I’m certain most of you have already noticed — for better or worse — the strong presence of deer and wild turkeys around the village of North Hatley. There is no need to travel all the way to Anticosti Island to hunt deer; everything is right here. And on top of that, we even have wild turkeys. When turkey hunting season opens in the spring, it’s literally Christmas for my friends from Gaspésie — they rush over not only to hunt deer, but especially wild turkey.
In my opinion, once again, the Village of North Hatley is missing out on significant economic benefits related to hunting. Yet, hunting seasons perfectly overlap with the low tourist season — early spring and mid-autumn.
Turkey Hunting Seasons
Spring season: April 25 to May 19, 2025
Fall season: October 25 to October 31, 2025
Deer Hunting Seasons
Bow or crossbow: October 4 to October 17, 2025
Firearms / rifle: November 8 to November 23, 2025
These represent major economic opportunities being left on the table. Hunters need accommodation, food, supplies, and groceries — and many of them stay in the region for several days.
A forgotten tourism opportunity
Despite this, hunting is not actually part of the official tourism offer in the village. This is even more surprising when we consider that a deer-hunting package on Anticosti Island with meals costs around $4,500 for 5 days, excluding airfare. Reference
As an example, I hunted with a crossbow with my 6-year-old son less than one kilometre from the village centre: after just three hours, our deer was already at the butcher. We have an exceptional hunting territory here. Moreover, hunting plays a key role in maintaining balanced deer populations.
Average annual spending per hunter: approximately $4,000 to $4,500 per year.
The hunting industry is one of the most significant in Québec. People invest thousands of dollars every year. In 2024, over 142,000 hunters harvested white-tailed deer in Québec (excluding Anticosti Island). In total, hunting represents around $1.3 billion in annual expenditures in Québec. Reference
Hunting supports natural balance
In short, it would be highly relevant for the Village of North Hatley to include hunters in its tourism strategy to help stimulate traffic during the low season. Even though most of the land is private, several landowners are open to allowing hunting on their properties to help manage deer and wild turkey populations.
Note: this experience helped my son truly understand where meat comes from and the responsible steps required before it can be consumed. A valuable life lesson and awareness moment.
