2020 Hullett Marsh Pheasant Release

[Ontariofarmer]

I saw a pheasant there today. Went for a walk there this afternoon.
Out shed hunting. Lots of deer and some turkey sign.
I have never hunted upland birds. I have never seen a pheasant there in February until today


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[Gilroy]

I am not a pheasant hunter, but occasionally try to kick up rabbits. One thing I have noticed is that some of the WMU's around me still charge the township licence fee to hunt "rabbits and pheasants". I do not mind the extra fee, as I am able to cover it and am pretty used to getting gouged as a hunter. But that is another issue. However, it is difficult to get into all of the different township offices to obtain the requisite licences. Further, if you are visiting relatives and friends, you have to purchase the licence in advance. In most cases the township offices are closed on weekends, when most of us hunt. In some cases, the townships themselves do not even know where you are supposed to do this. So it is a poorly run program, yet is still enforced by CO's.

The relevance to your post is that the township licence fee was originally designed to help pay for habitat and stocking efforts. This was back when more municipalities stocked pheasants, which was many years ago. I have long thought that unless they are stocking, townships should no longer be able to charge this fee. Further, I think that it would be easier to have a "multi-township" option where you pay perhaps $25 and can hunt any of the stocked townships. This would enable hunters to travel and hunt elsewhere on short notice.

The key would be that municipalities would draw from the funds raised based purely upon their stocking efforts. For example, I pay township fees to hunt rabbits (and pheasants in theory but have never seen one there) in two areas where nothing is done to promote habitat or stocking. Since Hullett is the largest stocker of pheasants that I am aware of (again, not a pheasant guy and not claiming to be an expert), I believe that they would draw the vast majority of the township licence fees collected. I really do not mind that I would be paying a fee to Hullett and not hunting it, as the fees would at least be going to the betterment of the larger hunting community. Plus, the option would be open to me should I pursue it.

Lastly, I believe that there are day use or seasonal permits at some places, of which Hullett may be one. I am not suggesting that they be eliminated. I am just trying to divert the fees from the township pheasant and rabbit licences to a facility actually involved in promoting this type of hunting. Perhaps we could petition the MNR for change in an effort to help Hullett and similar facilities. Just a thought.

I think that would be a good petition to have started or better still a direct letter to the Minister of Natural Resources.Township licenses have been on the books for age,s but are just another problem for hunters out for a day of rabbit hunting.If there is no wildlife improvement done in a township how can they justify another tax.