Confusion: Release of Chukar for Dog Hunting Training.

ckc123

ckc123

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I'm just preparing for a new pup, and some game bird hunting.. I came across a bit of information on the release of game bird for hunting, and not sure what's proper (and yes I have a call out to the MNR, but figured I'd post/ask here as well, and will post up thier answer when they respond.)

on the ONTARIO site it says you can with some stipulations.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/release-birds-hunting-private-land
you must:

  • hold a small game licence
  • release only up to 10 ring-necked pheasants and/or 10 chukar partridge each year
  • release the birds on land you own or occupy (e.g., you lease the land)
  • release the birds during the open hunting season for the species

If you follow these rules, you do not need a permit or authorization.
Click to expand...

However, in the Ontario regulations there is no stated "season" for chukar.

on page 91 of the regs is says

Chukar may also be
hunted. For information on releasing chukar for hunting
purposes, call your local MNRF office for more information.
Click to expand...

There is no table with dates etc, so the only way to get any info is to call the MNR??
 
It quite plainly says

Chukar may also be
hunted. For information on releasing chukar for hunting
purposes, call your local MNRF office for more information.

I would suggest you do that. You will likely need to talk to a Resource Clerk or Fish and Wildlife Technical Specialist, and will probably be issued a permit allowing you to do so. My wife and I went through this several years ago.
 
Training activities with game birds can cause confusion, I've used Chukars and Quail for training which are not game birds here and so are considered livestock and treated as such can be used for training. When using pheasants it seems more complicated but a professional trainer I worked with used them and when legally challenged won, as he had receipts for the birds and since some are raised for the restaurant industry they too were considered livestock in that specific application. Each province has its own rules and I suggest you get something in writing from the MNR as my experience has been short term memory loss otherwise.
 
Last edited:
The answer to the question is "Call the MNR"

As an aside, you can use other birds besides those two for the purpose of dog training out of a hunting season. We were issued permits which allowed us to release japanese quail (and something else, I cant recall at this time) out of season. Our dog was trained primarily on the quail and is now an excellent grouse dog.
 
So I finally heard back from the MNR, and they had to actually call back twice to confirm some things.. in short the answer is

1) Chukar are not a native species, and as such they are not listed in the regs, and do not have an "season". (just like wild boar are not, but they are in ontario). you can"hunt" them any time as long as you have a hunting license. (so the reference to a "season" on the web page is misleading as there is none.. the Hunting regs are also a bit misleading as it say you can "hunt" them but not why, and no other info is listed in the regs about them). you can hunt non native species at any time as they are not regulated by a season/limit etc. (but other general hunting regs do apply while you are "hunting" regardless of what you are hunting)

2) You can release up to 10 without the need for a permit on your own lands per year.
 
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