areas)until 6 Dec 2026
Black bear, Islanduntil 30 Nov 2026
Black bear, Labradoruntil 30 Nov 2026
Ptarmigan shooting, Island remainderuntil 6 Dec 2026
Grouse shooting, Islanduntil 27 Dec 2026
Coyote, province wideuntil 15 Jul 2027
Ducks, geese, snipe, Newfoundlanduntil 31 Dec 2026
Ducks, geese, snipe, Labradoruntil 16 Dec 2026
Brown troutuntil 7 Oct 2026
Salmon fall catch and release, Lower Exploits, Lower Humber, Gander main stemsuntil 7 Oct 2026

Season calendar

Season	Aug 2026	Sept 2026	Oct 2026	Nov 2026	Dec 2026	Jan 2027	Feb 2027	Mar 2027	Apr 2027	May 2027	Jun 2027	Jul 2027
Moose, Island (bow)	29 to 31	1 to 11
Moose, Island (most zones)		12 to 30	Open	Open	Open
Moose, Labrador		12 to 30	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	1 to 14
Caribou, Island (open areas)		12 to 30	Open	Open	1 to 6
Black bear, Island		12 to 30	Open	Open
Black bear, Labrador	10 to 31	Open	Open	Open
Ptarmigan shooting, Island remainder		19 to 30	Open	Open	1 to 6
Ptarmigan snaring, Island			3 to 31	Open	Open	Open	Open	1 to 14
Grouse shooting, Island		19 to 30	Open	Open	1 to 27
Snowshoe hare, Island remainder			3 to 31	Open	Open	Open	Open	1 to 14
Small game, Labrador			Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	1 to 20
Coyote, province wide		12 to 30	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	1 to 15
Wolf, Island			15 to 31	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Ducks, geese, snipe, Newfoundland		16 to 30	Open	Open	Open
Ducks, geese, snipe, Labrador		Open	Open	Open	1 to 16
Trout, insular Newfoundland	Open	1 to 7					Open	Open	1 to 15
Brown trout	Open	Open	1 to 7				Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Salmon, insular Newfoundland	Open	1 to 7
Salmon fall catch and release, Lower Exploits, Lower Humber, Gander main stems		8 to 30	1 to 7

Worked out from the tables below. Open is the whole month; numbers are the days open. The month you are in is ringed. Zones and limits are in the tables.

Moose, Island

Zone	Name	Season
1	St. Anthony	12 Sept to 31 Dec
2	Portland Creek	12 Sept to 31 Dec
2A	Cow Head, St. Paul's	12 Sept to 31 Dec
2B	Sally's Cove	12 Sept to 31 Dec
2E	Gros Morne National Park	Zone 1: 26 Sept to 31 Jan. Zone 2: 17 Oct to 31 Jan. Zone 3: 14 Nov to 31 Jan. Zone 4: closed
3	Harbour Deep	12 Sept to 31 Dec
4	Taylor's Brook	12 Sept to 31 Dec
5	Trout River	12 Sept to 31 Dec
5A	Rocky Harbour	12 Sept to 31 Dec
6	Corner Brook	12 Sept to 31 Dec
7	South Brook	12 Sept to 31 Dec
8	St. Georges	12 Sept to 31 Dec
9	Anguille Mountains	12 Sept to 31 Dec
10	Port aux Basques	12 Sept to 31 Dec
11	Dashwoods	12 Sept to 31 Dec
12	Buchans	12 Sept to 31 Dec
13	Gaff Topsails	12 Sept to 31 Dec
14	Baie Verte	12 Sept to 31 Dec
15	Twin Lakes	12 Sept to 31 Dec
16	Sandy Badger	12 Sept to 31 Dec
17	Millertown	12 Sept to 31 Dec
18	Granite Lake	12 Sept to 31 Dec
19	Grey River West	12 Sept to 31 Dec
20	Round Pond	12 Sept to 31 Dec
21	Rattling Brook	12 Sept to 31 Dec
22	Lewisporte	12 Sept to 31 Dec
23	Bonavista North	12 Sept to 31 Dec
24	Northwest Gander	12 Sept to 31 Dec
25	Bay d'Espoir	12 Sept to 31 Dec
26	Jubilee Lake	12 Sept to 31 Dec
27	Terra Nova	12 Sept to 31 Dec
28	Black River	12 Sept to 31 Dec
28A	Terra Nova National Park	13 Oct 2026 to 31 Jan 2027
29	Bonavista Peninsula	12 Sept to 31 Dec
30	Burin Peninsula Knee	12 Sept to 31 Dec
31	Placentia	12 Sept to 31 Dec
32	Cape Shore	12 Sept to 31 Dec
33	Salmonier	12 Sept to 31 Dec
34	Bay de Verde	12 Sept to 31 Dec
35	St. John's	12 Sept to 31 Dec
36	Southern Shore	12 Sept to 31 Dec
37	Grey River East	12 Sept to 31 Dec
38	Burin Peninsula Foot	12 Sept to 31 Dec
39	Cloud River	12 Sept to 31 Dec
39A	Cloud River	12 Sept to 31 Dec
40	Conche	12 Sept to 31 Dec
41	Sheffield Lake	12 Sept to 31 Dec
42	Gambo	12 Sept to 31 Dec
43	Port au Port	12 Sept to 31 Dec
44	Bellevue	12 Sept to 31 Dec
45	Ten Mile Lake	12 Sept to 31 Dec
47	Random Island	12 Sept to 31 Dec
100	Avalon reduction zone	12 Sept to 31 Dec
101	Central reduction zone	12 Sept to 31 Dec

