Wild Turkey Hunting private land...pressure due to Covid-19 restrictions

[JMatthews]

There will be a lot of pressure on privately owned property will the closures of many public properties.
The information below is from the MNR Ontario hunting regulations. It is worth noting that it is up to the hunter or fisherman to ask for permission prior to entering private property.
note: any land under cultivation is deemed private property and does not need to be posted.
Land under cultivation would be any land that has been ploughed or is planted. This would include fields planted with winter wheat or a cover crop.
As a rural property owner I am aware that it will be difficult to find places to hunt. This does not give anyone permission to trespass even if the property is not posted. My family made a decision to buy a rural property over 30 years ago and after retirement almost 8 years ago, we are now living here full time. Over the 30 years we made sacrifices and financial decisions to keep the property. We did not go on vacations with our children, etc and at times had to really scrape to afford the property. We have also made numerous improvements to our property and house and we are at the point where our land supports a wide variety of wildlife. It is my right to use my property and to decide who can or cannot hunt or fish on my property. Others who own rural properties are in the same situation. There are a number of people on this forum who have been to my property to hunt or to hunt on neighbour’s property where I have permission.
please keep in mind that the owner of the property decides who can or cannot have access.
Trespassing
It is unlawful to enter private property
once notice has been given that entry
is prohibited, or that certain activities
like hunting are prohibited. Notice of no trespassing may be given in a variety of ways, including verbally, signs, symbols (for example a red circle 4 inches in diameter), coloured markings or fences.

Lands under cultivation are also considered to be notice against entry.
ALWAYS ask for permission and obey posted signs.



Not all land is signed. Unsigned lands
may be private land as well. It is your responsibility to find out who owns the land you wish to hunt on and to determine if entry is prohibited or certain activities like hunting are prohibited. If unsure, stay out. If a wounded animal runs onto private property where notice has been given that entry is prohibited or certain activities like hunting have been prohibited, you must seek permission to retrieve the animal. Positive landowner or occupier/hunter relationships are important to the future of hunting in Ontario.



You may not enter private land in a party of more than 12 persons without the express permission of the occupier if any member of the party possesses a firearm or other hunting device.
Help Protect Our Natural Resources
Solve a Natural Resource Case

[js4fn]

Great post

[trimmer21]

There will be a lot of pressure on privately owned property will the closures of many public properties.
The information below is from the MNR Ontario hunting regulations. It is worth noting that it is up to the hunter or fisherman to ask for permission prior to entering private property.
note: any land under cultivation is deemed private property and does not need to be posted.
Land under cultivation would be any land that has been ploughed or is planted. This would include fields planted with winter wheat or a cover crop.
As a rural property owner I am aware that it will be difficult to find places to hunt. This does not give anyone permission to trespass even if the property is not posted. My family made a decision to buy a rural property over 30 years ago and after retirement almost 8 years ago, we are now living here full time. Over the 30 years we made sacrifices and financial decisions to keep the property. We did not go on vacations with our children, etc and at times had to really scrape to afford the property. We have also made numerous improvements to our property and house and we are at the point where our land supports a wide variety of wildlife. It is my right to use my property and to decide who can or cannot hunt or fish on my property. Others who own rural properties are in the same situation. There are a number of people on this forum who have been to my property to hunt or to hunt on neighbour’s property where I have permission.
please keep in mind that the owner of the property decides who can or cannot have access.
Trespassing
It is unlawful to enter private property
once notice has been given that entry
is prohibited, or that certain activities
like hunting are prohibited. Notice of no trespassing may be given in a variety of ways, including verbally, signs, symbols (for example a red circle 4 inches in diameter), coloured markings or fences.

Lands under cultivation are also considered to be notice against entry.
ALWAYS ask for permission and obey posted signs.



Not all land is signed. Unsigned lands
may be private land as well. It is your responsibility to find out who owns the land you wish to hunt on and to determine if entry is prohibited or certain activities like hunting are prohibited. If unsure, stay out. If a wounded animal runs onto private property where notice has been given that entry is prohibited or certain activities like hunting have been prohibited, you must seek permission to retrieve the animal. Positive landowner or occupier/hunter relationships are important to the future of hunting in Ontario.



You may not enter private land in a party of more than 12 persons without the express permission of the occupier if any member of the party possesses a firearm or other hunting device.
Help Protect Our Natural Resources
Solve a Natural Resource Case

The name of the game for rural landowners is to CYA. Properly post the property and ensure all gates and fences are locked and in good repair. Never rely on regulations to cover your liabilities because sure as God made little green apples,there'll be some ambulance-chasing lawyer to convince some "entitled" trespasser to sue because you failed to dot the i's and cross the t's.

[JMatthews]

The name of the game for rural landowners is to CYA. Properly post the property and ensure all gates and fences are locked and in good repair. Never rely on regulations to cover your liabilities because sure as God made little green apples,there'll be some ambulance-chasing lawyer to convince some "entitled" trespasser to sue because you failed to dot the i's and cross the t's.

Pretty much every insurance policy for rural properties has coverage for this sort of thing. My policy even has coverage for accidental manure spills, even though I have no barn or animals. $5 million in coverage with my policy.

[toddy]

I doubt you will find your target audience on this forum . . . .

[js4fn]

Pretty much every insurance policy for rural properties has coverage for this sort of thing. My policy even has coverage for accidental manure spills, even though I have no barn or animals. $5 million in coverage with my policy.

Pretty much every insurance policy for rural properties has coverage for this sort of thing. My policy even has coverage for accidental manure spills, even though I have no barn or animals. $5 million in coverage with my policy.

And do you feel safe with 5mil. I have the same my sister who was in insurance before retiring says it’s not courts are crazy

[KennyT]

I believe woodlots are automatically considered posted under the Trespass to Property Act as well. This would be one of the most important thing I think for turkey hunting.

[Bushmoose]

I believe woodlots are automatically considered posted under the Trespass to Property Act as well.

What is your definition of a "woodlot"?

[rick_iles]

I believe woodlots are automatically considered posted under the Trespass to Property Act as well. This would be one of the most important thing I think for turkey hunting.

They are, providing the wood lot is on land that is primarily used for agricultural purposes. A southern Ontario thing mostly....Posting them properly removes all doubt though ..

[trimmer21]

Pretty much every insurance policy for rural properties has coverage for this sort of thing. My policy even has coverage for accidental manure spills, even though I have no barn or animals. $5 million in coverage with my policy.

I would never trust an insurance to pay out on any claim just because you paid the premium,especially,if you've left something to chance like deliberately not taking every opportunity to mitigate all eventualities. They're notorious for that crap. Any "out" you leave them and they'll deny the claim out-of-hand leaving you no choice,but,to sue them. Now,do you really want to pay $50K in legal fees to settle for $50K with no guarantee you'll ever collect?