Wellington OPP has received numerous complaints from property owners that hunters are trespassing.
Police want to stress to hunters that they must have permission to be on the land on which they plan to hunt.
A hunting licence does not give a hunter the right to enter private property. Hunters must have permission to enter private land, even if the intent is just to cross the private land to reach public land.
The property does not have to be posted with trespass signs to deny access.
It is advised that hunters carry written permission from the landowner with the landowner’s name and phone number for officers to confirm permission if need be. The letter should cover the full year or specific hunting seasons.
Trespassing for the purpose of hunting carries a fine of $125 for each hunter in the hunting party, or the offender(s) may be required by summons to attend in provincial court where a higher fine could be levied.
Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) conservation officers have also laid charge after they checked 6,500 hunters during November deer hunts across southern Ontario.
Officers laid 243 charges and issued 435 warnings under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Enforcement officers placed special emphasis on regulations pertaining to safe hunting practices, including wearing hunter orange. They found some hunters wearing an inadequate amount of orange or none at all.
Charges and warnings were issued for the following violations:
– hunting without carrying a licence;
– hunting without having a licence;
– hunting at night;
– possessing a firearm at night;
– having loaded firearms in a vehicle;
– failing to properly attach a seal to deer;
– failing to provide the required information on a seal;
– trespassing for the purpose of hunting;
– interfering with lawful hunting; and
– failing to wear hunter orange while hunting.
Charges and warnings were also issued under the Liquor Licence Act and the Off Road Vehicle Act.
Officers are investigating a further 108 matters that will likely result in additional charges.
For further information on hunting regulations, consult the 2013-14 Hunting Regulations Summary, available at ontario.ca/hunting.
To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time, contact the local ministry office during regular business hours, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