Bow season opens 29 August 2026 in zones that open 12 September. Crossbows are not included.
Zone 43 Port au Port: no open season on moose that are mostly white.

Source: 2026 to 27 Hunting and Trapping Guide, Island moose. Read 18 September 2026.

Caribou, Island

Area	Name	Season
61	Lapoile	12 Sept to 6 Dec
62	Buchans	12 Sept to 6 Dec
63	Grey River	Closed
64	Middle Ridge	12 Sept to 6 Dec
65	Avalon Peninsula	Closed
66	Gaff Topsails	12 Sept to 6 Dec
67	Pot Hill	12 Sept to 6 Dec
68	Mount Peyton	12 Sept to 6 Dec
69	Northern Peninsula	Closed
70	Merasheen	19 Sept to 4 Oct
71A	Lower Grey Island	12 Sept to 30 Nov
71B	Upper Grey Island	12 Sept to 30 Nov
72	Fogo Island	12 Sept to 11 Oct
76	St. Anthony	12 Sept to 6 Dec
77	Cape Shore	12 Sept to 6 Dec
78	Hampden Downs	12 Sept to 6 Dec
79	Adies Lake	12 Sept to 6 Dec

Bow season opens 29 August 2026 in every area except 70, 71A, 71B and 72. Crossbows are not included.

Source: 2026 to 27 Hunting and Trapping Guide, Island caribou. Read 18 September 2026.

Moose, Labrador

Zone	Name
48	Wabush
49	Lower Mecatina
50	Natashquan
51	Baikie Lake
52	Grand River
53	Muskrat Falls
54	Grand Lake
57	Paradise River
58	Alexis River
59	Upper Kenamu
60	Upper Mecatina
84	Traverspine
85	Snegamook
86	St. Augustin
87	Eagle Plateau
90	Mokami
93	Straits
94	Atikonak
95	Churchill Falls North
96	Shallow Lake

Every zone below: 12 September 2026 to 14 March 2027.
Areas 88, 89, 91 and 92: licences issued by the Nunatsiavut Government.

Source: 2026 to 27 Hunting and Trapping Guide, Labrador moose. Read 18 September 2026.

Black bear

Where	Spring	Fall
Island, every open area	1 May to 15 July	12 Sept to 30 Nov
Labrador, area 200	1 Apr to 13 July	10 Aug to 30 Nov

Two bears per licence: two in spring, two in fall, or one in each.
Closed both seasons on the Island: Placentia, Cape Shore, Salmonier, Bay de Verde, St. John's, Southern Shore, Port au Port, Bellevue.

Source: 2026 to 27 Hunting and Trapping Guide, black bear, Island and Labrador. Read 18 September 2026.

Coyote and wolf

Animal	Where	Season	Limit
Coyote	Province wide	12 Sept 2026 to 15 July 2027	None given
Wolf	Island	15 Oct 2026 to 31 Mar 2027	1
Wolf	Labrador South	1 Nov 2026 to 31 Mar 2027	1
Wolf	Labrador North	15 Oct 2026 to 31 Mar 2027	1

Centre fire rifles no bigger than .225 calibre, except on the Island during moose season, 12 Sept to 31 Dec 2026.
Labrador wolf skulls or lower jaws go in by 14 May 2027.

Source: 2026 to 27 Hunting and Trapping Guide, coyotes and wolves. Read 18 September 2026.

Small game, Island

Animal	Where	Shooting	Snaring	Bag, possession
Ptarmigan, willow and rock	Avalon, Swift Current	19 Sept to 15 Nov	3 Oct to 14 Mar	6 (3 rock), 12 (6 rock)
Ptarmigan, willow and rock	Burin	19 Sept to 15 Nov	Closed	6 (3 rock), 12 (6 rock)
Ptarmigan, willow and rock	The Topsails	19 Sept to 22 Nov	3 Oct to 14 Mar	6 (3 rock), 12 (6 rock)
Ptarmigan, willow and rock	Rest of the Island	19 Sept to 6 Dec	3 Oct to 14 Mar	12 (6 rock), 24 (12 rock)
Grouse, ruffed and spruce	Island	19 Sept to 27 Dec	3 Oct to 14 Mar	20, 40
Snowshoe hare	Great Island	3 Oct to 27 Dec	3 Oct to 27 Dec	Possession 40
Snowshoe hare	Little Bay Islands	3 Oct to 1 Nov	3 Oct to 1 Nov	Possession 40
Snowshoe hare	Rest of the Island	3 Oct to 14 Mar	3 Oct to 14 Mar	Possession 40
Red squirrel	Great Island	3 Oct to 27 Dec	Shooting only
Red squirrel	Little Bay Islands	3 Oct to 1 Nov	Shooting only
Red squirrel	Rest of the Island	3 Oct to 7 Mar	Shooting only

Bell Island is closed to ptarmigan snaring, and closed entirely for hare and squirrel.

