Information for harvesters

Each year Parks Canada seeks the help of qualified harvesters to participate in a program to reduce unnaturally high moose populations in Terra Nova National Park. A Moose Management Area (MMA) has been established and includes most of the park. For more information, please view the FAQ for harvesters.

Twenty-five (25) licenses are available in Terra Nova. An additional fifteen (15) licenses are available for registered not-for-profit organizations.

How to apply for an individual license:

To participate in the Moose Reduction Program, please fill out your application for the provincial license as normal. For the purpose of the licensing draw and pool status, MMA28A will be treated the same as all others and provincial licensing fees will be the same.

Licenses will be allocated to eligible harvesters through a random draw process administered by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Hunting and Trapping Guide includes comprehensive information on the population reduction programs for both Terra Nova and Gros Morne National Parks.

Participants must provide proof of provincial harvester eligibility, which includes successful completion of the Canadian Firearm Safety Course and Newfoundland Hunter Education Course. Once eligibility is confirmed they can apply through the provincial big game licensing system. Successful draw applicants will later be issued a Parks Canada Superintendent’s permit separate from their provincial package. This will allow them to harvest and retrieve a moose in Terra Nova National Park.

Also, as per provincial regulations, harvesters will need to possess their provincial big game license and tags as well as their outdoor identification card. When transporting a firearm in an area of a national park that is outside of the identified moose management area, the firearm must be cased or securely wrapped and tied.

Not-for-profit organizations:

Fifteen (15) licenses are available for registered not-for-profit organizations. Applications for these licenses will be accepted only from incorporated, not-for-profit or registered charitable organizations operating in Newfoundland and Labrador. Licenses will be issued by a random draw of accepted applications. There is no fee associated with an application for this type of license.

Organizations that are issued a not-for-profit license may then designate big game hunters to hunt on their behalf. This designation does not affect the eligibility of the chosen big game hunters for a regular license. The park issues these licenses directly.

Application forms can be obtained by contacting:
John Gosse
709-533-3204 / 709-424-7855
john.gosse@pc.gc.ca

Covid-19 and moose harvesters

Did you know?

Before applying for a national park license, you should be aware that there are differences between provincial hunting regulations and what is permissible in the national parks as part of this ecosystem management program. You should be aware that:

• The use of motorized watercraft on inland waterways, as well as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles, is prohibited for any purpose, including carcass retrieval.
• There are few access roads within Terra Nova National Park. Public highways, community roads, and boat-accessible coastline will provide motorized access only to the margins of the MMA.
• Moose is the only species that can be harvested. Other harvesting licenses are not valid in the national park.
• Firearms must be cased or securely wrapped and tied in areas outside the MMA.
• Note that hunters are not permitted to be in possession of a firearm or hunting appliance in the Terra Nova Migratory Bird Sanctuary (Newman Sound and Southwest Arm).
• Open fires and tree cutting are prohibited.
• Harvesters must wear blaze orange when hunting.

Map of moose management area

Areas shown in green have shared access for visitors and harvesters between October 15, 2024 and January 26, 2025.

Areas shown in red are closed to hunting for the entire season. These areas include the following:

• Louil Hill Trail
• Mill Cove Lookout Trail
• Areas on both sides of route 310 between the TCH and the Eastport Causeway
• Cobblers Brook Day Use Area
• Newman Sound Campground and Coastal Trail to Headquarters Wharf
• Portions west of the TCH near the turn-off to Newman Sound campground
• Southwest Brook Day Use Area
• Malady Head Campground
• Twin Rivers Golf Course

For further information or help with planning your trip to Terra Nova National Park this autumn or winter, call 709-533-2801.