Finding Private Land to Hunt on in Ontario

If you’re new to hunting, you may be wondering where you can hunt. In Ontario, there are many different options to choose from. Today we’ll walk through a few of the options, including how you can find private land to hunt on! Let’s get into it.

Where Can I Hunt?

Provincial Parks:

Ontario has a large number of provincial parks, some of which can be used for hunting. The Hunting RegulationsSummary will provide you with a list of parks you can hunt at. Once you’ve found a park, you must contact the park directly to inquire about any regulations.

Municipal/County Forests:

Municipal and county forests consist of land that is owned or operated by the municipal government. Some of them provide opportunities to hunt, as they contain forests and trails where wildlife is found. Restrictions are dependent on the municipality, so you must check before you plan your hunt. Some of these forests require you to be a member of the OFAH and a few municipalities that offer hunting include Simcoe, Wellington, Dufferin and Northumberland.

Conservation Areas:

Municipalities group together and work with partners to protect natural habitats and watersheds. You can hunt with certain conservation areas but you must check with the Conservation Authorities (CA) beforehand to be granted permission.

Provincial Wildlife Areas:

The province of Ontario owns some land and manages it with the help of partnerships and agencies. Some provincial wildlife areas offer hunting but they’re mostly used as sanctuaries and stopover sites for birds when they migrate. You must check with local wildlife offices before hunting on this land.

Crown Land:

Crown land is also owned by the provincial government. In order to find land that you can hunt on, you can follow a guide that the OFAH has developed. The interactive mapping tool outlines which areas can be used for hunting and what restrictions apply. Crown land is found in central and northern Ontario and it is inclusive of over 39 million hectares of land and water.

Private Land:

Nothing beats hunting on private property! Having the opportunity to hunt with no one else around is surreal. The only drawback is that finding private land to hunt on in Ontario can be a bit of a challenge. Hunters must have permission from the landowner in order to hunt on their land, as hunting without permission is illegal.

Instead of worrying about the legalities and struggling to find a landowner who’s willing to provide you with permission, head over to LandPass. LandPass is a free app that connects explorers with exclusive land to hunt or fish on.

Leith Waldrum, our Land Management Specialist discusses his role in scouting land. You can find his interview here.

Let’s Get Hunting!

As you can see, there are many places you can utilize for hunting in Ontario! While it’s more challenging to hunt on certain types of land than others, there’s no shortage of spots.