What is open for hunting year round?

Slaymoar

Slaymoar

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I am reading the small game regulations, and it is quite vague. Some rules are overuled in later pages, and some things are simply not specified - maybe I am missing something? So that's why I'm asking here.

So for my WMU, it looks like I can hunt these all year round with a small game license: (no specified dates or charts)
Birds: "Ontario residents may hunt American crow, brown-headed cowbird, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, starling and house sparrows"
Game birds: Pheasant, northern bobwhite and turkey - specifically on hunting preserves (interested in this)
Wolf/Coyote/Red fox


Wolf/Coyote section says to use small game regulations for rifle caliber, which specifies rimfire / under 400 ft pounds.

No info on other fur bearing animals:
Groundhogs
Multitudes of other fur bearing animals


So what is everything fair game unless mentionned? I've got to be missing something.. Anyways I want pheasant if I can get em on the preserves..
 
Anything that's not mentioned as protected or listed with a season is fair game. Groundhogs are fair game so are pigeons. In my experience almost any farmer will let you shoot pigeons from their barns and they taste good too.

Edit: Keep in mind for furbearers it's technically illegal to let the pelt spoil, unless it's not fit for use.
 
Ok so here's the schedule 1 for fish and wildlife fur bearing which don't fall under any protection:

-Badger, American
-Beaver
-Bobcat
-Lynx
-Coyote
-Fisher
-Fox, Arctic
-Fox
-Fox, Red (all colour phases)
-Lynx
-Marten
-Mink
-Muskrat
-Opossum
-Otter
-Raccoon
-Skunk, Striped
-Squirrel, Red
-Weasel, Least
-Weasel, Long-tailed
-Weasel, Short-tailed (Ermine)
-Wolf


Schedule 2 - Game mammals:

-Bear, Black
-Caribou, Woodland
-Cottontail
-Deer, White-tailed
-Elk, American (Wapiti)
-Hare, European
-Hare, Varying (Snowshoe)
-Moose
-Squirrel, Gray (Black)
-Squirrel, Fox

Schedule 3 - Game Birds:

-Bobwhite, Northern
-Grouse, Ruffed
-Grouse, Sharp-tailed
-Grouse, Spruce
-Partridge, Gray (Hungarian)
-Pheasant, Ring-necked
-Ptarmigan, Rock
-Ptarmigan, Willow
-Turkey, Wild


Of course there is a season for some of these, but many are not specified at all - so that means they are fair game - year round? BTW I'm not going out there and shooting everything, I just want to know my hunting regulations.. and maybe it will help others wanting to know..

Also I am not sure I am adventurous enough to try pigeon. I'm sure they taste great, its just the idea of the pigeon lol...
 
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rhino519 said:
Don't know if stuff has changed much but all that was covered in hunters' Ed course
Click to expand...

I had my hunter course 16 years ago, when all we hunted was moose and partrige - I'm pretty sure we didn't get a "schedule" of each animal we can or cannot hunt... maybe a reference was given as to "how to find out what you can hunt" - but other than that, I just want to elaborate on that.
 
Slaymoar: The furbearers are covered by trapping legislation, so if the hunting regulations don't mention a season there isn't one. The wildlife act mentions this somewhere (i can't for the life of me remember where).

If something isn't in those 3 lists AND isn't mentioned as protected anywhere (provincially or federally) it's fair game. (IE: Crows arn't on that list, and they're not a protected bird so you can shoot as many as often as you want).

rhino519 said:
Don't know if stuff has changed much but all that was covered in hunters' Ed course
Click to expand...

It wasn't in mine, my instructor just said "read the regs" which are about as clear as mud. I had to call the MNR to verify that I could actually shoot pigeons because the regs are so confusing about non game species.
 
You can't shoot animals listed as furbearers with a small game licence, including red squirrels, but excluding wolves, coyotes and foxes. I believe you need a special licence for racoon, or it may be just for racoon at night. Centrefire rifles are ok, unless there's a big game season open, and some municipalities have a .275 or under calibre restriction. Depending on your WMU, wolf, coyote and fox may or may not be open year round.
 
Slaymoar said:
Ok so here's the schedule 1 for fish and wildlife fur bearing which don't fall under any protection:

-Badger, American
-Beaver
-Bobcat
-Lynx
-Coyote
-Fisher
-Fox, Arctic
-Fox
-Fox, Red (all colour phases)
-Lynx
-Marten
-Mink
-Muskrat
-Opossum
-Otter
-Raccoon
-Skunk, Striped
-Squirrel, Red
-Weasel, Least
-Weasel, Long-tailed
-Weasel, Short-tailed (Ermine)
-Wolf

.


Schedule 2 - Game mammals:

-Bear, Black
-Caribou, Woodland
-Cottontail
-Deer, White-tailed
-Elk, American (Wapiti)
-Hare, European
-Hare, Varying (Snowshoe)
-Moose
-Squirrel, Gray (Black)
-Squirrel, Fox

All in this list have a required season and some require an application for tags to the MNR. Others only require small game licence.




Schedule 3 - Game Birds:

-Bobwhite, Northern
-Grouse, Ruffed
-Grouse, Sharp-tailed
-Grouse, Spruce
-Partridge, Gray (Hungarian)
-Pheasant, Ring-necked
-Ptarmigan, Rock
-Ptarmigan, Willow
-Turkey, Wild

Most of these require a small game licence and can be taken at game farms all year round such as pheasant. The wild turkey requires a small game licence and Wild Turkey Seminar or purchase the WT DVD online and study it at your leisure then call an instructor to administer the exam for you.

I suggest you re read the regulations summary again with someone who is familiar with it, gets very confusing bouncing around from page to page, or call your local MNR office and talk with a CO who will be more than happy to answer your questions. Also knowing your WMU would help and remember some animals fall under a nuisance clause so check with the MNR for your district .
Of course there is a season for some of these, but many are not specified at all - so that means they are fair game - year round? BTW I'm not going out there and shooting everything, I just want to know my hunting regulations.. and maybe it will help others wanting to know..

Also I am not sure I am adventurous enough to try pigeon. I'm sure they taste great, its just the idea of the pigeon lol...
Click to expand...


Badger is a protected species. Do not hunt any time. All others except wolf require a trappers licence. Wolf requires a tag and season depending on WMU.
 
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ReVoR said:
These the regulations you're reading? They're not THAT vague. I've had to go over them a few times just to make sure my ducks are in a row and I keep a copy of them with me when I'm out in the bush just to be sure, but I think they are pretty straightforward. Find what you want to hunt and check what it says for your WMU.

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@fw/documents/document/239852.pdf
Click to expand...

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_97f41_e.htm

The are the regs I'm reading, the one you linked is a summary of the fish and wildlife act, it's straight forward until you want to hunt something not listed in the summaries.
 
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