ZEC Batiscan-Neilson

The ZEC Batiscan-Neilson is a controlled harvesting zone (ZEC), located in the municipal territories of Saint-Raymond, Rivière-à-Pierre and Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, in the regional county municipality (RCM) of Portneuf, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec.

Zec Batiscan-Neilson is a territory of 878 km comprising 356 lakes. Being located from Quebec City, it is easily accessible to visitors. ZEC users have access to shops and public services in the village of Saint-Raymond and Rivière-à-Pierre. This zec was created in 1978, following the abolition of private hunting & fishing clubs on public lands.

The ZEC has three reception stations:
 * Perthuis: located at km 64 of route 367, in Rivière-à-Pierre - Tel.: +1 418-323-2075. In 2020, the Perthuis reception station was demolished and rebuilt in 2021;
 * Mauvaise: located at km 4 of Chemin de la Rivière Mauvaise, Saint-Raymond. Tel.: +1 418-340-1722;
 * Petit Saguenay: located at 3001, rang Saguenay, Saint-Raymond. Tel.: +1 418-337-9510.

On its website (ZEC network), the ZEC displays in particular the status of fishing lakes, the pricing grid for hunting or fishing activities (including the calendar, the opening or closing of fishing lakes), the pricing for the rental of chalets (three chalets at Lac Petit Batiscan and one at Lac Philo in the Saguenay sector), the regulations in force, the map of the territory, the terms of reservation and various instructions or news. Nature lovers can find information there to plan their recreational tourism activities. The establishment of a virtual reception station (PAV) and the computerization of the various reception stations of the zec have enabled online payment by users. In addition, the Facebook page includes information on the development of waterways and development activities, particularly for brook trout on the territory of the ZEC.



Recreational tourism activities
The main recreational and tourist activities on the territory of the ZEC are: picking berries (e.g., mushrooms, blueberries, raspberries), hunting (white-tailed deer, pheasant, grouse, hare, moose, black bear, grouse), fishing (at fly, wading), nautical activities (swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating), mountain biking, snowmobiling, camping, forest expeditions, observation of flora and fauna, etc. The zec offers rustic or seasonal campsites. The ZEC also offers chalets for rent in two areas:
 * Petit Batiscan: Main camp, Pilots camp and Camp L'Attente;
 * Philo: camp Philo.

A magnificent lookout located at km 9 of the Saguenay sector (William Lake Road) presents a forest panorama over the valley of the "Cap des Sept Côtes" and the surrounding mountains.

Fishing includes brook trout. Hunting for ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, hares, ring-necked pheasants and Batavelle partridges. Users surrender their access rights when leaving the territory.

In the ZEC, fishermen must have a provincial fishing licence, have paid their right to fish and pass at the reception station, as well as declare and weigh the catches at the exit of the ZEC. Fishing is free for children aged 17 and under accompanied by an adult. In the territory of ZEC Batiscan-Neilson, ice fishing for the brook trout species is practised on two lakes.

The fish species caught are arctic char and brook trout.

Geography
The territory of this ZEC forms a triangle which is butchered in part by the valley of the Neilson River and a small area in the middle of the triangle. This reserved territory straddles the municipal territories of Saint-Raymond, Rivière-à-Pierre and Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier. The northern tip of the ZEC covers the southeast end of Batiscan Lake. This territory is part of the Sainte-Anne River watershed. The territory is bounded to the southeast by the Tantaré Ecological Reserve, to the northwest by the zec de la Rivière-Blanche, to the west by the Portneuf Wildlife Reserve.

ZEC Batiscan-Neilson has six sectors: Talayarde, La Mauvaise, Grandbois, Sainte-Anne, Perthuis and Petit Saguenay.

The main rivers crossing the ZEC are:
 * Neilson River,
 * Talayarde river,
 * La Roche Plate river,
 * Bad River.

The main lakes in the ZEC are:
 * Lake Batiscan,
 * Little Batiscan Lake,
 * Lake Sixty Arpents.

Go
The territory of ZEC Batiscan-Neilson is accessible by road, snowmobile or mountain bike.

By car

 * From Montreal (. Time: 3 hr 04 min. Take Autoroute 40 (north shore) eastbound to Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade; take Route 354 (northbound), to Saint-Léonard-de-Portneuf; take route 367 (northbound), to the reception of the ZEC. The reception is located on Camp Keno road which runs along the Black River. It is on the border of Rivière-à-Pierre and Saint-Léonard-de-Portneuf.
 * From Quebec City (. Time: 1 hr 11 min. Take Highway 40 (Westbound), to Neuville; take Route 365 (northbound) passing the village of Pont-Rouge, Saint-Raymond and Saint-Léonard-de-Portneuf; take route 367 (westbound) to the reception of the ZEC.