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Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is proposing changes to the White-Tailed Deer Archery Hunting Seasons. Below is a summary of the changes. For more information please refer to www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/.
Amendments to Table 5 (Deer) of Ontario Regulation 670/98 (Open Seasons – Wildlife) are proposed regarding first opening and last closing dates for white-tailed deer archery hunting seasons, as reflected in the linked Appendix 2 table. First season openings have been standardized to September 1 or October 1. Generally, northwestern Ontario Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) are proposed to open on September 1 with northeast and southern WMUs first opening on October 1. Where existing archery seasons are interrupted by other firearm seasons, there will be no changes to those dates with the exception of those season changes mentioned below. For WMUs with post gun season archery hunts, the last closing dates are proposed to be December 15 for south central Ontario WMUs and December 31 for southern Ontario WMUs (see weblink below for reference maps).
To accommodate the expansion in archery seasons for WMUs 5 and 8, it is further proposed for reasons of season standardization that adjustments are made to the existing archery/muzzleloader seasons in these WMUs which are now proposed to open September 29 and close October 5. Correspondingly, the regular gun season is now proposed to occur from October 6 to December 15.
In addition, it is proposed that to promote standardized archery seasons with surrounding WMUs, that two new archery seasons be established in WMUs 11A and 11B. For 2007, the proposed dates for WMU 11A would be from September 1 to September 28 and for WMU 11B, from September 1 to Oct 5. In WMU 11A, adjustments would be made to the existing archery/muzzleloader seasons which is now proposed to open September 29 and close October 5.
All of the above changes are sustainable as deer populations in northwestern Ontario have increased and expanded their range in recent years due to favourable weather and habitat conditions.
Non-resident deer archery seasons are identical to resident archery seasons (referenced above) and are proposed to change as well. The exceptions are that some WMUs do not have non-resident archery only seasons and changes are not proposed for these closed seasons.
Purpose of the Proposal:
The purpose of this proposal is to align the opening and closing deer season dates for archery on a more ecological basis in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) consistent with sustainable deer management objectives.
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