Wildlife Export Permits in Canada: A Province-by-Province Guide for Hunters, Taxidermists & Wildlife Shippers

Moving wildlife from one Canadian province to another is not as simple as putting it in a box and booking a carrier.

Canada does not have one single wildlife-export permit that covers every shipment across the country. Instead, wildlife transportation is governed by a combination of federal law, provincial and territorial wildlife legislation, species-specific requirements, and—in some cases—CITES and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requirements.

For hunters, taxidermists, outfitters, fur traders and wildlife logistics companies, this can make interprovincial shipments surprisingly complicated.

A shipment from Saskatchewan to Alberta may have different requirements than a shipment from Saskatchewan to Ontario. A shipment from Ontario to Saskatchewan may have different requirements again.

The key is understanding both the rules where the wildlife is coming from and the rules where it is going.

The First Rule: “Export” Can Mean Leaving a Province

When most people hear the word export, they think of sending something outside Canada.

Wildlife legislation is different.

A province may require an export permit to move wildlife out of that province even when the final destination is another province in Canada.

For example:

Saskatchewan → Alberta

is an interprovincial shipment, but Saskatchewan may still treat the movement as an export from Saskatchewan.

Likewise:

Ontario → Saskatchewan

can trigger Ontario's rules governing wildlife transported out of Ontario.

This is why a wildlife shipment needs to be reviewed based on its origin, destination, species, condition and purpose.

The Federal Law Behind Interprovincial Wildlife Shipments

The federal government regulates certain wildlife movements under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA).

WAPPRIITA applies not only to species listed under CITES, but also to certain Canadian wildlife whose capture, possession or transportation is regulated by provincial or territorial law.

The Act applies to wildlife that is alive or dead, as well as parts and derivatives.

This is particularly important for the trophy industry.

A shipment can therefore involve federal requirements even when the animal never leaves Canada.

WAPPRIITA and interprovincial transportation

The federal legislation generally prohibits transporting regulated wildlife from one province to another unless the appropriate federal requirements are satisfied.

However, the federal regulations provide an important mechanism: where the required provincial permits have been obtained, certain interprovincial movements are exempted from the federal permit requirement.

In practical terms:

Federal law + provincial law work together.

You cannot simply look at the province you are shipping from and ignore the destination province.

The Two Questions Every Wildlife Shipment Should Start With

Before shipping wildlife anywhere within Canada, ask:

1. What does the province of origin require?

Does the province require an export permit, export licence, transportation document, tag, registration certificate or other authorization?

2. What does the destination province require?

Does the destination province require an import permit or other authorization?

These requirements can be completely different.

And in some cases, both provinces may have requirements.

Province-by-Province Overview

The following is a practical overview of some of the major differences across Canada.

It is not a substitute for checking the current legislation for the exact species and shipment, because requirements can change depending on the species, whether it is alive or dead, whether it is raw or processed, and whether the shipment is commercial or personal.

British Columbia

British Columbia has its own detailed wildlife permitting system.

One particularly important feature of B.C.'s rules is that the province distinguishes between wildlife being shipped within B.C. and wildlife being shipped outside B.C.

Under B.C.'s Permit Regulation, a person who mails or commercially ships wildlife or wildlife parts can be exempt from the provincial export-permit requirement when the final destination is within British Columbia.

That means:

Vancouver → Kelowna

may be treated differently from:

Vancouver → Calgary

The second shipment is leaving British Columbia and therefore needs to be assessed under the province's export rules.

B.C. also has specific provisions for wildlife passing through the province. In certain circumstances, dead wildlife or wildlife parts can pass through B.C. when accompanied by a valid permit issued by another jurisdiction and the required information is included on that permit.

Alberta

Alberta has a particularly useful example of why wildlife-export rules cannot be reduced to a simple “permit required” or “permit not required” answer.

Alberta states that most wildlife and wildlife parts require an export permit, but it also provides specific exceptions.

For example, lawfully harvested game such as certain deer species, moose, elk, black bear, pronghorn, coyote and game birds may be taken out of Alberta without an export permit when specific conditions are met, including requirements relating to timing and the hunter accompanying the shipment.

Once the wildlife is being shipped separately from the hunter, the analysis can change.

