Proposal to Simplify and Align Provincial White-tailed Deer Hunting Seasons
The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry is proposing amendments to regulations under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 to deliver a modern, efficient, and sustainable provincial deer harvest management system beginning in 2022.
In recent years, hunters and stakeholders have identified a lack of consistency in season types and duration in some parts of the province. While these management strategies have been successful at maintaining deer herd numbers over time, there are opportunities to take a simpler and more consistent approach at an ecological scale. Here are some of the proposed changes:
- Extend the gun season(s) by 1 or 2 days in WMUs 28, 29, 31, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 53B, 82A, 82B, 83A and 84 to end on a Sunday.
- Permit the use of bows during the gun season(s) in WMUs 53B, 69A2, 70, 76A-E, 77A-C, 78A-B, 79C-D, 80, 81A-B, 82C, 85A-C, 86A-B, 87B-E, 89A-B, 90A-B, 93A-B, and 94B, while requiring the existing safety protocols (e.g. hunter orange).
- Align the bows only, muzzle-loading guns and bows, and rifles, shotguns, muzzle-loading guns and bows seasons in WMU 8, similar to those in neighbouring WMUs.
- Align the muzzle-loading guns and bows season start date and add an early bows only season in WMU 7A consistent with neighbouring WMUs.
- Align the rifles, shotguns, muzzle-loading guns and bows season start and end dates and add early and late bows only seasons in WMU 26 consistent with neighbouring WMUs.
- Create new bows only seasons and a new rifles, shotguns, muzzle-loading guns and bows season in WMU 32 consistent with neighbouring WMUs 29 and 31.
- Create new bows only seasons and a new rifles, shotguns, muzzle-loading guns and bows season in WMU 33 consistent with neighbouring WMU 22.
- Add a new late muzzle-loading guns and bows season in WMUs 36 and 42 consistent with neighbouring WMUs.
- Extend the early bows only season and add a new late muzzle-loading guns and bows season in WMU 45 consistent with neighbouring WMUs.
- Start the existing rifles, shotguns, muzzle-loading guns and bows seasons in WMUs 83B and 83C on October 1.
- Repeal the special authorization regulation for WMU 93C, delay the season start date to September 1, and permit the use of bows during the gun seasons, while requiring the existing safety protocols (e.g. hunter orange).
To view the proposal and rational for the changes highlighted above, and to submit comment on this proposal, please click here.
If you have any questions on this proposal, you may contact wildlifepolicy@ontario.ca. We are of course interested in hearing thoughts from operators. Please email laurie@noto.net or kate@noto.net before December 3rd, 2021.
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