Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit: Overview

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To hunt migratory game birds in Canada, you must have a valid federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit on which the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp appears.

Buy permit

Your obligations

Your federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting (MGBH) Permit is valid anywhere in Canada where hunting migratory game birds is allowed. It can only be used by the person who is named on the permit. While you can buy a permit on behalf of others, the daily bag and possession limits apply only to the person named on the permit.

You must carry a valid permit (physical or electronic) with you at all times when hunting, or when in possession of unpreserved migratory game birds or any murres. You must be able to show it to game officers upon request. Failure to do so will be seen as a contravention of the law.

Migratory game bird hunting in Canada is regulated under the authority of the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022. For complete information on hunting provisions, such as permitted hunting methods and equipment, retrieving migratory game birds, and restrictions on the use of bait, please refer to the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022. For daily bag and possession limits and open seasons in your area, please refer to the Hunting regulations for migratory birds: provincial and territorial summaries.

You may also need a provincial or territorial license. Check with the wildlife agency in the area where you plan to hunt for the requirements prior to hunting migratory game birds there.

Migratory game bird hunting regulations: frequently asked questions.

How to get your permit

The MGBH Permit is available in a physical (paper) or electronic format (e-permit). The permit fee of $17.00 plus applicable taxes and includes the cost of the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation (CWHC) Stamp ($8.50).

Starting August 1, 2026, you can get your 2026 permit (valid from August 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027) by choosing one of these three options:

• Obtain a MGBH e-permit online through the Regulatory Services Platform 
• Buy a MGBH Permit at a select Canada Post outlets (paper permit)
• Buy a MGBH Permit from an independent vendor (paper permit)

Purchasing the MGBH permit online provides the following benefits:

• Purchases can be made from the comfort of your home or business, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except during the maintenance periods) using any major credit cardcard (including Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard).
• You have the option to download the e-permit (including the image of the CWHC stamp) directly from the Regulatory Services Platform and easily recover your permit at no additional cost.
• The e-permit is valid and can be used immediately, either in printed or electronic format.
• When you buy an e-permit (with an e-image of stamp), you can still request the physical copy of the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation stamp and receive it by mail at no additional charge. This option is not available for Youth MGBH permits, as this permit (with stamp included) is free of charge.
• It is possible to obtain an e-permit for another individual, as long as you have all of the information required when doing so.

Youth Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit

A Youth MGBH Permit is an option available to hunters who are minors (under the age of 18 on the day the permit is issued). It gives them a chance to practice their skills while under the supervision of an adult hunter (over 18 years of age), known as a mentor.

• The mentor must hold a valid MGBH Permit when out hunting with Youth MGBH Permit holders, and must also have held one in a previous year.
• The mentor may accompany no more than two youth hunters at a time.
• The mentor may carry a firearm and hunt while out with Youth MGBH Permit holders.

This permit can be used throughout the full open seasons and the special conservation season in spring. It gives the Youth MGBH Permit holder their own daily bag and possession limits.

Provinces and territories may have extra requirements or restrictions on youth and mentor hunting. It is important to check the regulations for where you will be hunting.

Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp

Funds raised from the sale of the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp go to Wildlife Habitat Canada, a national charitable nonprofit conservation organization. Since its inception in 1984, Wildlife Habitat Canada has received over $65M through the sales of the stamp supporting more than 1,620 conservation projects across Canada.

For more information visit: Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp.

Lost permits

If you have lost or misplaced your paper permit (bought through Canada Post or an independent vendor), you must buy a new permit at your own expense. Canada Post and independent vendors do not keep records of who has bought a permit.

If you have misplaced your e-permit, it can be recovered through the Regulatory Services Platform.

Exporting to the United States

Hunters intending to travel to the United States with migratory game birds harvested in Canada should familiarize themselves with the United States regulations for the importation of migratory game birds. Please check the U.S. code of Federal regulations: eCFR: 50 CFR Part 20 Subpart G - Importations

Due to the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu), there are temporary restrictions on imports of meat from game birds into the United States from areas affected by the virus. These measures are subject to change.

For more information visit: Avian influenza in wild birds

If you hunt migratory birds in Canada and plan to bring harvested meat into the United States, consult Imports: Animal and Animal Products – Temporary Restrictions, or contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Inspection Services (APHIS) by email at APIE@usda.gov or by phone at 301-851-3300 option 4.

Enforcement

Most migratory birds found in Canada are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA). The MBCA regulates human activities, such as hunting, that could adversely affect the conservation of migratory birds. Hunters should pay particular attention to the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 as well as the Migratory Birds Sanctuary Regulations, enacted under the MBCA.

In Canada, the MBCA is administered by the Government of Canada in cooperation with:

• federal game officers and other federal department officers
• provincial and territorial governments
• the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

ECCC has a Compliance and enforcement policy for wildlife legislation - Canada.ca which describes compliance and enforcement policy that is required to guide overall implementation of acts governed under ECCC including the MBCA. The guidelines contained in this policy will assist in ensuring efficient, fair, and consistent compliance and enforcement of wildlife legislation under the mandate of the Department.

Depending on the offence, enforcement actions may include:

• warnings (verbal or written)
• fines
• tickets
• prosecution
• imprisonment

Related links

• Migratory birds regulatory report series

Contact us

For general questions about the Migratory Game Bird Hunting permit, you may contact us by phone at 1-855-869-8670 or by email at CWSPermit.PermisSCF@ec.gc.ca.

For questions about the regulations for hunting migratory game birds (Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022), you may contact us by phone at 1-800-668-6767 or by email at enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca.

The information presented here is a summary of the law. If there is a discrepancy between the law and the information on this page, the law prevails.