As a non-resident you require a guide to hunt in New Brunswick, even if you own property here. However, as a non-resident who owns and pays taxes on a New Brunswick cottage, you may qualify for a non-resident guide exemption which would allow you to hunt without being accompanied by a guide. Refer to the Non-Resident Guide Exemption site for additional information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
New Brunswick's bow hunter education training requirement is based on age and previous hunting experience. All resident bow/crossbow hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1981, or who are hunting with a bow/crossbow for the first time, must complete an approved stand-alone Bowhunter Education course that includes a mandatory practical component or field day.
All non-resident bow/crossbow hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1981, or who are hunting with a bow/crossbow for the first time, must complete a recognized stand-alone Bowhunter Education course meeting the National Bowhunter Education Foundation or Atlantic Canada Bowhunter Education Course standards. Bow hunters born before Jan. 1, 1981, and who are not first-time bow hunters, may show a previous hunting licence allowing use of a bow or crossbow.
Crossbows are permitted for use under a bow hunting licence in New Brunswick.
Non-residents who hold a New Brunswick Guide I Licence (Professional) must be accompanied by a guide while hunting. Guiding and hunting are considered separate activities. By definition, the act of guiding assumes accompaniment of a client by a guide.
From Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, the following people must wear a solid or camouflage fluorescent hunter orange jacket or vest and a hat of solid fluorescent hunter orange:
- hunters,
- fur harvesters carrying a firearm, and
- licensed guides (while guiding hunters).
Jackets, vests and hats must be visible from all directions. Camouflage fluorescent orange jackets and vests must have a camouflage pattern that contains at least 50% hunter orange.
The requirement to wear hunter orange clothing while hunting does not apply to waterfowl hunters and bow and crossbow hunters licensed to hunt deer once in a tree stand or ground blind during the deer archery season only.
Many manufacturers of hunting clothing place a logo or decal on hats and other articles of clothing. The following items on a hat or other clothing article that is otherwise solid-coloured hunter orange do not disqualify that clothing from meeting the hunter orange requirements:
- decal or logo,
- non-orange coloured peak (on hats), and
- zippers, buckles, straps or buttons.
No, your Outdoors Card number is a unique identification number issued to you by the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development. If you need assistance with determining your Outdoors Card number, please contact the:
- Service New Brunswick Helpdesk at 1-888-832-2762, or
- the Fish & Wildlife Branch at 506-453-3826 or [email protected].
Yes, you have a couple of options:
- The outfitter or guide who you will be hunting with might have tags available and if so, could provide you a tag number that you can use to complete the online licence purchase. Once you arrive, you must obtain the corresponding tag from them and use that tag for your hunt.
- If you are not going to be arriving in New Brunswick for several days, you can contact the Fish and Wildlife Branch to request that a tag(s) be mailed to you. They may be contacted 506-453-3826 or [email protected].