How many of you have your own land or at the very least cottages or cabins fairly close to crown land. Specifically in Ontario. I'm in the GTA and wondering how far north to buy land is too far if I want to be able to do weekend trips and not alter my work routine to go up north to hunt. Mainly small game but on occasion if I'd have a few days, maybe hunt deer.
Private land for ease of hunting
- Thread starter ASingh99
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Did that years ago, but in Saskatchewan. One of the best investments I ever made. Good luck in your search.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You will run out of good deer country before you can get far enough north to afford land. Someone doesn't live on that land for a reason. But there are many unpopulated and undeveloped townships both sides of Hwy 17 across the top of the province.
In my experience in Ontario, when there is a large block of undeveloped land, someone else has already got long established hunting privileges. There is a sense of entitlement that transcends changes of ownership or commercial use. The usual excuse runs something like, 'Oh we've been hunting here for years. Old Bill told us we could hunt here forever, and he'd make sure no one else had permission. We don't bother anyone.' Well, old Bill is long dead and squatters rights don't apply. If someone new bought that cedar swamp, black spruce thicket, and granite ridges, they are quite right to remove any trespassers. But tell that to a crew of guys who've been coming there for two generations. Posting signs, tearing down cabins, building fences, and otherwise preventing access is a fast way to have your own house burnt down.
In my experience in Ontario, when there is a large block of undeveloped land, someone else has already got long established hunting privileges. There is a sense of entitlement that transcends changes of ownership or commercial use. The usual excuse runs something like, 'Oh we've been hunting here for years. Old Bill told us we could hunt here forever, and he'd make sure no one else had permission. We don't bother anyone.' Well, old Bill is long dead and squatters rights don't apply. If someone new bought that cedar swamp, black spruce thicket, and granite ridges, they are quite right to remove any trespassers. But tell that to a crew of guys who've been coming there for two generations. Posting signs, tearing down cabins, building fences, and otherwise preventing access is a fast way to have your own house burnt down.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Why buy land in Saskatchewan? There are excellent whitetail opportunities on private land as long as you have permission.
https://www.dignam.com/
Gonna have a hard time, what’s your driving tolerance.
Anything past Sudbury ish is pushing it. Get out of the GTA I grew up around Ajax and what a sh*t hole a few decades make.
Look around Mcaurthr mills, Palmer rapids. Still some places with no cell service but with starlink available anywhere sorta lets city people move wherever.
Around kaladar (the land that time forgot)
Cottage country will be unaffordable and filled with city people
Be mindful around madoc particularly Deloro as uranium was enriched during the war at I think one of the iron mine sites. You’ll see the radiation signs on the the side of highway 7 while driving between madoc and marmara. Bancroft heading toward aplsey had uranium mines and tailings that have never been cleaned up properly, some of the lakes and the ground water is polluted.
Gonna have a hard time, what’s your driving tolerance.
Anything past Sudbury ish is pushing it. Get out of the GTA I grew up around Ajax and what a sh*t hole a few decades make.
Look around Mcaurthr mills, Palmer rapids. Still some places with no cell service but with starlink available anywhere sorta lets city people move wherever.
Around kaladar (the land that time forgot)
Cottage country will be unaffordable and filled with city people
Be mindful around madoc particularly Deloro as uranium was enriched during the war at I think one of the iron mine sites. You’ll see the radiation signs on the the side of highway 7 while driving between madoc and marmara. Bancroft heading toward aplsey had uranium mines and tailings that have never been cleaned up properly, some of the lakes and the ground water is polluted.
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I think that’s more of a French thing as I’ve never run into it around Bancroft or where I’m at now NWO. If you try and block a logging road up here, even one that’s no longer used your truck and/or trailer will be destroyed.
Most people are vehicle hunters whether or not they want to admit it. When in the bush even a little ways even by a Rez I’m amazed at the moose signs and other wildlife. If its difficult to get a boat or atv to you’ll probably be successful.
For people who think there’s no deer in norther Ontario here a pic from madsen Ontario
Lots of the farmland has been bought up around here after the Dryden buck was shot
https://lacseulwildernessresort.com/2020/11/27/the-dryden-buck-rediscovered/amp/
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Check out Ontario tax sales Ontario government website.
I got my first 5 acres for unpaid taxes at auction ..and a couple years ago bought another 180 privately just behind.
My advice is stay under 3 hrs from home , look for smaller affordable parcels with lots of crown land around .
I got my first 5 acres for unpaid taxes at auction ..and a couple years ago bought another 180 privately just behind.
My advice is stay under 3 hrs from home , look for smaller affordable parcels with lots of crown land around .
FatCatsDad
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
So much for "law abiding gun owners"
Reverting to arson in order to extort trespassing privileges
Well, one might want to not live where folks burn down their houses I suppose. Your story not mine. Most Sask folk I've met are actually pretty friendly. Maybe ought to move this way instead?
Trimmer 905
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Try this website www.ontario.ca In the search engine,enter Crown Land Use Policy Atlas. Generally,south of Parry Sound district,private land is the norm. North of the district,vast tracts of Ctown land can be hunted relatively unrestricted in unregulated townships,but,it's important that small sections of private land are still interspersed throughout. You must be aware of where they are. Most landowners have a very short fuse with trespassers. Good luck.
KotKotofeich
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Ottawa Valley
You say "after I graduate" - what field are you in? Do you expect to be able to work from home? Because if so, the world is your oyster - with Starlink to give you internet connectivity you can live in the boonies and still be gainfully employed in your field.
I'm not as far from Ottawa as someone would have to be from the GTA to have hunting land but before the WFH came with covid, the commute was very annoying. No complaints now (except the 5+ days without power after the ice storm - generator kept us comfortable but it wasn't fun any more after a couple days)
I'm not as far from Ottawa as someone would have to be from the GTA to have hunting land but before the WFH came with covid, the commute was very annoying. No complaints now (except the 5+ days without power after the ice storm - generator kept us comfortable but it wasn't fun any more after a couple days)
I grew up in Sudbury but relocated to Toronto for work. Makes hunting and shooting a b!tch. I live here with the full understanding that I will need to travel to hunt. Not ideal, but I do what I have to do. I have driven 4 hours north to hunt for a weekend, countless times. I do my turkey hunting 2 hours southwest. I love hunting so much that I'm willing to put in that travel time for a single hunt. Not sure what type of answer you're looking for though, because it all depends on your work schedule, your family, and what your threshold is for the amount of time you're willing to drive, km's you're willing to put on and $$$ you are willing to spend on gas.
Your own land for hunting can be a great thing. Make sure you don't make it too easy, that can ruin it for you. I have so many deer wandering through the yard that the dogs seldom bark at them anymore. It would feel funny blasting them now.
Very true. I have a Garmin handheld, think it’s a 62s but I have the Ontario outdoors sd card it it that shows private land and it’s not very evident where the private land is without having it. Some think that they can hunt on land unless it’s fenced off or marked with the customary red circle signs but that’s not the case at all.
How often is it updated? Apps like iHunter are also great resources if you pay for the public land layer.
In addition to knowing public/private land boundaries, it is also important to be aware of any municipal bylaws restricting discharge or firearms or no sunday gun hunting areas (except up north where this isn't an issue).
