Northern Trails Deer Hunting Through the Eyes of a CO By Gord Ellis
Fall in the northwest means that residents and families take part in big game hunting. Traditionally, moose have been the main focus, but as moose numbers have dropped in the northwest, many hunters have turned their attention to chasing whitetail deer. Yet hunting whitetail deer is often done in places where there can be more interactions with other hunters as well as non-hunters. This creates a whole range of safety and ethical issues. To talk about some of these deer hunting related issues, and how they are seen through the perspective of a conservation officer, I recently spoke with provincial CO Davis Viehbeck.
Conservation officer Davis Viehbeck. | GORD ELLIS
Q:
There’s a mix of bush and private property here in the northwest of Ontario. What are the rules for deer hunters on private property?
A:
Yeah, we continue to have challenges with hunters entering private property without consent of the landowner, which is required by law. The Trespass to Property Act and the Fish Wildlife Conservation Act apply to these situations. Hunters have to look for indications of private property and take on that responsibility of knowing where they are in advance of their hunt. So those indications could be a 4-inch (10 centimeter) diameter red dot. Also, no trespassing signs, gates, fields under cultivation
Andy Treble and Gord Ellis Sr. pull out a buck. | GORD ELLIS NORTHERN WILDS
NOVEMBER 2021
31
