Most hunters understand and follow Ontario's Hunting Regulations, but some common mistakes are made by hunters every year that can result in a violation. The Ministry of Natural Resources wants to help hunters avoid mistakes that may inadvertently put them in violation of the law.
Ontario's most common and preventable hunting violations:
- Loaded Firearm in Vehicle or Motorboat: It is illegal to
possess a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle or motorboat. This
is unsafe and has resulted in accidents, including fatalities.
(See the definition of vehicle in the Hunting Regulations
Summary.) 
-  Unencased Firearms: You must unload and encase firearms
in your possession during the period from a half hour after
sunset to a half hour before sunrise. The only exception is for
licensed night raccoon hunters. 
-  Shooting from a Public Road: It is illegal to shoot
from, down or across a public road when hunting. 
-  Possession of a Loaded Firearm on a Roadway: In most of
southern Ontario (south of the French and Matttawa Rivers) it
is generally unlawful to have a firearm that is loaded unless
the hunter is either across the fence line where one exists or
at least eight metres from the traveled portion of the roadway
where there are no fences. 
-  Failure to Wear Fluorescent Orange: In Ontario during
the gun season for deer and moose, all hunters must visibly
wear both a fluorescent orange vest/coat, and hat. During open
season for bear, all bear hunters must wear fluorescent orange
except while in a tree stand. Camouflage hunter orange patterns
are not allowed. (This regulation does not apply to waterfowl
hunters.) 
- Game Sealing Violations: These violations range from
forgetting to notch the game seal or improperly applying the
seal when harvesting a big game animal, to transfer or misuse
of game seals. Hunters are reminded that detailed instructions
are printed on each big game seal and in the Hunting
Regulations Summary. 
-  Failure to Retain Evidence of Gender on Moose: When
there are gender restrictions on the harvest of game, the sex
organs must be transported attached to the carcass. This is
required for all adult moose harvested in Ontario. 
-  Hunting in the Wrong Area: For example, a licence
validation tag is only valid in a specific Wildlife Management
Unit and cannot be legally used in another area. 
-  Trespassing: Hunters must have permission to enter
private land, even if the intent is just to cross the private
land to reach public land. Private property does not
necessarily have to be posted to deny access. Every year,
trespassing results in more and more property being posted and
no longer available to hunters. 
-  Failure to Carry Licence on Person: Hunters must carry
the licence, any validation tag and any game seals with them
when hunting. Failure to do so often results in wasted time for
the Conservation Officer, a spoiled hunt for the hunter and can
result in fines and/or seized equipment. 
-  Abandonment of Game: It is illegal to abandon game or
allow it to spoil.
Information provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
www.mnr.gov.on.ca