Alberta also requires registration certificates for certain species before an export permit will be issued, including species such as grizzly bear, trophy sheep, goat, cougar, certain wolves, lynx, otter, fisher and wolverine.

Importing wildlife into Alberta

Alberta also provides an interesting distinction on the receiving side.

For wildlife parts such as antlers, skins or hooves, Alberta states that an Alberta import permit is generally not required, but documentation should accompany the wildlife showing that it was legally possessed and legally exported from the originating jurisdiction.

So a shipment could look like:

Saskatchewan → Alberta

and the Alberta side may not require an import permit for a particular wildlife part, while Saskatchewan may still require an export permit.

That is why origin and destination must both be checked.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has its own wildlife export system and this is especially important for wildlife being shipped to a taxidermist or logistics company.

Saskatchewan's wildlife regulations provide for a game export permit for shipments of game leaving the province when the wildlife is not accompanying the licensee.

This is highly relevant to modern trophy logistics.

For example:

Hunter harvests a deer in Saskatchewan → trophy is shipped to a taxidermist in Ontario

The hunter is not physically accompanying the shipment.

That means the shipment should be reviewed under Saskatchewan's export requirements rather than assuming the hunter's hunting licence alone is sufficient.

Saskatchewan's published wildlife import/export guidance also emphasizes that exporters are responsible for checking the import requirements of the destination province, state or country.

Taxidermists

Saskatchewan's regulations also contain specific requirements concerning wildlife being sent to tanners and taxidermists, including documentation relating to the licence under which wildlife was taken.

Shipping wildlife to a taxidermist is still a regulated wildlife movement.

The fact that the animal is going to a professional taxidermist does not automatically eliminate the documentation requirements.

Manitoba

Manitoba also has a formal Wild Animal Export Permit system.

The Manitoba government provides an application specifically for exporting wild animals, whether dead or alive, from the province.

Manitoba also has rules concerning the importation of certain wildlife parts.

For example, Manitoba regulations provide exemptions from certain import-permit requirements for specified wildlife parts when they are accompanied by an export permit from another jurisdiction. The listed species include animals such as pronghorn, cougar, grizzly bear and muskox, along with certain birds of prey.

This demonstrates another important principle:

A permit issued by the province of origin can sometimes be an important part of satisfying the destination province's requirements.

The documents need to travel with the shipment and accurately identify the wildlife being transported.

Ontario

Ontario has some of the most important export distinctions for hunters and taxidermists.

Ontario's current rules require an export permit for certain wildlife transported out of Ontario.

For non-residents, this includes moose, white-tailed deer, American elk and black bear killed in Ontario.

Ontario also requires an export licence for furbearing mammals and their pelts in circumstances specified by its regulations.

However, Ontario also has exemptions.

For example, Ontario's regulations state that an export permit is not required for a carcass part that has been tanned or treated by a taxidermist.

This distinction can be extremely important.

Compare:

Green/raw hide → shipped out of Ontario

versus:

Fully tanned/taxidermy-treated hide → shipped out of Ontario

The regulatory treatment can be different.

Ontario also regulates imports

Ontario requires a permit for the transport of certain live cervids into the province, including deer, elk and moose.

So a shipment of a live animal is a completely different regulatory situation from shipping a finished taxidermy mount.

Quebec

Quebec has its own wildlife transportation and export requirements.

For big game, Quebec states that the unique transportation coupon number attached to the animal and proof of registration can authorize the transportation of the big game or its parts outside Quebec for qualifying hunters and trappers.

However, additional requirements can apply to raw fur and certain protected species.

Quebec specifically identifies species including:

• Wolf

• North American river otter

• Canada lynx

• Bobcat

• Polar bear

• Black bear

as species for which export certification requirements apply.

Quebec also explains that some other provinces or territories may require an import permit before receiving wildlife from Quebec.

This creates an important two-step process:

Quebec authorization to leave Quebec

plus

destination authorization to enter the destination province

when required.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick's Fish and Wildlife Act contains specific provisions for export and transfer permits.

The province's legislation allows the Minister to issue export permits for specified wildlife products, including certain quantities of bear, deer or moose meat, game birds, pelts, wildlife carcass parts and legally taken bear, deer or moose hides.

New Brunswick also has provisions relating to exotic wildlife and wildlife permits.

