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I've just moved home and found that a lot of the regs have changed for hunting. I've tried find/ make sense of some of them but still have questions.
To the point - what is the maximum allowable Centerfield rifle for deer in South Western Ontario? I don't remember the old rules exactly other than the fact that my .303 wasn't allowed.
Depends were you are. In are camp near the park there us no limit to cal.most of Ontario is 270 cal and under.and the south is shotgun and muzzle loader. For deer
You are asking about hunting deer with a rifle in SW Ontario? First off find out if your zone actually has a rifle season for deer, most of SW Ontario is shotgun only.
Then take a look at the regulations, there is a restriction on centerfire caliber but it is only for small game, no restriction for hunting big game, if there is a legal rifle hunt in your area.
Then you have to make sure there is not a restriction in your municipality, some do have them.
Best of luck, SW Ontario is not small and there are a lot of municipalities, without more details any answer had to be vague.
It depends what you mean by SW Ontario but if you are talking around the Paris area, there is no rifle season. The only guns you can use for deer would be shotgun and muzzleloader during the control (application required) hunt in that area.
If you can be a little more specific to location (WMU) you will get a more accurate response.
London area there isn't a rifle season.
Southern Ontario doesn't have a rifle season. Once you get past the magic boundary of Hwy 118 (I believe it use to be Hwy 7 a couple of decades ago), WMUs have rifle seasons for deer, with a few exceptions.
I live just north of Walkerton and we have a rifle season here. WMU 84. Check the regulations to be sure. Many of the guys I hunt with use 30 30 or 30.06.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dythbringer
I don't know about a magic boundary,Dyth. The only time we can't use C/F rifles for big game is during the Deer gun hunt (shotguns only-no dogs) in designated municipalities listed in the Summary. C/F rifles larger than .275 can still be used for Black Bear during the open season. In south western Ontario,there's still some townships that have the old "shotgun/rimfire only" bylaws,but,you can count them on one hand,simply because their bylaws were never updated when the Game&Fish Act was rewritten into the F&WCAct.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dythbringer
I wouldn't qualify Walkerton as southern Ontario.Quote:
Originally Posted by JMatthews
If you do a comparison of WMUs, doing a straight line across Hwy 118 seems to be a boundary where most WMU's north are rifle and most WMU south are shot-gun with a few exceptions.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
If you lay a map of Ontario out and compare the northern boundaries of the "shotgun only for deer" and the ".275 caliber for small game" counties and regional municipalities as listed in the Summary regulations,I think you'll find it's a lot further south than that,Dyth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dythbringer
I am talking about deer hunt not the small game rule.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
OK,but,even eliminating the small game rule,it's still quite a bit more south than Hwy#118. WMU 60 takes in Peterborough County where rifles are used for all big game as do WMU's both to the east across to Ottawa and west to Hwy#12. Generally,"shotguns only-no dogs" WMU's are south of Hwy #7 except for WMU 74A.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dythbringer
Thanks everyone - sounds like the rules are the same as they used to be just worded a lot more confusing.
I did say there were a few exceptions to that boundary. That 118 boundary is a safe generalization of where the rifle are allowed for deer in the deer season. Yes, there are WMU's south of that which allow rifles but a safe bet is anything north of 118 is rifles and anything south of 118 is shotgun for deer. It used to be highway 7 years ago and it has moved further north due to population.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
There is no magical boundary line like some seem to think. Provincial regulations are set by WMU or counties/townships/municipalities.
For me I go by
Max calibre South of 89 is .275
I think closest you get to that is 7mm
Great coyote round.
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Depends....some municipalities have bylaws that limit rifles to .243....Quote:
Originally Posted by Rimfire905
I saw that discussed on here recently. Oxford county I think.
So if that applies ad your only hunting Coyote and small game a 223 is sufficient.
I'm in Wellington county so .275 applies here.
Makes it easier, one good rifle for deer and varmints.
The 223 round is a lot cheaper if you're shooting lots. The 7mm I'm looking at is around 1.50 a round.
Can shoot .223 for half that
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They must be in south western Ontario. I know we don't have any around or east of Oshawa.Quote:
Originally Posted by rick_iles
Ok, 7mm is .283, not .275, 270 is actually .277 but 270 is allowed in restricted WMUs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rimfire905
The WMUs do not include all of SW Ontario, read the regulations to see which ones are included in this restriction.
Another point, this restriction is for hunting small game only, I do not know if there is but if there is a deer rifle hunt in a WMU that has a .275 restriction for small game that will not stop you from using anything on deer in that WMU unless there is a municipal bylaw.
I can tell you from experience, using your deer rifle to shoot long range and snap shoot groundhogs is very useful, 6.5x55mm at 200 yards on a groundhog means I will have no problem shooting that deer at that range and that same rifle at 10ft means there is a mess.
X2. I use Deer rifles every chance I get. It's sure great practice. If you can whack a GH at 200M,hitting a Deer or Moose is a piece of cake.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox
.243 restriction is Essex county
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7mm is to big for southern ontarioQuote:
Originally Posted by Rimfire905
Nope,the closest you get to that is .270Win. 7MM is either .284 or .286,not sure which exactly,but,at any rate,it's too heavy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rimfire905
Google says 7mm is 283 so you are correct re calibre too large.
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Fox laid it out a few posts up
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Where have you found this restriction or is this just something someone said?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rimfire905
I remember being told it was illegal to use anything smaller than .243 or FMJ bullets when hunting big game and also that FMJ bullets were illegal in Canada, both BS.
This thread reminds me of an Abbot and Costello act. Who's on first. lol
Here ya go !! See “Permitted Firearm”......Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox
https://www.essex.ca/en/townhall/res...w_1070_acc.pdf
Crazy, so you cannot sight in your rifle on your own property if it is above .243, so much for a 25-06 for coyotes down in Essex.Quote:
Originally Posted by rick_iles
I contacted my by-law department before buying just to make sure.
There is an exemption for sighting in larger cal. Rifles as long as an appropriate backstop is used.......Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox
Just move out of crazy southern ON and you dont have to worry about it.
I don't know but from what I seen in the bylaw only some area's have the restrictions. But if you're hunting there you better check to make sure you're good to go.
270 is fine where I am. I'm not in Essex.
I'm still hunting with a rifled barrel Shotgun.
Need more guns lol
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It certainly is. Have you looked at a map of Ontario or drove to Kenora? Its 2 days to drive out of Ontario going NW. Anything below say Sudbury is south [emoji849]Quote:
Originally Posted by Dythbringer
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You have to read the definition section first.....what “firearm” means. There’s areas where no firearms discharge is allowed.... the rest is subject to the “firearm” definition.Quote:
Originally Posted by lazyman