Hunting Licence Fee Freeze

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January 10th, 2019, 04:12 PM
MikePal

Hunting Licence Fee Freeze

More good news from the MNR..

Quote:

Good news for hunters in 2019! There will be no increase to your licence fees, and all service fees have been removed. More money back in your pocket.

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Ontario's Government for the People is making life more affordable by putting a stop to hunting licence fee increases for all Ontario residents and removing the $2 service fee.

"We're making it easier for Ontarians to enjoy the great outdoors by keeping hunting licences affordable," said John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. "This year, there will be no price hike and no service fee. This will put approximately $1.6 million back into the pockets of the hard-working people of Ontario."

In addition to freezing fees, the government has updated hunting regulations to make things better for hunters across the province. These changes include a new Licence Summary that can be stored on a mobile device or printed at home, paper tags that replace the old game seals and enhanced hunter reporting.

"The hunting industry contributes nearly half a billion dollars to the Ontario economy," said Minister Yakabuski. "Our hunters are some of the best stewards of our lands and waters and we want to make it easier for them to enjoy our world class natural resources."

https://news.ontario.ca/mnr/en/2019/...ee-freeze.html
January 10th, 2019, 04:23 PM
atoned4.byhim

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePal

More good news from the MNR..

https://news.ontario.ca/mnr/en/2019/...ee-freeze.html

Best news ever.

Sent from my LG-H933 using Tapatalk
January 10th, 2019, 05:15 PM
cantgetright

Good on them. Adding a $2 service was a bonehead move unless your in favour of paying tax on tax!
January 10th, 2019, 06:32 PM
fratri

Some good news there.... Thanks Ontario
January 10th, 2019, 09:11 PM
jaycee

Quote:

Originally Posted by fratri

Some good news there.... Thanks Ontario

It,s "Thanks to the Conservatives ", the lieberals would have just increased everything.
January 10th, 2019, 11:39 PM
tom gobble

great news for once
January 11th, 2019, 09:48 AM
trimmer21

It's certainly a step in the right direction. Now,let's get something done with Moose license fees and tag allocation to establish fairness and prevent that program from going bankrupt.
January 11th, 2019, 10:49 AM
Chris915

While this is good news, we have to remember that many people on this forum also complain about the lack of COs in the field, the lack of appropriate wildlife inventories and counts, the lack of good field science to support the decision making process etc, etc. The MNR as many of you have already pointed out is chronically underfunded and the money has to come from some where. It looks to me like there will be no more money to do the important stuff that isn't currently happening so I take this new with a grain of salt.
January 11th, 2019, 11:34 AM
MikePal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris915

The MNR as many of you have already pointed out is chronically underfunded and the money has to come from some where. It looks to me like there will be no more money to do the important stuff that isn't currently happening so I take this new with a grain of salt.

Well if you believe the numbers from the OFAH, there is no shortage of new hunters taking the courses and adding revenue to the SPA...:)
January 11th, 2019, 11:47 AM
Fox

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris915

While this is good news, we have to remember that many people on this forum also complain about the lack of COs in the field, the lack of appropriate wildlife inventories and counts, the lack of good field science to support the decision making process etc, etc. The MNR as many of you have already pointed out is chronically underfunded and the money has to come from some where. It looks to me like there will be no more money to do the important stuff that isn't currently happening so I take this new with a grain of salt.

The $2 fee was specifically done to remove it from being put into the fund for conservation, if they wanted the money to go into conservation they would have simply increased the cost of every license by $2.

It was a nice way to tax those who did not vote for the Liberal party.
January 11th, 2019, 03:45 PM
Gregoire1960

The added efficiencies of the new system probably allows the govt. to freeze / decrease fees. Lady Gaga would have probably increased them to cover the cost of implementing the new system if she had managed to get re-elected.
January 11th, 2019, 06:06 PM
greatwhite

Wish they would allow us to buy a 3 year deer license as well.
January 12th, 2019, 12:28 PM
Ahuntr300

Licence fees still too expensive IMO - for example, why do we need to buy a moose license to enter the moose draw? should only have to buy it if successful in the draw. Waste of money if unsuccessful and not going.
January 12th, 2019, 02:58 PM
Fox

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ahuntr300

Licence fees still too expensive IMO - for example, why do we need to buy a moose license to enter the moose draw? should only have to buy it if successful in the draw. Waste of money if unsuccessful and not going.

They need to get money somehow and know a lot of people will pay.

I agree with you, pay to get into the draw and then pay again if you win the lottery, $10-15 to get into the lottery and $40 if you win and get a tag, something like that.

Almost $60 to take my wife out turkey hunting sucks too, have to buy my license to be able to call for her and she has to buy one to hunt, 1 gun but 2 licenses needed.
January 12th, 2019, 03:07 PM
MikePal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fox

Almost $60 to take my wife out turkey hunting sucks too, have to buy my license to be able to call for her and she has to buy one to hunt, 1 gun but 2 licenses needed.

Crap it costs more than that to take my wife to dinner at Shoeless Joe's. For $60 you and your wife can sit out and enjoy the sunrise everyday for a whole month...and hopefully end up with a nice turkey dinner to boot...heck of a bargain !!! .
January 12th, 2019, 03:38 PM
cantgetright

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fox

They need to get money somehow and know a lot of people will pay.

