Nova Scotia Hunter Education Practice Test 2026: Practice test 2

Practice test 2 of 5 for the Nova Scotia Hunter Education Practice Test: 25 more questions with answers and explanations.

Hunting
Nova Scotia
118 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 25
Is it acceptable to let the edible meat of big game spoil?
- Yes, if the animal is a small one
- Yes, as long as you keep the antlers and the hide for yourself
- No. Wasting edible meat is illegal and unethical
- Yes, once the hunting season has ended
Show answer
Answer: C. No. Wasting edible meat is illegal and unethical
Provinces such as Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba ban abandoning or wasting the edible flesh of big game.
Question 2 of 25
Which feature helps you tell a grizzly bear from a black bear?
- A grizzly has taller, more pointed ears
- A black bear is always black and never brown
- A grizzly has a shoulder hump and a dished face profile
- A grizzly is always brown and never black
Show answer
Answer: C. A grizzly has a shoulder hump and a dished face profile
Look for the shoulder hump, face profile, ears and claws. Grizzlies have shorter, rounder ears and longer front claws.
Question 3 of 25
What is one of the most important things to do before any hunting trip?
- Turn off your phone so the battery lasts all week
- Try a new area without a map, because it is the fastest way to learn the land
- Leave a trip plan saying where you will be and when you will return
- Pack only enough food and water for lunch
Show answer
Answer: C. Leave a trip plan saying where you will be and when you will return
If you do not return, searchers will know where to look and when to start.
Question 4 of 25
What is "biological surplus"?
- Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
- Meat that is left over after a successful hunt and is given away to friends and family
- Animals that are kept in zoos and wildlife parks
- Animals that are raised on farms for food
Show answer
Answer: A. Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
Many of these animals would die naturally. Regulated hunting can take part of this surplus.
Question 5 of 25
What should you do before using a tree stand each season?
- Nothing, as long as the stand worked well last year and has been left on the same tree
- Paint the whole stand blaze orange so others see it
- Inspect the stand, straps and harness, and make sure the tree is healthy and strong
- Only check that the seat cushion is still comfortable
Show answer
Answer: C. Inspect the stand, straps and harness, and make sure the tree is healthy and strong
Straps and parts wear out over time, and dead or leaning trees can fail. Check everything before you climb.
Question 6 of 25
Which animal has broad, flat (palmated) antlers?
- Moose
- White-tailed deer
- Mule deer
- Elk
Show answer
Answer: A. Moose
Bull moose grow large, flat, palm-shaped antlers. Elk and deer have antlers made of round beams and tines.
Question 7 of 25
What happened to the passenger pigeon, once one of the most common birds in North America?
- It became extinct, mainly from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss
- It became the most common bird in Canadian cities
- It moved south and now lives only in South America
- It nearly died out but was brought back to large numbers by hunters and farmers
Show answer
Answer: A. It became extinct, mainly from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss
The passenger pigeon shows what can happen without hunting laws. It helped lead to modern wildlife protection.
Question 8 of 25
When should you validate and attach a big game tag?
- Only if a conservation officer asks for it
- When you get home and unload the animal
- Right after the kill, as your regulations require
- When you drop the meat off at the butcher shop
Show answer
Answer: C. Right after the kill, as your regulations require
Tag rules are strict. Follow your province's regulations on when and how to attach the tag.
Question 9 of 25
Which field carry gives you the best control and lets you raise the firearm quickly?
- The two-hand (ready) carry
- The shoulder carry, muzzle behind
- The sling carry, on the back
- The trail carry, in one hand
Show answer
Answer: A. The two-hand (ready) carry
In the two-hand carry, both hands hold the firearm with the muzzle up and ahead, so you control it fully.
Question 10 of 25
Which feature helps tell a mule deer from a white-tailed deer?
- A mule deer raises a wide, white tail like a flag when it runs away
- Male mule deer never grow antlers
- A mule deer has small, short ears
- A mule deer has a narrow white tail with a black tip
Show answer
Answer: D. A mule deer has a narrow white tail with a black tip
White-tailed deer have a broad tail that is brown on top and white underneath. Mule deer have a thin, black-tipped tail and large ears.
Question 11 of 25
Which countries signed the Migratory Birds Convention in 1916?
- The United States and Mexico only
- Canada, France, Great Britain and Mexico together
- Canada and Mexico, acting alone
- Great Britain (for Canada) and the United States
Show answer
Answer: D. Great Britain (for Canada) and the United States
The 1916 convention between Great Britain, acting for Canada, and the United States protects birds that migrate across the border.
Question 12 of 25
What does the mechanical safety on a firearm do?
- It unloads the chamber when you switch it on
- It blocks part of the firing mechanism, but it can fail
- It locks the action closed so it can be stored loaded
- It makes the firearm completely impossible to fire by accident
Show answer
Answer: B. It blocks part of the firing mechanism, but it can fail
A safety is a mechanical device that can wear out or break. It never replaces safe muzzle control.
Question 13 of 25
What should you do with your firearm before you climb a steep bank, cross a creek on a log, or get into a boat?
