New hunter looking for advice.

Nino

Nino

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Hello all,

I am a fairly new hunter (been out with outfitters handful of times). I’m looking for any advice you are willing to share in regards to hunting on crown land and private. I don’t have access to land but am going to be scouting crown land in late March and early April for turkey and get out for season opener.
My questions are

For crown land, I know some areas have designated parking but for the areas that don’t, is parking allowed anywhere along a main road (away from entrances/out of the way)?
I do want to get out and pattern my shotgun as well since I’ll be out there, outside of by-law regulations, anything else I should know about that.

For private land…
I plan on going door to door and asking owners for permission when I am out scouting, what is the best way to approach a land owner and how to start off the conversation.

Lastly, I plan on going out on my own but if there is anyone that would like to join me or anyone who would like to mentor me before the season opens I’d be open to either one.

Thanks for any advice or input.
 
Crown is public land as you know, as long as you’re not blocking the way in or out park off to the side wherever there is room. Just be smart about it and nobody should have a problem with it.
 
This is going to be a very broad reply, likely not exactly in the vein you are looking for. As someone who tumbled headlong on an arc in hunting that ended in big five and outfitting grizzlies in BC, I’ll share my take on what I’d do starting from zero.

First and foremost, I’d avoid trying to hunt big game on day trips or weekends. Wingshooting and waterfowl are different, I tie those in with fishing for myself, they can be weekended comfortably. The weekend trip will work for some in their honey holes, but it ruins the experience for me and I often end up bored as simply bagging something isn’t what I’m after. I found the longer I hunted and the further I went, the greater the whole experience and journey; it was the journey that mattered for me ultimately.

Going once a year on a 10 day or three week fly in where there isn’t another soul, is far preferable to weekending ten times, and that one big trip a year you’ll find yourself looking forward to the rest of the year. You’ll also remember each one in detail. This is not a shot across the bow at weekend warrior’ing, I just can’t pull it off and enjoy it myself and I tried a lot. It’s far too rushed, there isn’t enough to the experience, and I never get that feeling of being deep in nature. Hunting for me really didn’t take off until I switched back to long, deep wilderness trips.

When I hunt, I need to be able to forget the outside world exists. The deeper and longer you go, the easier that is. There are numerous floatplane services in this country, call one in the north of your home province, and find out how to start putting in for the draws where they can take you. After that find a like minded soul here, or wherever and split the flight cost and gas up there. Go solo even if you have to, and figure it out.

At worst, you’ll find a great adventure and more about yourself. You’re almost certain to find great fishing, may see wolves or wolverines, etc. Really live. And you’ll be even more prepared for the next year to maximize it. One day, you may even find yourself continuing to do the trips, without even having to hunt. If you’re like me anyhow, it’s the journey, make it a good one each time.
 
Be sure you aren't confusing crown land with other public lands. I see you're in GTA. Is it Simcoe County you're looking at? This is not crown land. There are still restrictions in place such as requiring OFAH membership. And yes, being in GTA, be prepared for plenty of rejections. A real hot spot I'd love to get pernission is up in north Caledon. I always see many fields up that way holding birds.

If you're an early riser, try to get to your spot as early as possible. Majority of the time I'm hunting private, but when I do try public (especially around GTA) I almost always bump into people at county road entrances or find blinds set up in the woods. Get to your spot early and you shouldn't have to worry about that. There's nothing more stressful than having scouted a spot then when you show up someone is there and you need to scramble to find another location before the birds leave the roost. Have back up locations in mind just in case.

Finally, dont get discouraged. I started hunting wild turkey later in life, long after I had been hunting other game for decades. I dont think I bagged a bird until my 4th or 5th year. Whether you have success or dont, every time you get out you learn something new. Even the most experienced turkey hunters are still learning things.
Good luck.
 
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Thanks all for your input, advice and suggestions. Look forward to getting out there on my own and learning.
 
I can’t help with turkeys or gta area access.

I’m with Ardent on the experience of a hunt though. I started utilizing a canoe to reach areas far from road access and other hunters. It’s been extremely enjoyable and successful for me. I e-scout via google earth and satellite view to plan routes. Im looking forward to expanding this type of hunting in future years and am especially excited about taking the family now that the children are getting old enough.

What I’d suggest if a person might be interested in this type of adventure is find canoe rentals on lakes a couple hours north and e-scout a route maybe back to some further in lakes and make a go of it. Fishing in the day and spring bear in the evening while camping on a small island might be a great way to spend a week in late may-early June.

If you plan a trip and happen to find yourself in the French river/highway 535 area and need to borrow a portable stand or anything else send me a PM.
 
Great recommendation Jimbob. I love a paddling trip, one of the Great Canadian Escapes. And kicks the crap out of an ATV.

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Some good advice already.

A bit on asking for permission. First off - be respectful and polite.

I have had a lot of success by providing the farmer/land owner with my CV and business card.

I print out a single sheet with my name and particulars on it. I include details of my intent - days of the week, times of the day etc. I include details of my truck - colour, year, model, and licence number and a picture if appropriate.

On a business card I put my name and personal details including address and phone number and the vehicle details
 
Nino said:
Look forward to getting out there on my own and learning.
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Nice, that’s the right attitude to have as a new hunter. I learned way more my first year or two of solo hunting than any other, they were also my most enjoyable times as I was super excited about being out there looking for animals and learning the ropes. Good luck with Turkey hunting, it’s something I don’t have access to locally but have a real interest in.
 
Nino said:
Thanks all for your input, advice and suggestions. Look forward to getting out there on my own and learning.
Click to expand...

There is no crown land where you can legally pattern a gun or target shoot near the GTA. The closest actual crown land near the GTA has been restricted to vehicle access for over a year now and it’s at least a 2KM hike in until you can legally discharge. You will have to go north on HWY 11, or 69. Use the crown land access maps available online and then start using google maps to locate a likely spot to pattern. Plenty of public land hunting in southern Ontario but there are many restrictions and anywhere close to the GTA you’ll have lots of competition!
 
Thanks again everyone for you input/advice. I do plan on going out to pattern in March, plan on hitting some crown land in SW Ontario. Found some places that have fairly large crown land pockets. As for patterning… I thought it was allowed on crown land as long as you can prove that you’re not “actively hunting”? I only plan on bringing out some targets, no camo or anything else. Just plain clothes. Anyone have any input on that?
 
If I never hunted before, are there workshops or similar resources to help get me started. I have the necessary licenses. Did any of you just prepare yourself and learn solo?
 
ASingh99 said:
If I never hunted before, are there workshops or similar resources to help get me started. I have the necessary licenses. Did any of you just prepare yourself and learn solo?
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While I was already a hunter, when I started hunting wild turkey I learned solo. There are many resources out there, including youtube, where you can learn a lot. The most you'll ever learn is from getting out there and experiencing it. No matter how many seasons I've hunted or turkeys I've harvested, I'm always learning something. Get out there and put in time scouting. Glass the fields, look for tracks, droppins, feathers etc. Topo maps can help you find ridges, that's a good start for finding roost locations.
 
ASingh99 said:
If I never hunted before, are there workshops or similar resources to help get me started. I have the necessary licenses. Did any of you just prepare yourself and learn solo?
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Read as much as I could, books/online. Talked to actual hunters and picked their brain, in the end though I learned more by doing it and learning from my mistakes. Even a bad day hunting is a good day in the woods.
 
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