I agree with you, pay to get into the draw and then pay again if you win the lottery, $10-15 to get into the lottery and $40 if you win and get a tag, something like that.

Almost $60 to take my wife out turkey hunting sucks too, have to buy my license to be able to call for her and she has to buy one to hunt, 1 gun but 2 licenses needed.

I have an uncle from Calgary whose father passed away recently but didn't want a traditional funeral so they are having a service in spring and he wondered about going turkey hunting with me a couple times while he's in Ontario. The turkey tag and outdoor card isn't a big deal. Its the $125 non resident small game licence fee that's brutal. For a guy that's only here a few days why does he need a 1 year small game? At least he doesn't have to take the course on top of it all. I guess its cheap in comparison to the local guides who charge $400 a day to hunt turkey.
January 12th, 2019, 10:11 PM
Fox

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePal

Crap it costs more than that to take my wife to dinner at Shoeless Joe's. For $60 you and your wife can sit out and enjoy the sunrise everyday for a whole month...and hopefully end up with a nice turkey dinner to boot...heck of a bargain !!! .

You forget that we have a 2 year old and she works every other weekend, $60 for 2 mornings is about it, a dinner out is a better use of that money.
January 13th, 2019, 03:58 AM
MikePal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fox

You forget that we have a 2 year old and she works every other weekend, $60 for 2 mornings is about it, a dinner out is a better use of that money.

So it's more of a problem with personal issues than a problem with the cost of the tag... HaHa
January 16th, 2019, 01:52 PM
bellerivercrossbowhunter

I see it as an increase! They won't mail out tags any-more saving them millions! Then they pocket the savings. To be fair to us they should have decreased the fees. lol
January 16th, 2019, 01:58 PM
MikePal

Quote:

Originally Posted by bellerivercrossbowhunter

They won't mail out tags any-more saving them millions! Then they pocket the savings.

or it offsets the loss of revenue by giving seniors and Vets FREE fishing licenses...which is a good thing :)
January 16th, 2019, 02:31 PM
rick_iles

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePal

Crap it costs more than that to take my wife to dinner at Shoeless Joe's. For $60 you and your wife can sit out and enjoy the sunrise everyday for a whole month...and hopefully end up with a nice turkey dinner to boot...heck of a bargain !!! .

The best 60 bucks I spend all year. Lots of entertainment for over a month, plus two turkey to boot !!
January 16th, 2019, 02:58 PM
bush24

Conservative for life.
There are many who defend unlimited licence fees and increases, I swear if some could hunt and release, they would. Many of us hunters hunt for food and when it gets cost prohibitive, hunting will end! I use the same shotgun that my Grand Father passed down, purchase minimal ammo, my hunting parka is 20+yrs old etc... Its not just a hobby!
January 17th, 2019, 07:44 AM
Fox

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePal

So it's more of a problem with personal issues than a problem with the cost of the tag... HaHa

The cost of the tag based on the number of days able to hunt is the issue. If most hunters were told they would have to pay $60 to be able to hunt turkeys for 4 days they would say no as well. If the situation were an apprenticeship situation then I would buy the license and they would tag along and shoot the bird, $30, 1 license, but being out there and calling in the animal is the same as hunting it yourself so that one turkey costs $60.

$30 and a month to hunt, totally cool, $60 for 4 days not worth it at all.
January 17th, 2019, 08:03 AM
MikePal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fox

If the situation were an apprenticeship situation then I would buy the license and they would tag along and shoot the bird, $30, 1 license, but being out there and calling in the animal is the same as hunting it yourself so that one turkey costs $60.

But having a 2nd license allows for 2nd bird, so really it's $60 for 2 birds...same same...and you benefit because you could shoot both in one day ..Bonus !!

(is that still a restriction ?)

edit add; I checked (O. Reg. 544/17: HUNTING) and yes this provision is still in place..."The holder of two wild turkey — spring tags shall not kill more than one wild turkey in a day."
January 17th, 2019, 08:40 AM
Fox

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePal

But having a 2nd license allows for 2nd bird, so really it's $60 for 2 birds...same same...and you benefit because you could shoot both in one day ..Bonus !!

(is that still a restriction ?)

edit add; I checked (O. Reg. 544/17: HUNTING) and yes this provision is still in place..."The holder of two wild turkey — spring tags shall not kill more than one wild turkey in a day."

I could shoot a bird beside my wife but she could only shoot one, there is no party hunting with wild turkeys. The last time we got a bird when I took her out we had 2 guns, I had already shot 1 bird 2 days before and was out to get her a bird, shot a huge Tom and she got nothing. The birds went past us but kept their heads together so my wife could not get a shot, they were not moving back towards us. There was a small opening and I had my wife setup on that opening, I moved the opposite way from the birds and called, they did everything wrong, they flew to the call, they crossed 2 fences, all the stuff they are not supposed to do. I had 5 Toms in the field 15 yards away as I laid on my belly in the spring green alfalfa, not even close to being covered, shot the one second from the left, the others did not run back past my wife.
January 17th, 2019, 09:43 AM
bellerivercrossbowhunter

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePal

or it offsets the loss of revenue by giving seniors and Vets FREE fishing licenses...which is a good thing :)

I'm all for that! :)