Moose and Caribou Donations in Newfoundland and Labrador

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Sharing the Harvest NL is a provincial non-profit that helps to connect hunters with food programs and share their harvest of wild game. This follows the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's 2020 announcement to allow hunters to donate moose and caribou meat to food programs for distribution in raw form. Please visit Sharing the Harvest NL’s website for the latest information.

Food First NL has met with key partners involved in this initiative to understand the exact process of how food programs can receive and distribute donations of moose/caribou meat during this hunting season, and you can read our handy breakdown below of the process for both organizations and hunters.

FOR ORGANIZATIONS: HOW TO RECEIVE AND WORK WITH WILD GAME 

In order to receive wild game donations through the new pilot program, there are a few steps. 

STEP 1: Register with Service NL

 The first step is to ensure that the recipient organization are registered with ServiceNL through their “Nonprofit Organization Registration” process. This registration is open to any non-profit food program, including food banks and meal programs. You’ll need to provide some contact information and a bullet-point outline of how you serve food (i.e. through meals or as hampers).  

Find the registration form on the last page of the PDF here: https://www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/files/publichealth-envhealth-notforprof.pdf

The form must be submitted in paper form to your nearest Government Service Centre. You can find a list of those centres and their mailing addresses at: https://www.gov.nl.ca/dgsnl/department/contact/#locations.

Once your registration form has been processed, you’ll receive a Nonprofit Organization Registration Number from ServiceNL. This will come by mail. Note that this is different from your organization’s registration number with Companies and Deeds. 

STEP 2: Get your permit

Once you have your ServiceNL Registration Number, you may now apply to the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture for a permit to receive and distribute moose/caribou meat by sending an email to wildlifelicense@gov.nl.ca. Your email should include: 

  • The name of your organization

  • Mailing address 

  • Contact name 

  • Phone number 

  • Registration number from ServiceNL

STEP 3: Get the word out

Once you have your registration and permit in hand, you’ll need to let hunters know that you are looking to receive donations. 

To do this, first contact Sharing the Harvest NL – you can find them online at sthnl.ca or email them at SharingTheHarvestNL@gmail.com. There’s a form on their website for food programs to let them know they’re looking for moose/caribou meat – find it at sthnl.ca/food-banks.

STEP 4: Watch for the deadline!

Donations of raw moose and caribou meat can be received up to one week after the close of the 2022 big game hunting season: January 7, 2023 (Newfoundland). 

It’s important to note that all meat must be butchered by a licensed butcher who is approved by ServiceNL. A list of approved butchers across Newfoundland and Labrador can be found on our list of butchers. Meat can be donated in any cut (i.e. ground meat, steaks, roasts, etc.). Once the donation has been received, your food program may give it away to clients as needed

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE WILD MEAT INTO YOUR PROGRAMS

Receiving and distributing donations of frozen moose and caribou meat is not the only way an organization can incorporate wild game into their program(s). 

In some cases, folks may want to serve hot meals of wild game, whether as part of a food sharing program or as a fundraiser. They may also want to hunt their own moose with the help of a designated hunter. 


Wild Meat Service Licence

The Wild Meat Service Licence is available for restaurants and other organizations that have access to a commercial kitchen. With this licence, non-profits can receive donations of or purchase game meat from hunters authorized to sell, prepare it into a meal, and serve it on their premises to clients. 

You can get a wild Meat Service Licence from the Wildlife Division of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. Read more about the Wild Meat Service Licence here, under the Big Game section. 


Non-Profit Moose Licence

For some organizations, hunting their own moose or caribou instead of relying on a donation might be the right solution. 

Non-profit moose licences are available each year. Organizations may apply for a Non-Profit Moose Licence to allow a moose to be hunted and served. Many organizations use this for fundraising efforts (i.e. a moose supper) but this could also be used to stock moose (or caribou) meat for provision to clients - this is a distinct process from receiving a donation of meat from hunters who have standard big game tags. To cook and serve a moose caught with this license, you must also have a Wild Meat Service License. There are various ways to integrate wild game into your food program, and as a healthy source of protein, it’s a great option to distribute or serve to clients. 

The new permit to receive and distribute frozen moose/caribou meat in food banks is a pilot project, meaning that this first season will inform how the program functions in the years to come. If you have further questions, you can reach out to the Wildlife Division at wildlifelicense@gov.nl.ca. 

FOR HUNTERS

Hunters looking for some assistance in getting their donation to a Food Bank can work directly with Sharing the Harvest NL. Information and their procedure are at www.sthnl.ca/hunters.

The basic process is:

  1. Get your moose! 

  2. Bring the meat to a government-licenced meat processing facility. We are assembling a list of approved butchers at foodfirstnl.ca/butchers – check back regularly as we add names! Butchering the meat is at the hunter’s expense. Any cut of meat can be donated, but it’s a good idea to ask the program receiving the meat what they could use most easily. 

  3. Find a food program that has the necessary permits to accept wild game. For the most up-to-date listing of permitted food programs, reach out to Sharing the Harvest NL

  4. Contact the food program and confirm they can accept the donation and will have space for it when it’s ready from the butcher. Also confirm if they require frozen donations or can accept fresh game as well.

Pick the donation up from the butcher and bring it to the food program you’ve contacted. This has to happen by January 7th, 2023 (Newfoundland).