For a commercial wildlife shipment, it is therefore important to establish whether the shipment is:

• A hunter's personal trophy

• A commercial wildlife product

• A fur shipment

• Wildlife being transferred to a taxidermist

• A live animal

• A wildlife part

The classification can affect the permit requirements.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is another province where the terminology is very clear.

The province has a Wildlife Export Permit for people exporting live wildlife or wildlife hides, pelts, carcasses or carcass parts out of Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia also has a Wildlife Import Permit for bringing certain live wildlife into the province.

This means a shipment such as:

New Brunswick → Nova Scotia

could involve requirements in both jurisdictions depending on the species and condition of the wildlife.

Nova Scotia specifically notes that its provincial wildlife export permit does not authorize export of CITES-listed species outside Canada. A separate CITES permit may be required for international export.

That is an excellent example of why provincial and federal permits should never be treated as interchangeable.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador has a particularly straightforward rule for hunters:

A game export permit is required to take game out of the province.

The province states that export permits are available free of charge from designated government offices and licensed outfitters.

The province also requires export permits for certain fur shipments and for wild meat being shipped outside the province.

For non-resident black bear hunters, an additional CITES permit may be required to transport black bear parts outside Canada.

Again, this illustrates the difference between:

provincial export

and

international CITES export.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island has its own wildlife import controls.

PEI's Wildlife Conservation Regulations provide that wildlife cannot be imported except under the authority of a valid wildlife import permit, subject to applicable exemptions.

This is important for shipments coming into PEI from another province.

A shipment such as:

Nova Scotia → PEI

should therefore be reviewed for PEI's import requirements before the shipment moves.

This is particularly important for live wildlife and exotic species, where additional regulatory controls may apply.

Yukon

Yukon has one of the clearer wildlife-export systems in Canada.

Yukon states that a wildlife export permit is required before transporting wildlife parts out of Yukon, subject to specified exemptions.

The government specifically notes that this can apply whether the wildlife was:

• Purchased

• Found

• Harvested by the person

The application requires information about the sender, recipient, harvester, licence or permit under which the wildlife was legally harvested or possessed, species and description, and shipment details.

This is highly relevant to trophy shipments.

Yukon also identifies additional CITES requirements for certain species, including grizzly bear, black bear, polar bear, otter, lynx and wolf.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories also has specific wildlife export requirements.

For example, a permit is required before exporting Dall's sheep horns from the NWT, and other species that may require export permits include:

• Birds of prey

• Bison

• Grizzly bear

• Polar bear

• Muskox

The NWT advises contacting a local or regional Environment and Climate Change office to determine the requirements for a particular shipment.

NWT legislation also contains specific export requirements for wildlife harvested under non-resident and non-resident alien hunting licences.

Nunavut

Nunavut has particularly important controls for wildlife exports.

Under Nunavut's wildlife regulations, an export permit is required to export wildlife from the territory in circumstances covered by the regulations.

The permit process can require:

• Presentation of the wildlife for inspection

• Harvest licence or enrolment information

• Evidence that the wildlife was legally harvested or acquired

• Consignee information

For northern wildlife shipments, this documentation is particularly important because species such as polar bear and muskox can involve additional federal and international requirements.

Raw Trophy vs. Finished Taxidermy Mount

One of the biggest mistakes in wildlife logistics is assuming that a trophy is regulated the same way regardless of its condition.

It may not be.

Consider these forms:

Raw hide

Salted hide

Tanned hide

Skull

Horn/antler

Partially processed trophy

Finished taxidermy mount

Different provincial, federal and animal-health requirements can apply to different forms.

Ontario, for example, specifically distinguishes certain tanned or taxidermy-treated parts from untreated wildlife parts for export purposes.

The condition of the specimen should therefore always be recorded when determining the requirements.

What Information Should Be Collected Before Shipping?

A professional wildlife shipment should begin with a documentation review.

At minimum, collect:

Wildlife information

• Species

• Scientific name

• Number of specimens

• Sex

• Age, if relevant

• Wildlife part or product

• Raw, processed or taxidermied condition

Harvest information

• Province or territory of harvest

• Date harvested

• Hunter's name

• Hunting licence number

• Tag/seal number

• Registration number, where applicable

Shipment information

• Current location

• Sender

• Consignee

• Destination province

• Final destination

• Whether the shipment is commercial or personal

• Whether it is being shipped to a taxidermist

Regulatory information

• Origin province export requirements

• Destination province import requirements

• WAPPRIITA requirements

• CITES requirements, if applicable

• CFIA requirements, if applicable

• Any special species restrictions

The Most Common Mistake: Checking Only the Province You Are Shipping From

This is probably the single most important lesson for hunters and taxidermists.

