Can my wife hunt with me? :S

You don't have to be carrying a bow or gun to be charged with hunting without a license in Ontario. You can't have anyone out with you unless they're licensed.

From the regs:

HUNTING -
Includes lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of, pursuing,
chasing or shooting at wildlife, whether or not the wildlife is killed, injured,
captured or harassed. You need a hunting licence to do any of these things,
except where the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, states otherwise.

Buddy is just following/accompanying, observing/recording & carrying equipment & supplies while licensed friend hunts.
 
My wife hunts with me and took her first mule deer buck last friday evening. She has her BC hunter card and her own liscence/tags, but does not have a PAL.
I'm generally not more than 20 to 30 ft away when she handles a firearm.

Arms reach is silly. How many times at a range are you allowed to stand with a new shooter or a non PAL holder... Within arms reach... It's not required and generally only shooters are allowed on the line.

While certainly not the normal, our local CO wants to see hunter number card and liscence and has specifically said, I don't need to see your PAL's , just your liscence and tags.

Anyhow, a reasonable, safe distance where normal voices can be used to communicate is what my understanding of supervision while in the field means.

Ontario has 2 separate classes of Outdoors Card.

This off the MNR website...


Gun Hunting - The Class H1 Outdoors Card allows hunting with all the methods permitted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (guns, archery and falconry). To qualify for a H1 Outdoors Card, the applicant must provide proof of passing both the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam and the Canadian Firearms Safety Course exam.
Non-Gun Hunting - The Class H2 Outdoors Card allows hunting with all the methods permitted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act except guns (primarily archery and falconry). To qualify for a H2 Outdoors Card, the applicant must provide proof of passing the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam.

So, no H1 card, no gun hunting.
 
Ontario has 2 separate classes of Outdoors Card.

This off the MNR website...


Gun Hunting - The Class H1 Outdoors Card allows hunting with all the methods permitted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (guns, archery and falconry). To qualify for a H1 Outdoors Card, the applicant must provide proof of passing both the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam and the Canadian Firearms Safety Course exam.
Non-Gun Hunting - The Class H2 Outdoors Card allows hunting with all the methods permitted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act except guns (primarily archery and falconry). To qualify for a H2 Outdoors Card, the applicant must provide proof of passing the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam.

So, no H1 card, no gun hunting.

Thanx for clearing that up. I am uneducated in the hunting regs for ontario. Makes me extra glad I don't live out there. That's a pretty dumb requirement if ya ask me.
Basic firearms handling, identification and safety are covered in the BC CORE program, essentially the nonrestricted side of the firearms course.
Completion of the CORE however, is not accepted for PAL application. Completion of Core gives a BC resident a permanent hunter card to buy a liscence with each year and apply for lottery hunts.
Looks like ontario wants to prevent hunting throwing up stupid hoops like these H1 and H2 cards . Morons :(
 
Thanx for clearing that up. I am uneducated in the hunting regs for ontario. Makes me extra glad I don't live out there. That's a pretty dumb requirement if ya ask me.
Basic firearms handling, identification and safety are covered in the BC CORE program, essentially the nonrestricted side of the firearms course.
Completion of the CORE however, is not accepted for PAL application. Completion of Core gives a BC resident a permanent hunter card to buy a liscence with each year and apply for lottery hunts.
Looks like ontario wants to prevent hunting throwing up stupid hoops like these H1 and H2 cards . Morons :(

They've actually removed all firearm handling from the Hunter Education course here since if you want to use them you have to take the PAL course anyways. Luckily my instructor still includes it in his course in case anyone is out hunting and has to handle a firearm in an emergency or something.
 
Got a response back from MNR...

Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry.

While there is no law that prohibits non-hunters from enjoying the wilderness in areas where hunting occurs, caution should be exercised when having a non-hunter friend or family member accompany you while you hunt.

The definition of hunting, according to the Fish a Wildlife Conservation Act and the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary (page 86) is as follows:

Hunting "includes lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of, pursuing, chasing or shooting at wildlife, whether or not the wildlife is killed, injured, captured or harassed. You need a hunting licence to do any of these things, except where the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 states otherwise".

Having your girlfriend in the blind with you could be considered "lying in wait for" and having her walk beside you in the woods could technically constitute "searching for" or "being on the trail of". Whether a Conservation Officer (CO) chooses to follow this regulation to the letter of the law is at the discretion of the CO and may depend on other circumstances.

What we suggest is speaking to the CO that patrols your area of interest. Let him/her know that you want to take your girlfriend and that she will simply be observing. She cannot point out game, call, bait, carry a firearm, shoot, etc. The CO may grant you permission to do so, or not.

A list of MNR offices and their contact information is available online at http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/ContactUs/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_179002.html.

We hope you have found this information helpful.
 
You don't have to be carrying a bow or gun to be charged with hunting without a license in Ontario. You can't have anyone out with you unless they're licensed.

From the regs:

HUNTING -
Includes lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of, pursuing,
chasing or shooting at wildlife, whether or not the wildlife is killed, injured,
captured or harassed. You need a hunting licence to do any of these things,
except where the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, states otherwise.

Absolutely false.
 
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