During your hunt, your outfitter will typically take care of transporting any birds or big game harvested. So, in the interest of getting to the important stuff, we’ve left out regulations regarding transportation of game within the province and focused on what you need to do to transport game meat and trophies home. The following is adapted from the Saskatchewan Hunters’ and Trappers’ Guide.

Saskatchewan Hunters’ and Trappers’ Guide

Exporting Big Game or Game Birds

It’s the end of a successful hunt, and you’re preparing to take back portions of the birds or animals you harvested. Border officials on both sides have the authority to inspect and confiscate any trophies or meat not transported properly. The following are standard regulations you need to meet. For a complete list of regulations, click the button below:

Transporting and Exporting Game

Your hunting license is your permit to transfer your hunting trophy and any accompanying game meat travelling with you.

Big Game

  • An export permit is not needed if the hunting license holder (that’s you) travels with the game.
  • Hunters may take the cape of a big game animal out of the province without a hide seal attached if the cape and antlers are travelling with the license holder.
  • To legally export the hide of big game, a big game hide seal must be attached to the hide.
  • Any shipment of wildlife/wildlife part within or outside the province must include the sender’s name (again, that’s you, the hunter), address, hunting license or permit number and contents on the outside of the package. Check with your airline regarding packaging requirements for big game meat and trophies.
  • A CITES Permit is required to export black bears out of Canada. Hunters from the United States accompanying their properly tagged black bears (raw and untanned) are exempt; however, a CITES permit is required for tanned or processed pelt.

CITES Permit

Game Birds

  • Sandhill crane hunters do not require a CITES permit if you are a U.S. resident returning home at the conclusion of your hunt and your packaging is in accordance with general waterfowl transportation requirements. Note: 2 sub-species of sandhill cranes are considered endangered, but in Saskatchewan, the sub species number just under 500,000 and are not on the endangered list.
  • Your game bird license and your game bird hunting ledger is your permit to export legal limits of game birds, providing you accompany them in transit. The ledger should indicate the date and quantity of birds harvested.
  • Only transport or ship migratory birds that belong to you into the U.S.
  • At least one fully feathered wing needs to be attached to the bird.
  • All game birds must be packaged in a manner that will permit the number and species to be readily determined; no bulk packaging or bulk freezing is allowed. This applies to transportation as well as possession, unless the meat is going to be immediately cooked/consumed.

Trophies to Follow

In many cases, especially for whitetail deer or moose hunting, there may be a delay in processing the meat, hide, head or cape of the animal. These parts may be sent to the hunter at a later date from the outfitter, from the butcher or from the taxidermist.

Any wildlife or wildlife parts not accompanying the licensed hunter, or wildlife not taken under authority of a hunting license, including antlers (other than shed antlers), claws or skulls, require an export permit in order to be taken out of the province. Permits are available at Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment offices. Get the form here:

Wildlife Import/Export Permit Application Form

Note:

It’s a good idea to check with authorities in your home state or province prior to importing wildlife. They may have additional requirements or restrictions for importing game animals taken in Saskatchewan.

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