Orillia Duck/Geese hunting

[koesdibyo]

First year trying waterfowl this year and I know it's late in the season, but hoping for a few pointers from some people on the board.

Im not looking for exact spots/locations or anything - but some help for a newbie getting into it would be appreciated

A boat is available, and with all the water in Orillia/Rama Im hoping close to home would be nice! With the warm weather lately, the freeze on Lake Couchiching/Lake Simcoe has been later than normal... still huntable?

But what I am not familiar with, is using the waters for hunting and definitely looking for clarification before getting myself into trouble. I know hunting from a boat is doable (so long as the motor is pulled). I would much rather be closer to a shore as I know the water can get choppy at the best of times, and with the memories of a couple hunters that went in relatively recently, I'd rather not replicate that incident.

Just a quick google-map of the lakes, there is a lot of bays and quite a few islands scattered. Wondering if these are legal to hunt from? Using the crown atlas map, they don't come up with anything for me.

Looking at:
Strawberry Island
Thistle Island
Heron Island
Nadie Island
Bird Island
Goffat Island
Grape Island
etc.

Any hints/tips/tricks would be welcomed

 

[freedomintheskies]

If the weather is cr@p, the birds will be moving. Decoys are almost as important as blowing good calls. Find a note and if the birds respond, keep blowing that note. Above all, have fun!

 

[the spank]

Been down this road before many times on Ontario's Provincial waters in my day.

Many provincial maps are vague and outlines and borders on a map are just that, map border lines generally. First off and you can get this verified by the OPP if you happen to get someone there who knows what he/she is talking about? The law says waters are owned by the crown and therefore huntable. Discharge of firearms is not illegal on crown waters provided you are shooting in a safe manner. Water boundaries fall to the high water mark on a map so even in years of low water you can hunt to the high water mark.

Next though municipalities do not own waters within their area of the province of Ontario they can get approval and make a municipal bylaw(s) for no discharge of firearms in and around certain areas of concern, mostly heavily populated areas close to the waters edge or waters that may be contained in whole or in part within the boundaries of a city or town's limits. Go to the municipal office and obtain a map of restricted discharge of firearms areas. If they have anything at all on the books pertaining to no discharge areas they will usually have an updated map to show those areas.

Your next concern is of course is the Islands you are speaking about and given you're talking Simcoe or Couchiching I am guessing most are private property and will require you to obtain landowner permission to hunt from their shores but once again a good map outlining high water marks and land registry can save your bacon. A landowner may not stop you from accessing a shoreline under provincial statute provided you do not go further inland than the high water mark indicated on the map and that you address the final concern regarding provincial law where you may not discharge a firearm within 100 metres of an occupied dwelling.

If this sounds kind of lawyer like no I am not a lawyer, I am just an old time duck hunter who has been through it all when it comes to hunting crown waters in Ontario. I made sure many years ago as a teenager hunting in and around the lower Great Lakes (Ontario and Erie, we used to hunt right under the roller coaster at Fort Erie back in the day, sitting on the timber structure shooting bluebills and buffleheads) and continuing into adulthood not to be complacent and kept on top of existing rules as I always seemed to have some resident at the boat launch angered by hearing gunfire on the lake or getting angry because they thought we were shooting their lovely bread fed canards! I won many an argument and never was charged once by any LEO's at the launch or shorelines when people would call the police, and after doing their research and verifying against the maps I kept in my truck, I was well within my rights and not breaking any laws. Get your ducks in a row so to speak then go forth and kill-a-plenty!!

As for tips.........late season like this? Drop down your number of decoys to just a few and cut back on your calling. Let birds pass you by this time of year before calling them and after they are about 100 yards past hit them with one or two low natural mellow notes. If they turn to come in don't get excited and turn the calling up. Stay quiet and if they start to slide off a bit line them back up with another note or two. Keep it real natural and mellow as a general rule of thumb this time of year. If that doesn't work and they head off you have nothing to lose at that point so hit them hard and plead the daylights out of them. Practice making the raspiest "train" you can ever make and don't be afraid to blast it as loud as you can. I have had guys look at me because it sounds nothing like a goose you have ever heard but if Chisholm is reading this thread I am sure he will attest to it that I have pleaded alot of birds right into the decoys calling back to us as they came sailing in and even after being shot at have turned them right back around and into range to be hammered once again using the "train". I really learned how useful that sound was and when to use it during the 2005 season when I hunted and filmed with Shawn Stahl for his Fowl Pursuit Series of DVD's.

Now I am in SK....all dry land hunting since I got here. Hunted sloughs maybe twice? My water spread is collecting dust. But thats ok. I am getting old and soft and picking a mallard off a dry field is kinda cushy and much appreciated by my lazy aging chubby arse these days!!

 

[turbo250]

I havent duck hunted up that way in awhile but make sure you check the orillia regs pretty sure there is no discharging of firearms in the city limits ( grape island strawberry island) you would be better the hit matchedash bay. Its not far from orillia and better hunting. There is a daily fee to uunt but its a good spot and not busy in the late season.

 

[mrgoat]

Hunted Orillia area years ago. All the islands of which you speak are private, some in the area are Native owned. We used to hunt the shore line down by the boys camp as we had poor contacts to get permission for the islands. Not sure who has jurisdiction over the boys camp now, very good hunting though.
Matchedash Bay, and the waters around Waubashene are all good, good places to launch and far less BS. I hunted the Waubashene area for 40yrs. it attracts thousands of birds every fall.
The advice Spank gave above is good, know your area and your rights, and how to keep legal. All the areas mentioned are ripe with city folk land owners who are anti everything.

 

[Cintax]

Orillia has a discharge by-law but Atherley and Ramara don't. Quite often you hear hunters in the Fawn Bay and at the Narrows. Some people hunt Smiths Bay but I think that is questionable at best - I'm pretty sure its still in Orillia but you would need to check. Matchedash bay can be pretty good but its a mess on opening day. I've hunted Luther Marsh which is reasonably close to the Orillia area. You are within an hours drive of tonnes of little ponds and rivers on crown land. Also, come next fall Orillia is close to Central and Northern Districts so you can really hunt quiet a bit if you are keen to drive.