Hunting/Retiring around London, Ontario

"...the lack of upland game near London..." The area around here is mile after mile after mile of corn and soy bean fields. Lots of big, corn fed, deer on private property. Nothing greater than .275 for small game. Most counties and townships say that for everything.
In London, taxes go up, every year. with no work done on the roads in 10 or more years. Roads aren't cleared of snow until enough has fallen(2 cm or more before it gets touched), sidewalks get the snow cleared off the ice. Civil servants get fat raises(avg of 9% + over 3 years lately) and the Mayor's Travel Fund is full though. Food and gas prices are high too. Wouldn't want to retire here. Living here without being a civil servant is bad enough. No work or GP doctors either.
 
Draw a circle 25 - 30km around the centre of London and don't move any closer than that. You'd still be close enough for 'trips to the city' for shopping and health care, but still get the small town feel of southern Ontario. Land will be cheaper, and traffic will be a non-issue. If you get to know the locals you may even be permitted to hunt on their land, if you don't buy a rural property yourself.
 
I live in between Woodstock and Brantford, about a 40 min drive East of London. If you like Waterfowl hunting then it does'nt get much better than Long Point waterfowl conservation unit. It's about 1 hour SouthEast of London on Lake Erie. You do have to pay $15 a day, to hunt in one of there 50 or so pre-designated blinds, but the action can be fast and furious, most days. Definetely worth the hour drive, and you can call ahead and book, a blind that you prefer, once you get to know the area. Great Place to go if you don't have any Farmer Contacts yet.

There is a few Wildlife Conservations around that you can go to, but they are usually pretty busy at the good times of the year. Best thing to do is to start knocking on Farmers doors, and you will be happy once you get some Private land to hunt on. London area has probably one of highest Whitetail populations in Ontario. Usually atleast one friend or family every winter hits one with there car.

Wild Turkey were first relocated south of London, around Long Point actually, so the Turkey populations are good. I would bet that any 50 acre or larger Bush has Turkey in it around here.

Coyote population is ridiculously high also if you like varmint shooting.

If you can find some land that backs onto the Thames river also, you can get in some good waterfowl hunting, and Canadian Geese are everywere.
 
I live in London. There have been about 300 collisions so far this year between automobiles and deer in and around London(or so i heard on the radio), the deer are quite literally overpopulated here. My parents who live across town near the marsh regularly get deer eating my moms flowers etc. and this is in a dense nieghbourhood, almost no fear of people (why should they no hunting allowed), i have almost been trampled several times walking to my parents from the bus stop because deer are hiding behind a tree or something.

I have only lived in London about 4 years and i'm doing everything i can to get out.

We have the worst air quality in Ontario, Toronto being in second and Windsor or hamilton area in third (i forget exactly), and we have some pretty bad water too.

Our Politicians are scum.
 
Thanks everyone for your information and input regarding my query as to moving around London. There seems to be a general trend emerging here and I think I've made up my mind. I still plan on checking it out this summer (going for a month) but it's sounding like maybe the Kingston area might be more hunter friendly than the London area. I own a number of 30 cal rifles as well (collected over the years) and it would be a shame not to have the ability to take them hunting where I'm planning to spend the rest of my years.
 
PSE said:
Thanks everyone for your information and input regarding my query as to moving around London. There seems to be a general trend emerging here and I think I've made up my mind. I still plan on checking it out this summer (going for a month) but it's sounding like maybe the Kingston area might be more hunter friendly than the London area. I own a number of 30 cal rifles as well (collected over the years) and it would be a shame not to have the ability to take them hunting where I'm planning to spend the rest of my years.
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I've retired and moved near a small village north of Kingston. There are half a dozen hunt camps within a 10 minute drive from my door. Deer season is something of a religion around here and many small business are closed to allow for the hunt. I look out my window every morning and see deer along the tree line.

I also love to fish and can either leave my boat on the Rideau or trailer it to numerous other lakes within a short drive.

I grew up in Woodstock and know that area but chose north of Kingston for the more rounded outdoor experience.

But as mentioned that drive to London is a Bit@h!! as they put the GTA right in the middle and I avoid it at all costs. To be honest I rarely get to Kingston anymore and my idea of a big city is Perth:)
 
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