Ontario hunting laws and regulations: licences, hunter orange, hours and firearms

The main law

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 (FWCA) and its regulations govern hunting in Ontario. It is enforced by conservation officers (police officers are also conservation officers). Penalties: general offences up to $25,000 and/or 1 year; commercialization offences up to $100,000 and/or 2 years; plus tickets, licence suspensions and court orders.

"Hunting" includes lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of, pursuing, chasing or shooting at wildlife - whether or not any wildlife is killed. You need a valid licence for all of these.

Licences and cards

Item	Key facts (2026)
Hunter accreditation	Pass the Ontario Hunter Education Course (or a recognized equivalent) and have it on file with the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service
Outdoors Card	Required to buy hunting licences; $8.57, valid 3 calendar years; carry it while hunting
Small game licence	$22.76 (1 yr) / $68.28 (3 yr) + HST
Big game licences and tags	Deer, moose (draw + tag), elk (draw), black bear, wild turkey tags
Firearms accreditation	To hunt with a gun (including air/pellet guns) you must carry a PAL, minor's licence or CFSC student report; not needed for bows/crossbows
Migratory birds	Also need the federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit with the Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp
Expiry	Licences expire 31 December unless stated otherwise

Licence summaries may be carried on paper or as the official PDF on a device - a photo or screenshot is not valid.

Ages

• Residents 16+ (or 15 with parental consent) may get their own licences after accreditation.
• Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program (HASP): apprentices aged 12-14 with an Outdoors Card and hunting accreditation hunt with a mentor 18+ who holds the licence and tag; they share one firearm; the apprentice must carry proof of CFSC when using a gun.

Hunter orange

During a gun season for deer, elk or moose, all licensed hunters - including bow hunters, falconers, turkey hunters, bear hunters and trappers hunting under a trapping licence - must wear:

• a hunter orange garment covering at least 400 square inches (2,580 cm²) above the waist, visible from all sides, solid (no mesh, no camouflage orange); and
• a hunter orange head cover (no camouflage; mesh, a different-coloured brim and a small logo are allowed).

Exceptions: hunters of migratory game birds (except woodcock) and double-crested cormorants. Hunters in ground blinds must still wear orange. Bear hunters in a bear season outside the deer/elk/moose gun season must wear orange except when in a tree stand.

Key fact: Hunter orange: 400 sq in above the waist + head cover, visible from all sides, during gun seasons for deer, elk or moose.

Hunting hours

Hunting is allowed from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset (exceptions: night raccoon hunting with a dog and licence; spring turkey hours). Between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise, any firearm you carry in an area inhabited by wildlife must be unloaded and encased (enclosed on all six sides).

Firearms rules

• A firearm is loaded if there is an unfired cartridge in the chamber or in an attached magazine. A muzzleloader is loaded when powder and projectile are in the barrel and a cap is on the nipple (percussion) or the vent is unplugged (flintlock). A crossbow is loaded when cocked with a bolt in place; a bow when strung with an arrow nocked.
• No loaded firearm in or on - or discharge from - an aircraft, vehicle (including snowmobile and ATV) or motorboat or anything it tows. A loaded firearm may be carried in a canoe or boat being paddled with no motor attached. Exceptions exist for migratory birds and for authorized hunters with certain mobility disabilities.
• Never shoot from or across a road (right of way for public vehicular traffic) anywhere in Ontario; in much of southern Ontario you may not even possess a loaded firearm on or near a road.
• Shotguns for hunting must be plugged to hold no more than 3 shells total.
• Restricted and prohibited firearms may not be used for hunting; air and pellet guns are for small game only.
• Careless hunting (no due care for persons and property) can bring a fine up to $25,000 and/or 2 years. A firearm injury that needs a doctor must be reported to a conservation officer.
• Bow hunting: arrows at least 60 cm; big game broadheads at least 22 mm wide with at least 2 cutting edges.

Party hunting (deer, moose, elk)

Members hunt in the same WMU for which the tag is valid, within 5 km of the tag holder, able to communicate reliably and immediately, and all participate. The tag holder goes to the kill site and validates the tag.

Mandatory hunter reporting

Anyone who buys or is issued a tag for deer, elk, black bear, wild turkey or wolf/coyote (where tagged), or a moose licence, must submit a hunter report - even if they did not hunt. Late reports trigger a $25 surcharge.

Other rules to know

• Sunday gun hunting is allowed north of the French and Mattawa rivers; south of them only in municipalities that permit it.
• Check municipal by-laws on discharging firearms.
• Do not use vehicles or boats to chase or harass wildlife.
• Get permission before entering private land (Trespass to Property Act).

Quick review

1. What area of hunter orange must cover the upper body? (400 sq in / 2,580 cm², plus a head cover.)
2. What are legal hunting hours? (Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.)
3. Can you carry a loaded firearm in a motorboat? (Generally no - except for migratory bird hunting and listed exceptions.)
4. How many shells may a hunting shotgun hold? (3 in total.)
5. How old must an apprentice be in HASP? (12-14.)