Someone may say:

“I don't need an export permit in my province.”

That does not necessarily mean the shipment can be sent without documentation.

The destination province may require an import permit.

Conversely, someone may say:

“The destination province doesn't require an import permit.”

That does not necessarily mean the province of origin doesn't require an export permit.

You have to check both sides.

The Second Biggest Mistake: Assuming a Taxidermist Changes Everything

Sending wildlife to a licensed taxidermist can change the regulatory circumstances in some jurisdictions, but it does not automatically make a shipment exempt.

The taxidermist's role should be clearly documented.

For example:

Owner → Taxidermist

is different from:

Dealer → Taxidermist

which is different from:

Taxidermist → Final customer

The legal ownership and purpose of the shipment can matter.

For a commercial logistics company, it is also important that the shipping documentation accurately identifies the sender, consignee and contents.

Why Wildlife Shipments Can Become Complicated

Imagine a trophy travelling:

Yukon → British Columbia → Saskatchewan → Ontario

Even though the trophy never leaves Canada, there may be several sets of provincial rules involved.

Now add:

• A CITES-listed species

• A raw hide

• Taxidermy processing

• A commercial shipment

• A final U.S. destination

The paperwork becomes significantly more complex.

This is why wildlife transportation should be treated as a regulatory process, not simply a freight shipment.

Rigel's Approach to Interprovincial Wildlife Shipping

For hunters, outfitters and taxidermists, the safest approach is to determine the requirements before the wildlife is picked up.

At Rigel Logistics, an interprovincial wildlife shipment can be reviewed based on:

1. What species is it?

2. Where was it harvested?

3. Where is it currently located?

4. What province is it leaving?

5. What province is it entering?

6. Is it raw, processed or taxidermied?

7. Who owns it?

8. Why is it being shipped?

9. Is it CITES-listed?

10. Is the shipment eventually leaving Canada?

Those answers determine which regulatory agencies and permits need to be considered.

A Simple Interprovincial Wildlife Shipping Checklist

Before shipping wildlife from one Canadian province or territory to another:

• Identify the exact species

• Confirm whether it is alive or dead

• Identify the specific wildlife part or product

• Determine whether it is raw, processed or taxidermied

• Confirm where it was harvested or acquired

• Confirm legal possession

• Check the export requirements of the province/territory of origin

• Check the import requirements of the destination province/territory

• Check WAPPRIITA requirements

• Check CITES requirements if the shipment will eventually leave Canada

• Check CFIA requirements where applicable

• Confirm all tags, seals and registration documents

• Confirm the sender and consignee

• Confirm the final destination

• Make copies of all permits and supporting documents

• Ensure the original documentation travels with the shipment when required

• Keep records of the shipment and permits

The Bottom Line

There is no single Canadian wildlife export rule that applies to every shipment.

Wildlife regulations are a combination of:

Federal legislation

Provincial/territorial wildlife laws

Species-specific rules

CITES requirements

Animal-health requirements

Destination requirements

The most important distinction is that moving wildlife between Canadian provinces can still be considered an export from the province of origin.

A shipment from Saskatchewan to Ontario, Alberta to British Columbia, Quebec to Manitoba or Yukon to Alberta may therefore have permit requirements even though the wildlife never crosses Canada's international border.

And when that same trophy eventually leaves Canada, another layer of federal and international requirements can be added.

For hunters, taxidermists and outfitters, the best time to determine the requirements is before the trophy is shipped—not after it arrives at the border or at a taxidermist's shop.

A Note About Changing Regulations

Wildlife regulations are species-specific and can change. Some of the requirements described above also contain exemptions based on factors such as residency, whether the hunter accompanies the wildlife, whether the specimen has been processed, and the final destination.

This article is intended as general educational information and is not legal advice. Requirements should be confirmed with the applicable federal, provincial or territorial authority before each shipment.

Rigel Logistics can help hunters, outfitters and taxidermists navigate the documentation and logistics involved in moving wildlife across Canada and internationally.