Quick nuisance animal question

D

djmay71

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 87.5%
7   1   0
Location
Eastern Ontario
Hey ya'll.

So nuisance animals in Ontario. What's the regulations here? Even without a hunting license, is a person within their rights to 'rid' it from their land, without using firearms and/or a prohibited means of hunting within the confines of their city?
Trapper the best idea?
 
One doesn't need a license to cull nuisance animals classified as varmints here I'm Saskabush but I am sure that it must be different in your neck of the woods seeing that you are closer to the centre of the universe. You do need a hunting license for whatever is in season if you are out I'm the field hunting... Say it is deer season and you want to be out shooting coyotes. You need to have a deer license and appropriate blaze orange clothing. But you do not ever need to purchase a coyote license as it doesn't exist.

There are several laws that relate the control of urban wildlife that residents of Ontario and Quebec need to be aware of. The following are the most applicable laws. For a complete description refer to the links provided below.

Ontario

Ministry of Natural Resources - Wildlife Conflicts

www.mnr.gov.on.ca

Releasing captured animals

If you live-capture a nuisance animal, within 24 hours you must:

release it in close proximity to where it was caught (up to a maximum of one kilometre) as directed by MNR
if it is sick, injured, or immature, turn it over to a veterinarian or an authorized wildlife custodian, or humanely euthanize it.
In a raccoon rabies "high-risk area", injured, sick or orphaned rabies carrier species (raccoons, skunks, foxes) can be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator who is authorized by the Ministry to handle them. All rabies carrier species must be released within 1km of their point of origin.

Using an agent

You may hire or ask someone to deal with nuisance animals on your land. The person you hire or ask is your agent and must have authorization from MNR. The following categories of people are authorized by the regulations to act as agents:

a person whose main business is removing nuisance animals (animal control agents as listed in yellow pages) - such as Humane Wildlife Control
a licensed trapper,
an employee or agent of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) appointed under the OSPCA Act,
a member of your immediate family, and
employees or agents of a municipality whose responsibilities relate to wildlife control.
Other persons may act as agents, but will require individual authorizations before acting in protection of property situations. Contact your local MNR district office regarding this. Specific sections in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and Regulations guide farmers who may have to deal with situations of crop depredation by deer.

Note: Pest control companies (i.e. deal with rodents, vermin and insects) may not have as their "main business" the removal of nuisance animals and may not be authorized by MNR to perform such services.

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act:

www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_97f41_e.htm#bk32

Poison

29. (1) A person shall not use poison to kill, injure or capture wildlife.

Adhesives

30. (1) A person shall not use adhesives to kill, injure or capture wildlife.

Discharging Firearms

Most municipalities in Ontario have bylaws that forbid the discharge of firearms within city limits. See your local municipality for more information.

Quebec

An Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife:

www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/home.php#

Attacking animals

67. No person nor anyone lending him assistance may kill or capture an animal attacking him or causing damage to his property or property under his care or maintenance unless he is unable to frighten the animal away or prevent it from causing damage.

Animal killed or found

68. In the case provided for in section 67 or in the case of an animal that has been found or an animal that has been killed or captured by accident, a person shall, without delay, in the case of an animal determined by regulation,

1) if it is unharmed and alive, set it free;

2) if it is wounded or dead, declare the fact to a protection officer and, if he requires, deliver it to him so he may confiscate it.
 
Thanks for the info crazydsb. The problem/nuisance animal around here is a groundhog. Digging holes all over the place, digging underneath porches and into sheds, and is becoming a general headache, especially when you have to walk around while looking out for holes. (Fell in one the other day, nearly twisted my ankle and fell on a rose bush.)

I might try contacting the MNR to see what a landowner can do, since we did get a quote from a trapper, which was crazy expensive.
 
Buy some leg hold traps if you are in a city or shoot them if you are in the country. Ground hogs are not protected and open season is here
 
While searching on the internet for some tips and advice on groundhog problems, I stumbled on this website that almost comes out and says that a 22 air gun is OK to dispatch groundies.

http://www.airgundepot.com/pest-control-with-air-rifles-airguns.html
 
djmay71 said:
While searching on the internet for some tips and advice on groundhog problems, I stumbled on this website that almost comes out and says that a 22 air gun is OK to dispatch groundies.
Click to expand...

Rubber bands would also work, but wear eye protection, to get them to maximum velocity they have to be stretched twice the manufactures recommendation.
 
You should be ok with a nice 1000fps .22 air rifle.

Maybe some JSB Predators..
GAM632270154_1.jpg
 
You must be in a no-shooting area, seeing as you are asking.
Many tool rental places have box traps available.
I believe legholds are outright illegal in ON.
Groundhogs can be tough little critters to kill cleanly with a .22, but now I understand why you started your air rifle thread.

What was the movie with the golfer and the groundhog? Caddy Shack?
Maybe we have the makings for a sequel - security specialist dealing with an earth pig.
 
I have good luck with bricks in the den entrances. Any groundhog holes near the house get the holes blocked. I don't know if any of the little buggers have been trapped underground, but I haven't had any more troubles.

A rather pear-shaped wildlife control "lady" tried to tell me that the skunks, etc were here first and we were living in their territory. Since she had an unwanted skunk in a big net on a stick at the time, I decided not to debate her on the timelines. If she had asked, I would have walked the skunk down the block 2-300yds to the Canada Post sorting plant (!), or in the other direction to a hydro right-of-way.
 
tiriaq said:
You must be in a no-shooting area, seeing as you are asking.
Many tool rental places have box traps available.
I believe legholds are outright illegal in ON.
Groundhogs can be tough little critters to kill cleanly with a .22, but now I understand why you started your air rifle thread.

What was the movie with the golfer and the groundhog? Caddy Shack?
Maybe we have the makings for a sequel - security specialist dealing with an earth pig.
Click to expand...

Leg holds are not illegal in ON. Only a trapper can use them, but they are not illegal.

Sorry, my pet peeve lately has been from other provinces spouting off on other provinces laws.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom