Crown land
- Thread starter misfits
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Yep I've checked crown land atlas. No data for southern Ontario - including the eastern side. I think I recall that it used to have it at one point. Not sure. I'd love to be proven wrong. If you know of an online resource that accurately shows the boundaries of crown land in southern or south-eastern Ontario, please share.
The old version of the atlas (I mean only like a year ago) was way faster and easier to use. I can tell you that as far as crown land, you're looking at at least 1.5 hrs of driving to find any (from the GTA, further for me). With an OFAH membership you can hunt the Simcoe county forest and GRCA forests as well. No plinking or target shooting of any kind allowed in either though.
I had luck once with getting in touch with the local MNR office who then e-mailed me PDF maps as well as a description of what was permitted in the smaller tracts of crown land in my area.
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So what we have figured out here is that "crown land" is federal. There is no "suitable for hunting" "crown land" in Southern Ontario. This has not changed in a long time. We also know that there is limited hunting in certain provincial parks as well. We also know that some conservation authorities do allow hunting as well. Calling the MNR for anything in regards to where to hunt is a waste of time, it's not their mandate to provide areas to hunt. As we move further into a digital age, anyone who expects paper copies of anything moving forward is in for a real surprise.
If you want to hunt in populated areas on public land, you needs to first check the online crown land atlas, second, check provincial parks for ones that do allow hunting and last check the local conservation authorities.
I wouldn't get any hopes up of plinking areas in Southern Ontario as irresponsible shooters pissing off citiots have basically ruined what few spots were available.
If you want to hunt in populated areas on public land, you needs to first check the online crown land atlas, second, check provincial parks for ones that do allow hunting and last check the local conservation authorities.
I wouldn't get any hopes up of plinking areas in Southern Ontario as irresponsible shooters pissing off citiots have basically ruined what few spots were available.
Wrt to what we've figured out. It's complicated. Southern Ontario is huge really. I'm focused on South-East Ontario, near Ottawa generally. There is quite a bit of crown-land suitable for hunting slightly north west of Ottawa. Some of it even shows up on the MNR crown land atlas.
The issue is that South (and South West) of Ottawa is entirely blocked off in the MNR online atlas. Everyone keeps saying there is no crown land. This is not true. There is crown land and it is hunted regularly. The MNR won't publish details online, the Eastern Ontario Resource map isn't being republished, the Backroads Paper Maps and the Backroads GPS Map disagree or contradict each other (yes I own both.) The information is very difficult to put together. The available information is so bad that it makes me think it's being done on purpose.
I'll throw out the areas that I believe are crown land and that may be used for hunting or at least target shooting. I'm no lawyer or anything special so I might be wrong - you need to check the facts before you do something that gets you in trouble. There are no big secrets here... the big secret is the actual boundaries of the following regions.
Marlborough Forest; Larose Forest; Winchester Bog; Carp Hills Forest; Corkery Woodlands; Pinery-Long Swamp Forest.
Most of these come from the exemption list in the City of Ottawa Firearms Discharge bylaws (google it.)
Somethingspecial
The issue is that South (and South West) of Ottawa is entirely blocked off in the MNR online atlas. Everyone keeps saying there is no crown land. This is not true. There is crown land and it is hunted regularly. The MNR won't publish details online, the Eastern Ontario Resource map isn't being republished, the Backroads Paper Maps and the Backroads GPS Map disagree or contradict each other (yes I own both.) The information is very difficult to put together. The available information is so bad that it makes me think it's being done on purpose.
I'll throw out the areas that I believe are crown land and that may be used for hunting or at least target shooting. I'm no lawyer or anything special so I might be wrong - you need to check the facts before you do something that gets you in trouble. There are no big secrets here... the big secret is the actual boundaries of the following regions.
Marlborough Forest; Larose Forest; Winchester Bog; Carp Hills Forest; Corkery Woodlands; Pinery-Long Swamp Forest.
Most of these come from the exemption list in the City of Ottawa Firearms Discharge bylaws (google it.)
Somethingspecial
See this is where you are confused. I would imagine that none of those on you list are "crown land"... "crown land" is federal land. Most of those locations on your list are owned by the City of Ottawa, hence _not_ crown land. The Crown Land Atlas is 100% correct, but you just assume "not private" land is crown land, which is incorrect.
I'm not even from the area and it only took me a few minutes to see that both of those locations are not crown land. Winchester Bog is owned by the Township of North Dundas and Larose Forest is owned and managed by the Prescott-Russell Unified Counties. Again, why would anyone expect that these be marked on a crown land map when they are clearly not crown land? These are municipally owned community forests/marshes, not even provincially owned and most certainly not crown land which is federally owned.
It's no wonder you guys can't find places to hunt. You guys need to work on your google-fu skills a bit and do your own research.
edit: I never said all of the places were owned or in Ottawa. Again, I am not from the area but I can do basic google searches.
After much research I found some crown land that was quite a drive away. But on the way I also found excellent spots from people I know. Its all about networking. Some people will let you on their properties, and some people will give you free for all. I was surprised that one of my buddies knew a guy with a "deer line" (his expression). Its an open field surrounded by forest, which is probably around 500-800 yards across, with a few openings. A few deer stands and blinds are already sorta half built, and the guy doesn't mind if I go any time. He says there are often groups of deer around that field. Shots are about 200-300 yards on average.
Looks like I'm getting some hornady LeverEvolution.
Looks like I'm getting some hornady LeverEvolution.
