No Small game Hunting June 16 - August 31?

Tjv787

Tjv787

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I was looking at last years regulations and saw this :

No small game licence is valid from June 16 - August 31 in northern Ontario north of the outlined Line.

Wtf is that about. So in July I can't go small game hunting north of their line ? What's the purpose of this ?
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They are protecting the game during nesting/rearing season, so that there is a good crop of adults for the fall hunting season... nobody I know of has a problem with that.
 
So you can't small game hunt north of the line where there is more of an abundance of small game but u CAN south of the line where maybe there is less of an abundance ? Doesn't make sense to me. Seems like it should be the opposite
 
Tjv787 said:
So you can't small game hunt north of the line where there is more of an abundance of small game but u CAN south of the line where maybe there is less of an abundance ? Doesn't make sense to me. Seems like it should be the opposite
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You can't hunt wild upland game (grouse, pheasant, partridge etc...) anywhere in Ontario during the summer months... rabbits and hares historically remained open throughout their range where it overlapped with crop farming, and this was a tip-of-the-hat to help crop farmers maintain their crops... there is very little crop farming North of the French/Mattawa Rivers... and hares tend to be controlled by predators far more than hunters.
 
Hmm I see
What does enhanced mangement zones tend to mean ? Does that usually mean no hunting in that area or each enhanced management zone may have its own specific regulations?
Conservation land and Indian reserve land there is no hunting I assume?
 
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Back a bunch of years ago Ontario came up with their "living legacy" land use strategy.

From that they eventually came out with Enhanced Management Area's.

Basically what it is, is that they came up with a "master plan" for each area - how much to protect, what type of use is allowed etc - so in "non-EMA's" just about anything goes including mining, tree cutting, hunting, fishing, hiking etc etc.

Other areas (EMA's) will have limitations on what can be done there - so maybe no logging or mining but you can hunt, fish, camp and hike. Others don't allow any motorized vehicles to limit access (retain as a "wilderness area"), others will be game preserves - so no hunting, but you can log (selectively).

It sounded like a great idea in the beginning so we didn't end up with all the forests moved down or full of strip mines, but like everything ultimately controlled by politicians, most don't even understand why things were done in the first place, and corporate money talks - so while there are areas that were supposed to be "natural heritage", you can't hunt, but they "now" allow logging or mining, because getting re-elected by promising jobs is more important than saving an area for wildlife....

We fish up north of Chapleau in Missinaibi provincial park which is inside the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve - the park itself is the river all the way to James Bay. You CAN hunt in a good deal of the park as long as you are north of a certain line (train tracks just north of the Preserve in this example) - there is no hunting or trapping in the portion inside of the preserve (although there are some grandfathered trapping licences).

So you just need to identify the area and then either contact the MNRF or go searching for the designation to see what is permitted. Essentially though - unless it's a preserve or provincial park, hunting is almost always allowed (at least once you get away from Southern Ontario) - and hunting IS allowed in a number of Provincial Parks - it's just really tough to find someone who can give you details. Ask any of the park staff and you get the standard "hunting isn't allowed", but the info is contained in the EMA designations.

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Here is some of the wording for one area (a park in Northern Ontario was expanded to adjoining lands):

Commercial forest operations are not permitted within the park (OMNR 1992).
The harvest of non-timber forest products such as club moss, Canada yew, etc., will not be permitted within the park (OMNR 1992).
Existing authorized wild rice harvesting may continue. New operations will not be permitted.
There are no fuel wood cutting permits currently issued for the park. New permits will not be issued (OMNR 2000).

Sport hunting is permitted to continue. Considerations of safety and conservation with respect to hunting may be made through future management planning, which includes public and Aboriginal consultation (OMNR 2000).
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (1997) and the Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994)govern hunting within the park. The Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary contains regulations specific to this area.
The harvest of bullfrogs or snapping turtles is illegal in provincial parks.
 
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Been that way for as long as I can remember. Not a big deal by any means. Just head out in the bush that time of year to hunt. You'll love the 2 ft visibility coupled with 90% humidity and enough black flies, deer flies, horse flies and mosquitoes to drain you dry not to mention the abundant number of ticks nowadays!!
 
the spank said:
Been that way for as long as I can remember. Not a big deal by any means. Just head out in the bush that time of year to hunt. You'll love the 2 ft visibility coupled with 90% humidity and enough black flies, deer flies, horse flies and mosquitoes to drain you dry not to mention the abundant number of ticks nowadays!!
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Aint that the truth!
 
I guess fishing during those months keeps most ppl busy but it still sucks you cant go out small
Game hunting if you wanted to north of this magic line. Like I said, I'd bet there is more small game north of that line then south of that line, so it's wierd to me they would limit small game hunting North where there is more small
Game but not south where there is most likely less small Game.
 
Life is weird. You may make the same realization when you move up to that neck of the woods and experience the extremity of the seasons, including fly season. We joke that the flies particularly like blood imported from the big smoke.

BTW - Your thesis about small game density is curious - What is your concept of perfect small game habitat? Inquiring minds wish to know?

In addition, just because small game season is closed doesn't mean you cant hunt.
 
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After living right on the line for most of my life I would say there is better small game hunting opportunities south of the line than north of it. There is definitely more variety. North of the line is pretty much only varying hares and grouse with some waterfowl thrown in. Only by the vastness of the northern area would small game numbers possibly be higher.
 
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Small game hunting licenses are valid in southern Ontario (below the line) during the summer months only for varmint/predator control to mitigate agricultural damage to crops and livestock. It's been that way for decades. For dedicated varmint/predator hunters (like me),it makes for some beautiful days outdoors hunting during the off-season. Getting permission to hunt private property (farms) is considerably easier,too.Farmers who have had considerable losses of livestock are far more amenable to varmint/predator hunters during the summer.
 
True enough because if you read the season dates you will see most game species are closed by the end if February south of the line. The exceptions of course are as you say varmints/predators/crows etc and of course the spring turkey season and spring snow goose hunt along the St.Lawrence.
 
I read up in the regulation book as well and realized that small Game season south of that line isn't open anyways in the summer months for the majority of small game. Only south of the line you can continue to hunt skunk, red fox and snapping turtles.
I just figured north of the line would have more population of small game because of less ppl, more wilderness and forest , so more small game north of that line. I'm not a biologist .

Cosmic - what do u mean "
In addition, just because small game season is closed doesn't mean you cant hunt."
 
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I believe the idea was to keep gun hunters out of the woods when the berry pickers, nature walkers, fishermen, etc were in abundance in the outdoors.
 
Tjv787 said:
I guess fishing during those months keeps most ppl busy but it still sucks you cant go out small
Game hunting if you wanted to north of this magic line. Like I said, I'd bet there is more small game north of that line then south of that line, so it's wierd to me they would limit small game hunting North where there is more small
Game but not south where there is most likely less small Game.
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In terms of grouse, certainly. Waterfowl, varmints, rabbits you'd be incorrect. Southern ON is a haven for those. And i woudlnt want to be grouse hunting anyways then. Who'd want to shoot a hen and essentially wipe out all her chicks at the same time?

And I also agree with above. Hunting in July and August just isnt something I can get really excited for. Weather coupled with foliage coupled with bugs and im out. Much rather be on the lake fishing.
 
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