An invasive insect that attacks hemlocks is expanding its range in Ontario Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an aphid-like insect that only feeds on hemlock trees. First found in British Columbia a hundred years ago, and in Virginia in the Continue reading Hemlock bug spreading
Public feedback sought on fishing rule changes Have your say: see your digital edition for easy access to these web pages FMZ 15 Public consultation is now sought for a proposal that may change fishing regulations in Fisheries Management Zone Continue reading Public feedback sought on fishing rule changes
NEWS – Conservation Officers Need Your Help! MNRF Conservation Officers need your help in identifying who is responsible for shooting and abandoning a cow moose north of Nipigon The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is asking the for Continue reading NEWS – Conservation Officers Need Your Help!
Q: Am I permitted to keep arrows in my quiver with a small-game point during bows-only deer season? Occasionally I see rabbits while bowhunting, but I don’t want to waste a broadhead on small game. Howard Margolian, Stittsville A: Yes, an archery hunter Continue reading Ask a CO: Am I permitted to keep an arrow in my quiver for small game during bows-only deer season?
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found in 30 US states and in Alberta, Manitoba, Québec and Saskatchewan, but it has not been detected in Ontario wildlife. And we want to keep it that way! That’s why we’re taking the Continue reading Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
A proposal that may change fishing regulations in Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 10 is now available for public comment on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 12. The 201-page Fisheries Management Plan posted by the Ministry of Natural Continue reading FMZ 10 changes in the works
Ontario is home to eight bat species — four of which are endangered! Eastern small-footed myotis, little brown myotis, northern myotis and tri-colored bat populations have been declining in recent years — mostly due to a disease called white-nose syndrome. Continue reading BATS
The Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) has banned supplemental feeding of waterfowl this year due to the present Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) outbreak. Supplemental feeding (regulated under strict conditions) is used by many private hunt clubs and some public waterfowl hunting Continue reading Waterfowl feeding suspended
Q: I have applied for a calf- or bull-moose tag for our hunting area. I always hunt with a group that assigns radios to every hunter, for safety and to alert everyone of a harvest. If I fail to get Continue reading Ask a CO: Can I group hunt moose without a tag myself?
The province is asking hunters to submit deer samples as part of continuing chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance efforts. The fatal, untreatable brain disease that affects members of the deer family, including white-tailed deer, elk, moose, and caribou, has not Continue reading Hunter help sought for monitoring CWD
https://oodmag.com/caribou-agreement-struck/ The provincial and the federal governments reached an agreement in late April to support the conservation of boreal caribou in Ontario. Estimates suggest approximately 5,000 boreal caribou remain in the province, ranging north of Sioux Lookout, Geraldton, and Cochrane, Continue reading Caribou agreement struck
The Migratory Bird Regulations have been given their first comprehensive update since their implementation in 1918. https://oodmag.com/migratory-bird-regs-modernized/?fbclid=IwAR24fIzs0RQkB3y4c2StK_o-Rru8Joh0gFUkXY5R21hmtbqu9tC47PEfDHI
https://oodmag.com/ask-a-co-can-i-use-a-centrefire-rifle-while-bear-hunting/?fbclid=IwAR2jnss8TTODZVV8p0w6RLC2X7FsHpIEsvDnCsDuNvkkgZUFnmADh0bhj4Y
Invasive species are recognized as one of the key threats to Ontario’s biodiversity and are a significant threat to the province’s economy. Once established, invasive species are extremely difficult and costly to control. The combined potential impacts of invasive species Continue reading Ontario is taking action to stop the spread of invasive species
The ministry is always looking to improve hunting and fishing in Ontario, both through effective management and by creating products and services to serve you better. In 2019, we moved to the new Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, which has Continue reading Seeking your feedback on game tags!
With the arrival of spring, we know you are counting down the days until the fall 2022 moose hunt. As you plan for your hunt, be informed! Here is what you need to know including important dates, rules, and tips. Continue reading Attention Moose Hunters
New provincial boating regulations focusing on “Clean, Drain, Dry” principles and practices aiming to reduce the spread of environmentally damaging invasive species come into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Watercraft and watercraft equipment were regulated as carriers of invasive species Continue reading New boating regs aim to reduce spread of invasive species
https://oodmag.com/ask-a-co-field-observations/ Q: Has the amount of people out fishing during the pandemic changed your work at all? Are you seeing more or fewer people out since the arrival of COVID-19? A: Provincially, we noticed an increase in angler activity and those who Continue reading Ask a CO: How the pandemic has affected the work of a CO
https://oodmag.com/ask-a-co-explaining-the-tagging-system/ Q: When do I have to invalidate (notch) my tag? A: If you are the tag holder for that animal, you must invalidate the tag immediately after the kill, at the site of the kill. The animal cannot be moved Continue reading Ask a CO: Explaining the tagging system
Editor’s note: As of Jan. 1, 2022, hunting wild pigs in Ontario will be illegal. One key preventative measure will raise a lot of eyebrows among OOD readers: prohibiting the hunting of wild pigs. This move might seem counterintuitive, but Continue reading Why wild pigs should NOT be hunted in Ontario