The Ontario Hunter Education Program
The Ontario Hunter Education Program is administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.).
The Ontario Hunter Education Course and exam are
delivered by approximately 300 certified instructors across the province. To find a hunter education instructor in your area, please contact a ServiceOntario Centre, or the O.F.A.H. at (705) 748-5785 or
www.ohep.net. To purchase Ontario’s Hunter Education Manual, contact an instructor or the O.F.A.H.
Two classes of Ontario Outdoors Cards and Hunter Apprentice-ship Safety Cards are available to residents – one for gun hunters and one for non-gun hunters.
Consent Required
Individuals under the age of 16 must file a consent signed
by one parent or guardian before attending the Ontario Hunter Education Course or the Ontario Wild Turkey Hunter Education Course. Consent forms can be obtained by going to the following site: ontario.ca/hunting.
Class H1 Outdoors Card – Residents Only
The H1 card permits the cardholder to hunt with all methods permitted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997. Applicants for this version of Outdoors Card will have to
provide documentation that they have passed both the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam and the Canadian Firearms Safety Course exam. These courses are normally delivered in a “One-Stop” combined course; however, both courses are
available independently if desired. “One-Stop” graduates will meet provincial training requirements to hunt with a gun or
bowhunting equipment and the federal training requirements for firearm possession, acquisition and ownership.
Any person with a hunting version of an Ontario Outdoors Card, Ontario Hunting Licence or Hunter Education Exam Report indicating a pass issued after January 1, 1968, and before January 1, 2006, will be eligible for the H1 Outdoors Card.
Class H2 Outdoors Card – Residents Only
The H2 card permits the cardholder to hunt with all methods permitted under the act except guns. Applicants for this
version of the Outdoors Card will have to provide
documentation that they have passed the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam.
HUNTER APPRENTICESHIP SAFETY PROGRAM – RESIDENTS ONLY
Ontario’s Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program allows
individuals to safely develop their hunting skills while under the direct and immediate supervision of a qualified
mentor. The program provides practical training for future hunters. Two classes of Ontario Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Cards are available: one for gun hunters and one for
non-gun hunters.
Class A1 Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card
The A1 Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card permits the cardholder to hunt with all methods permitted under the act and regulations. Applicants for this version of the Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card must be 12 years of age or older and will have to provide documentation that they have passed both the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam and the Canadian Firearms Safety Course exam. These courses are available in a “One-Stop” combined course; however, both courses are available independently if desired. “One-Stop” graduates will meet provincial training requirements to hunt with a gun or bow-hunting equipment and the federal training requirements for firearms possession, acquisition and ownership. (NOTE: To own, acquire and register a gun, you must be 18 years of age or older.)
Class A2 Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card
The A2 Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card permits the card-holder to hunt with all methods permitted under the act and regulations except guns. Applicants for this version of the Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card must be 12 years of age or older and provide documentation that they have passed the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam.
Other Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program Requirements:
• Written permission of parent or legal guardian is required if the applicant is 12 to 15 years of age.
• The applicant must be a resident of Ontario.
• The apprentice, while hunting, must be under the direct and immediate supervision of a mentor who is 18 years of age or older, and who holds a valid Outdoors Card of the equivalent class and a valid hunting licence for the game species being hunted.
• The apprentice must share a single firearm with the mentor.
• An apprentice must possess a federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit to hunt migratory game birds.
• With the exception of migratory game birds, game wildlife taken by the apprentice must be added to the daily bag limit of the mentor.
• If wild turkey is being hunted, the apprentice must take the Ontario Wild Turkey Hunter Education Course and pass the exam.
• A Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card is valid for three years.
• Apprentices must carry the Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card with them while hunting.
The Ontario Hunter Education Program
For information on the Ontario Hunter Education Program, contact the O.F.A.H. at (705) 748-5785 or
www.ohep.net.
For information on the federal Firearms Act, contact the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 or
www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca.