- Hold it with your finger on the trigger for balance
- Put the safety on and keep it loaded
- Unload it
- Carry it by the barrel
Show answer
Answer: C. Unload it
Unload any time you could slip or fall, because a fall can make a loaded firearm fire.
Question 14 of 25
What is the first step of PROVE, the routine for checking that a firearm is unloaded?
- Look down the bore from the muzzle end
- Point the muzzle in the safest available direction
- Open the action as quickly as you can
- Remove the magazine and put it in your pocket
Show answer
Answer: B. Point the muzzle in the safest available direction
PROVE starts with pointing the muzzle in the safest direction, so nothing bad happens if the firearm fires while you check it.
Question 15 of 25
A deer runs out of hunter 3's zone and into hunter 2's zone. What should hunter 3 do?
- Keep following the deer with the muzzle and shoot when it is clear of hunter 2
- Stop swinging with the deer and not shoot outside their own zone
- Shout for hunter 2 to get down, then shoot over them
- Shoot quickly before the deer leaves their own zone
Show answer
Answer: B. Stop swinging with the deer and not shoot outside their own zone
Swinging the muzzle across a partner's zone is a common cause of hunting incidents.
Question 16 of 25
A hunting partner has a deep cut that is bleeding heavily. What should you do first?
- Give them a drink of water and wait for the bleeding to stop by itself
- Apply firm, direct pressure on the wound and call for help
- Have them walk out alone quickly to get help
- Wash it in a creek and leave it open to the air
Show answer
Answer: B. Apply firm, direct pressure on the wound and call for help
Firm, direct pressure is the first step to control serious bleeding.
Question 17 of 25
How should you treat frostbitten fingers?
- Rub them hard between your hands to get blood flowing
- Rewarm them gently, such as against warm skin, without rubbing
- Rub them with snow to bring back the feeling
- Hold them close to a hot fire or heater so they thaw out as fast as possible
Show answer
Answer: B. Rewarm them gently, such as against warm skin, without rubbing
Rubbing damages frozen tissue. Rewarm gently, and do not rewarm if the area may freeze again.
Question 18 of 25
Look at the diagram. Which hunter can other hunters see most easily?
- The hunter in the orange hat and vest (1 and 2)
- Hunter 3, because camouflage shows up well against the trees and bushes
- Both hunters are equally easy to see
- Neither hunter can be seen among the trees
Show answer
Answer: A. The hunter in the orange hat and vest (1 and 2)
Blaze orange stands out against trees and bushes, so other hunters can see you and not mistake you for game.
Question 19 of 25
Why should you avoid shots at running animals or at very long range?
- They damage the barrel and wear out the firearm
- They are only a problem when other hunters are near
- They are much more likely to wound the animal instead of killing it quickly
- They are against the law in every province and can cost you your licence for life
Show answer
Answer: C. They are much more likely to wound the animal instead of killing it quickly
Ethical hunters only take shots they are confident will hit the vital area.
Question 20 of 25
You slip and the muzzle of your firearm goes into mud. What should you do before you shoot again?
- Fire a shot to blow the mud out
- Tap the barrel on a tree
- Wipe the outside of the barrel and carry on
- Unload it and check that the bore is clear
Show answer
Answer: D. Unload it and check that the bore is clear
Mud, snow or other debris in the barrel can make it burst. Always unload and examine the bore.
Question 21 of 25
Three hunters walk in a line, numbered 1, 2 and 3 from left to right. Where may hunter 2, in the middle, shoot?
- Anywhere in front of the line
- Into the zones of hunters 1 and 3 if game crosses
- Only into the zone straight ahead
- Behind the line if game doubles back
Show answer
Answer: C. Only into the zone straight ahead
Each hunter shoots only into their own zone of fire. Hunter 2's zone is straight ahead.
Question 22 of 25
In the PROVE routine, what does the "E" stand for?
- Examine the bore for obstructions
- Empty your pockets of loose cartridges
- Exit the vehicle before loading
- Eject the scope from its mounts
Show answer
Answer: A. Examine the bore for obstructions
The last PROVE step is to check that the barrel is clear. A blocked barrel can burst when fired.
Question 23 of 25
Two hunters reach a fence. What is a safe way for them to cross?
- One person climbs over while the other covers them with a loaded firearm
- Unload both firearms; one person holds both while the other crosses, then hands them over
- Each person climbs over carefully while holding their own loaded firearm with the safety on
- Both lean their loaded firearms on the fence and climb over together
Show answer
Answer: B. Unload both firearms; one person holds both while the other crosses, then hands them over
With both firearms unloaded and actions open, one hunter can safely hand them across to the other.
Question 24 of 25
How should you get your firearm or bow up into a tree stand?
- Raise it unloaded with a haul line once you are secure in the stand
- Carry it loaded in one hand so it is ready
- Have a partner on the ground throw it up to you
- Carry it slung on your back while you climb up, so both hands stay free
Show answer
Answer: A. Raise it unloaded with a haul line once you are secure in the stand
Climb with both hands free. Then pull up the unloaded firearm or bow with a haul line.
Question 25 of 25
In the tree stand diagram, what is item 1?
- A waist belt
- A single chest strap
- A full-body harness
- A rope sling
Show answer
Answer: C. A full-body harness
A full-body harness spreads the force of a fall over your body and is the safety system to use in a tree stand.

Related tests