Source: 2026 to 27 Hunting and Trapping Guide, Island small game. Read 18 September 2026.

Small game, Labrador

Animal	Where	Shooting	Snaring	Bag, possession
Ptarmigan	All Labrador	1 Oct to 20 Apr	1 Oct to 31 Mar	25, 50
Grouse, ruffed and spruce	Southern zone	1 Oct to 20 Apr	1 Oct to 20 Apr	25, 50
Grouse, ruffed and spruce	Northern zone	1 Oct to 20 Apr	1 Oct to 20 Apr	No limit
Snowshoe hare	All Labrador	1 Oct to 20 Apr	1 Oct to 20 Apr	No limit
Arctic hare	All Labrador	1 Oct to 20 Apr	1 Oct to 20 Apr	No limit
Porcupine	All Labrador	1 Oct to 31 Mar	Shooting only	1, 1
Red squirrel	All Labrador	1 Oct to 20 Apr	Shooting only	No limit

Ptarmigan needs the Ptarmigan Shooting Licence.

Source: 2026 to 27 Hunting and Trapping Guide, Labrador small game. Read 18 September 2026.

Ducks, geese, snipe, turrs

Bird	Where	Season	Bag, possession
Ducks	Newfoundland, coastal and inland	16 Sept to 31 Dec	6 (1 Barrow's), 18 (1 Barrow's)
Geese	Newfoundland	16 Sept to 31 Dec	5, 10
Snipe	Newfoundland	16 Sept to 31 Dec	10, 20
Mergansers	Newfoundland	10 Oct to 24 Jan	6, 12
Eiders, scoters	Newfoundland coastal zones	24 Nov to 10 Mar	6, 12
Eiders, scoters	Newfoundland inland	No open season
Ducks, geese, snipe, mergansers	Labrador	1 Sept to 16 Dec	Ducks 6, 18. Geese 5, 10. Snipe 10, 20. Mergansers 6, 12
Turrs (murres)	Zone 1	1 Sept to 16 Dec	20, 40
Turrs (murres)	Zone 2	6 Oct to 20 Jan	20, 40
Turrs (murres)	Zone 3	25 Nov to 10 Mar	20, 40
Turrs (murres)	Zone 4	3 Nov to 10 Jan, 2 Feb to 10 Mar	20, 40

Harlequin duck: no open season.
Turr hunters must be residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Source: Environment Canada, NL migratory bird summary 2025 to 2026, carried into 2026 to 27 unchanged (Migratory Birds Regulations report, July 2026: no changes for NL). Read 18 September 2026.

Trout

Water	Season
Insular Newfoundland, zone 1	1 Feb to 15 Apr, and 15 May to 7 Sept
Labrador, zone 2	1 Mar to 7 Sept
Labrador, zones 3, 5 and 6	1 Feb to 15 Sept
Labrador, zone 4	1 Feb to 7 Sept
Rainbow trout, scheduled waters	1 June to 7 Oct
Brown trout, scheduled and non scheduled waters	1 Feb to 7 Oct

Trout may be angled year round in coastal waters.
Insular Newfoundland bag: 12 fish of any mix (speckled, brown, rainbow, ouananiche) or 2.25 kg plus 1 fish, whichever comes first. Possession 24 fish or 4.5 kg plus 1 fish. No rainbow or ouananiche under 20 cm kept.
Labrador speckled and ouananiche: same bag as the Island. Lake trout: zone 2, 2 a day and 4 in possession; zones 3 to 6, 3 in all.

Source: DFO Anglers' Guide 2026 to 2027, trout. Read 18 September 2026.

Atlantic salmon

Water	Season
Insular Newfoundland, SFA 3 to 14A	1 June to 7 Sept
Labrador, SFA 1, 2 and 14B	15 June to 15 Sept
Fall catch and release: Lower Exploits, Lower Humber, Gander River main stems	8 Sept to 7 Oct 2026

Catch and release: 3 salmon a day, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Retention: 2 salmon in total, at most 1 on a Class 2 river. None on Class 0 rivers, non scheduled waters or coastal waters.

Source: DFO Anglers' Guide 2026 to 2027, salmon. Read 18 September 2026.