ONTARIO hunters, info appreciated

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micus

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Hello ladies and gentlemen,

I work in a job which allows me to live in many parts of the country. I am what I would consider and fairly avid outdoorsman and hunter. I am looking at taking a job in southern Ontario, however, I have not visited this part of the country in quite a while and I am somewhat concerned with what kind of hunting opportunities exist here. I also have the option of taking work in the Yukon, and northern BC but neither spot is as "liveable" as Ont. my curiosities are:

- Is hunting pressure ridiculous in this part of the country?
- How available are tags/draws?
- is everything private land or are public/crown land hunting locations accessible?
- what success are you guys having in your seasons?? lots of unfilled tags?

Quality hunting is not a make or break of whether or not I relocate, it is just something I really care about and is important to me.

I would appreciate your input if you are from this region,

thanks.
 
Lots of places to hunt at in south western ontario and tags are not really hard to get for the controlled deer hunt I would say that pressure isn't heavy on big game but maybe waterfowl in certain areas. Lots of private land but also lots of public places to hunt on if you know where to look. It's only a 6-8 hour drive to get you into nicer country if you wish also
 
The hunting is sh*t compared to many other parts of Canada.
Depending on where you end up, mostly private land.
Turkey and waterfowl hunting is good. Plenty of coyote. Most deer seasons are bow only or shotgun draws. Drive a few hours and get into black bear and moose.
 
Plenty of deer and turkeys, moose if you want to travel a bit but new regs coming in making it a bit of a s**tshow. Tags are easy to get for deer, I've missed out once on my first choice wmu in over 20 years. I hunt private land so wont comment on availability of hunting opportunities on crown land.
 
Depending where you are, deer are pretty good. I haven't hunted elk, so I don't know how good or bad the hunt is, but the moose population is down so they're getting more restrictive about tags. Further north, there is still a good amount of crown land, but the problem is everyone can hunt it and some of the local boys tend to think of it as their private reserve. If you insert yourself into a community, there's always the possibility that you can get in tight with the locals and become part of an established hunt camp. A lot of older guys are giving up the sport and making room for new blood. Whichever way you decide to go, good luck to you.
 
I'm going to say that hunting around Ottawa leaves A LOT to be desired. Private land & poor game populations are the norm. For example, I hunted last deer season & did not see a deer! And, I had a doe tag, sigh. No idea why the hell the MNR would issue doe tags when the population is so low?

Anyhow, if you like hunting, Ottawa isn't a good choice. (I'd imagine other large cities in ONTerrible are the same, sigh)

Cheers
Jay
 
I'm about 2hrs north of Toronto. South of here, crown land is scarce and probably crowded. There's a fair bit in my immediate area, but it's still crowded, especially during moose and deer season. I don't think that situation changes until you're north of the French/Mattawa rivers.

Of the places you've named, Yukon would be my first choice, BC second.
 
I'd say hunting success is pretty decent overall with fairly plentiful game. Southern Ont offers you some good turkey hunting. Drawing a moose tag is tough and it's only getting harder. Getting drawn for an elk tag at this point would be like winning the lottery. I've not hunted outside of the province so can't offer any comparison. My guess is there has to be something better though,
 
Deer hunting is really good in southern Ontario but all the really really good spots are private land so if you are looking for great spots you have to knock on doors. This province has pretty good bear hunting on crown land and moose hunting is tough for tags. BC is a great province and if I had to pick a province to hunt it would be BC.
 
Tags are hard to come by for moose, and lots of hunting pressure unless you go into northwestern Ontario. There is plenty of crown land here, but I wish BC or the Yukon was closer for my hunting days.
 
Echoing others above. Southern Ontario is great for ducks, lots of public spots and conservation areas with controlled hunts. Avoid opening day and the first week, the yahoo's disappear pretty quick after that.
Deer and turkey, be prepared to make friends with private land or knock on a lot of doors. Elk or Moose is poor chances to draw a tag and poor chances to spot what you are after.
Rabbits, upland birds etc. is take your chances. You'll either see lots or nothing, there's no middle ground.
Coyotes are as easy to call as ordering a pizza, feel free to knock down a bunch for us all :)
On the plus side, when hunting season closes, fishing is excellent!
 
Southern Ontario? Wall to wall people, towns that run into each other, about 100 % private property. Caliber restrictions, Gazillion hunters. You get the picture ? Only thing that keeps my brother in law there is his wife has family she won't leave. I'd have replaced her. :)


Grizz
 
Deerdr said:
If you are an ardent hunter, you will find spots to hunt.If you are a GOOD hunter and Sportsman, you will draw friends.Friends have SPOTS.
Click to expand...

I have to agree. I started hunting last season just outside of Ottawa (West) and the group I was asked to join in October took a young bull moose up north and a doe and a Buck (split between the four of us) 15 minutes from Stittsville.

All that being said....if it came down to BC, the Yukon or Southern Ontario where I was born and raised, SO wouldn't even be a consideration.
 
Agreed! Finding friends that hunt is step number 1 and it makes life a lot easier living than going door to door (although you might have to...). I live north of the mess called "southern Ontario" and have more crown land than I can deal with and have never hunted on private land. I have taken many new friends out and introduced them to some good spots (obviously not the BEST ones) where they have been successful with or without my guidance. Ontario hunting pretty much sucks compared to out west. I've lived in BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan and have seen more game in those provinces than anywhere in Ontario, with much more variety. For crown land, moose, bears, big woods bucks, and grouse hunting you'll want to set your sites towards the French River and north.
 
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