Summary
- If you kill a moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, or wild turkey, you must register it with the province within 48 hours of leaving your hunting area.
- Register free online at the game-registration portal, or in person at an authorized station (which charges a small fee).
- The registration number you get at the end is required before a butcher can process your animal.
- Hunted in a ZEC (managed wildlife zone)? Before you leave, you also report your kill to the ZEC and close the hunting card you got when you arrived — then complete the provincial registration within the 48 hours.
Who has to register, and why?
Not every species you hunt in Quebec requires registration. Small game — grouse, hare, snowshoe rabbit, and similar animals — does not. But if you kill one of the four big game species, registration is mandatory, no exceptions.
The four species that must be registered are:
- Moose (orignal)
- White-tailed deer (cerf de Virginie)
- Black bear (ours noir)
- Wild turkey (dindon sauvage)
The reason registration exists is population management. Every time a hunter registers a harvest, that data feeds into the government's wildlife monitoring system. Scientists at the "Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs" (MELCCFP) use that information to assess whether populations are healthy, whether hunting pressure is too high in a given zone, and how to set bag limits and draw allocations for future seasons. When hunters skip registration, the data gets distorted and management decisions get worse for everyone — including future hunters. It's not just a legal box to check; it's how the system stays calibrated.
The 48-hour clock: when does it start?
You have 48 hours from the moment you leave your hunting area to complete registration. Not 48 hours from the kill itself — from when you depart the hunting grounds.
This distinction matters in practice. If you shoot a moose on Monday afternoon deep in the backcountry and you don't hike out until Tuesday morning, your 48-hour window starts Tuesday morning, not Monday afternoon. That said, don't count on having the full two days in comfort. Plan to register as soon as you have reliable internet access or can reach a registration station, because the online portal can occasionally have technical issues (more on that below).
One more important rule: you must register your game before taking it to a butcher. The confirmation number you receive at the end of registration is what the butcher needs to legally process your animal. Show up at the butcher before registering and you'll be turned away.
How to register: two options
Option 1 — Online (free, available 24/7)
The government's online registration form is at the game-registration portal. This service is free. It works on smartphones and most modern browsers.
The form takes roughly 15 minutes and asks about 20 questions. Before you start, make sure you have the following on hand:
- Your hunter's certificate number
- Your hunting licence number
- A valid email address (the confirmation is sent here)
- The species you harvested
- The type of weapon and, if a firearm, the calibre
- The date and location where the animal was killed
- The licence plate number of the vehicle used to transport the carcass
For moose, you'll also need the licence number and date of birth of everyone who was hunting with you. For antlerless deer taken under a shared draw licence, you'll need the draw licence number.
At the end, you get a registration summary and a confirmation number. Write that number on the back of your hunting licence, or save it in your phone. A wildlife officer may ask for it on the road, and your butcher will need it.
What if the website is down? Quebec's official guidance is clear: if the online service is unavailable, you must go to a physical registration station to meet the 48-hour deadline. Plan ahead — look up the nearest station before you head into the field, so you're not scrambling if the internet is spotty or the portal is having a bad day.
Option 2 — In person at a registration station
Physical registration stations are located across Quebec, typically at sporting goods stores, marinas, outfitter offices, and hunting supply retailers. A list by region is available on quebec.ca (currently French only). In-person registration costs a small fee because it is a private business providing the service on the government's behalf — the exact fee varies by location and is not set at a fixed provincial rate.
At the station, you'll need to:
- Present the animal the way the transport rules require (these vary by species — see how to register your game on quebec.ca)
- Declare the weapon type and firearm calibre if applicable
- Provide the licence plate of the vehicle carrying the carcass
- Bring your licence, including any additional transportation coupons if moose hunting under shared-licence rules
The transportation coupon: what it is and when to use it
Your big game licence includes one or more transportation coupons. The moment you kill your animal, you must attach the unique coupon number to the animal's carcass — before you move it. You can write the number clearly on another material if needed.
The transportation coupon stays attached until the animal is butchered or placed in storage. For black bear, the coupon stays attached to the pelt until it is cured. Do not remove it early.
After registration, keep your coupon and confirmation number together. If a wildlife officer stops you on the road, they can request to see both.
The ZEC extra step: close your card first
If you hunted in a ZEC (zone d'exploitation contrôlée — a managed, membership-access hunting and fishing zone), there is an additional step that happens before the provincial registration.
When you arrive at a ZEC, you register and get a hunting registration card that logs your activity (your days out and any kill). When you leave after a successful hunt, you must first "close" that card — report your kill to the ZEC staff, typically at the access booth. The ZEC collects its own wildlife data — species, sex, maturity, hunting method, effort (days × people), and the date and location of the kill. They may also take biological samples (a premolar tooth, ticks) for scientific monitoring.
Only after you've completed that ZEC exit declaration do you proceed to the provincial registration. You still have 48 hours from leaving the territory to complete the provincial step.
Réseau Zec, the network representing Quebec's ZECs, strongly recommends closing your card in person at the physical access booth — even if some ZECs offer remote options — because a staff member can validate the information and handle sample collection on the spot.
So for a ZEC hunt, the full sequence is:
- Kill the animal. Attach the transportation coupon number immediately.
- At the ZEC booth, close your hunting card and declare your kill.
- Within 48 hours of leaving the ZEC territory, complete provincial registration online or at a registration station.
- Save your confirmation number and present it to the butcher.
Why this matters for hunters at pourvoiries (outfitters)
If you're hunting through a pourvoirie with exclusive rights (an outfitter holding exclusive access to a specific territory), the rules are the same as above — you still need to register with the province within 48 hours of leaving. Some outfitters with exclusive rights may assist guests with the registration process or have a station on site, but the responsibility is always the hunter's. Whether a specific outfitter assists with registration varies — ask when you book.
The outfitter cannot register on your behalf. The form requires your personal hunter's certificate and licence numbers.
FAQ
Do I have to register if I only wounded the animal and it escaped?
No. Registration is required only when you successfully kill an animal. However, you should still report the situation to a wildlife protection officer if you believe the animal was fatally wounded but you couldn't recover it.
What happens if I miss the 48-hour window?
Missing the registration deadline is a regulatory offence under Quebec's Act Respecting the Conservation and Development of Wildlife. Specific fines are set under the Act and can be confirmed through quebec.ca or by calling 1-877-346-6763. The penalty is a real one, not a warning system.
My butcher already processed the animal before I registered. What do I do?
Register immediately. The registration serves wildlife management purposes regardless of timing — but you may face regulatory consequences for late registration. Contact a wildlife protection office or the regulatory information line for guidance on your specific situation.
Do I need to register wild turkey the same way as big game?
Yes. Wild turkey is on the mandatory registration list alongside moose, deer, and bear. The same 48-hour rule applies and the same online form is used.
Is the online registration really free?
Yes. The provincial government's online game-registration portal is completely free. You only pay a fee if you register in person at a private registration station, where a business is providing the service on the government's behalf.
Looking for a pourvoirie where you can hunt moose, deer, bear, or turkey in Quebec? → Search Quebec outfitters by region, species, and territory type on Pourvoo, so you find the right one before the season opens.
Related: How to start hunting in Quebec | Quebec hunting permits: types, costs, and how to buy
