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Quebec Restored the Combined Daily Limit for Canada and Cackling Geese From Three to Five

Canada goose standing on grass at Île Paton in Laval, Quebec
Conservation · Management

Federal rules published on 1 July 2026 removed a temporary hunting restriction for Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) in four Quebec hunting districts. In districts A, C, D and F, the combined daily bag limit returns from three geese to five from 26 September.

The change applies to the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 hunting seasons. It changes the number of Canada and cackling geese that may be taken per day, not the length of the season or the possession limit.

A temporary restriction introduced in 2020 was removed

The three-goose limit was introduced for the 2020–2021 season under the former Atlantic Population Canada Goose Harvest Strategy. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says the strategy has since been updated and now includes a prediction of the number of breeding pairs in the following year.

Under the updated strategy, the recommended harvest policy for Canada for the 2026–2027 season was the liberal regulatory package—the option allowing greater hunting opportunity under the strategy. The temporary restriction was therefore removed, restoring a combined daily limit of five birds for Canada and cackling geese for the season beginning on 26 September.

The Atlantic Population will continue to be monitored

Most consultation comments supported removing the restriction. Hunting organisations and agricultural producers cited greater management flexibility and benefits for addressing local population pressures. One conservation organisation also supported the proposal but emphasised the need for continued monitoring that distinguishes resident or temperate-breeding geese from the migratory Atlantic Population, which breeds mainly in northern Quebec and winters farther south along the Atlantic coast. Two comments opposed the change because of concern about possible overharvest or opposition to hunting more generally.

ECCC says the Atlantic Population of Canada geese is monitored through several programmes that feed into a population model developed with the Atlantic Flyway Council. The current model projects an increase in the number of breeding pairs and indicates that the population can sustain increased hunting pressure. The department says it will continue monitoring the population and adjust Canada goose hunting provisions if needed.

The amendment therefore changes harvest intensity within the existing season rather than extending hunting time. It is tied to the updated harvest strategy and its population projection while retaining the same season length and possession limits.

Sources and image credit

  1. Migratory Birds Regulations in Canada: 2026Primary federal regulatory report. Quebec removed the temporary combined daily bag-limit restriction for Canada and cackling geese in districts A, C, D and F, restoring the limit from three to five geese from 26 September. The report also documents the updated Atlantic Population harvest strategy, consultation responses and continued monitoring.

Image: Laurent Bélanger — Canada goose at Île Paton, Laval, Quebec, Canada, 5 May 2015; Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0. Representative image, not a bird from the 2026 regulation decision. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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