Ontario Public Hunting Area Locations

[smallgamer]

I have hunted some of the public lands listed and I can unequivocally state that there are NO game animals or birds in these areas . Just kidding. Good job x_neon_x. If it makes accessing land to enjoy our sport easier for some, I am all for it.

[rev500ss]

I want to thank the OP as well. I am new to hunting and other then where my brother in law who has got me into it hunts I wouldn't have a clue where to start.
Yes I have read some of the magazines he's had laying around so I have got a couple areas out of that, but living in the "city" and working 60+ hours a week it doesn't leave much time to get out and knock on doors, scouting, setting up baits etc.
With this list I might be able to hunt "local" if I can't get up north for the weekend.
Thanks again and good luck to all this fall!

[trimmer21]

Unless hunters have access to private farms or own huntable land of sufficient size,it's exceedingly difficult for us to get out on the occassional day afield. Waterfowlers are,by and large,exempt for obvious reasons. "Public land" like Conservation Authority-controlled properties are becoming more and more crowded with users other than hunters (motor cross bikers,horse riders etc.-not that's a bad thing) making it increasingly hazardous for firearms use. Many CA's are in the process of restricting firearms use,entirely. The presence of game animals on those lands is quite negligible,anyway,to say the least. In southern Ontario,it's becoming increasingly necessary for hunters to travel 2 to 3 hours north to expanses of Crown land to hunt. Virtually all of the north is open for Sunday gun hunting making weekend camping/hunting excursions a real alternative. It's something we may all to think about,soon.

[ihunt]

Thinking back as a new hunter I would of loved this post. Now as a more established hunter a few years later who has worked hard and put in the effort, I'm not so enthused.

My hunting experiences have been very enjoyable and rewarding, including searching and looking for properties. It involved talking and getting to know new hunters, in the bush as well as on line. I spent many hours on line reading and researching for spots to go. I remember I couldn't wait and looked forward to getting home and spending the night looking for a new spot to hunt on the weekend and I still do years later. Like most of life, it is the journey and not necessarily the destination that makes it rewarding.

I think it best to leave it as it always has been, let the newbies come aboard and introduce themselves, search, sniff and kick-just like its done in the bush. Its just my opinion and I get it-the information is out there already and they still have to follow through, no body hunts there anyways and its great to give new comers the help they 'so desrve' and be helpful, bla bla bla.

But just like hunting really is, it is most rewarding when you have to work for it, when you can sit back after the hard work, effort and sometimes luck that comes from it. That's just me, I'm a traditionalist.

[rackman]

thanks your heart is in the right place

[greatwhite]

Today with the internet it's actually extremely easy to find Crown land to hunt, prior to 1998 to find any crown land outside of the city could take years to establish yourself an area.

[x_xeon_x]

Thinking back as a new hunter I would of loved this post. Now as a more established hunter a few years later who has worked hard and put in the effort, I'm not so enthused.

My hunting experiences have been very enjoyable and rewarding, including searching and looking for properties. It involved talking and getting to know new hunters, in the bush as well as on line. I spent many hours on line reading and researching for spots to go. I remember I couldn't wait and looked forward to getting home and spending the night looking for a new spot to hunt on the weekend and I still do years later. Like most of life, it is the journey and not necessarily the destination that makes it rewarding.

I think it best to leave it as it always has been, let the newbies come aboard and introduce themselves, search, sniff and kick-just like its done in the bush. Its just my opinion and I get it-the information is out there already and they still have to follow through, no body hunts there anyways and its great to give new comers the help they 'so desrve' and be helpful, bla bla bla.

But just like hunting really is, it is most rewarding when you have to work for it, when you can sit back after the hard work, effort and sometimes luck that comes from it. That's just me, I'm a traditionalist.

http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...-around-London

This is exactly the reason why I posted the list. The guy just wants to get out hunting, why put extra hurdles in front of him?

[Waftrudnir]

In regards to the 'tell or not to tell' question of our fav hunting spots.

The more hunters there are the stronger our voice will be in retaining and obtaining public land for hunting. We live in a country with many hunting opportunities unlike Europe where it is primarily for the rich. Therefore as we spread the word and recruit the younger generation we support our own future.

IMO non hunters and those slobs breaking the rules do far more damage to my hunting than all legit hunters combined. Case in point, I put an apprentice hunter up in a tree stand on a deer hunt last bow season, about half an hour into our hunt all I hear is bang, bang , bang, twenty or more times. As we waited the gun fire got closer to us and we climbed down out of safety. This was in an a public area (one of the ones listed above) where it is signed no target shooting, I found this on the way out:

Attachment 24369


I have been around long enough to know it is not the use of our publics lands which creates problems, it is the abuse of these areas.

x2
we have a lot of land to hunt, but overall we manage it poorly!
all public land (including crown land south of French river if it is easily accessible) is crowded. new guys have it really hard finding anything to just get started if they are from the city. I hunt public lands (needs a lot of scouting to find a good spot) and run here and there into other hunters; very different characters you come across...
what I would like to see is that rules are enforced (atv, motocross, garbage, treestands, etc.).
also, it is great if one knows where others are - just not to bother anyone and be safe!
some marshes use hunting stakes or blinds to know who is where (parking spot). in Europe sometimes little mobile towers and stakes are used during big game drives to indicate safe shooting lanes (for hunters unfamiliar with the area, or generally lacking common sense). I'm not aware that we do anything here on public land for big game hunting (e.g. defined little tracks, mandatory tree stands to have safe backstop, etc.). not saying this is the way to go everywhere, but it might be something to consider in areas that are frequently invaded by pumpkin armies.

[greatwhite]

I don't give information right away because I find some might not have the same ethics as I do. See I wont take another person's deer spot on crown if I know it is actively being hunted. I will move on, but there have been several on here who said they don't give a crap. That was about 3 years ago. Since then I am very weary of giving out spots.

Before I give out information I meet people and decide if I want to give any info, sometimes I even get them maps, other times I just watch them on here and I can get a decent idea if I even want to meet them. I've met quite a few people on here from Ottawa and very good people, met one ofrom the US and a few from around Toronto and up past Sudbury.

But I like a person to prove themselves. Sometimes you need more info about a specific piece of crown.

http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...-around-London

This is exactly the reason why I posted the list. The guy just wants to get out hunting, why put extra hurdles in front of him?

[300Sniper]

Nice thread XXX. Definitely will help a bunch of guys out. I hunt some of the spots you've mentioned but don't see your list as an issue at all considering it's just a starting point for guys and they still need to put some time in to find a quality spot. Don't bother much with any negativity, lost of people have the mindset that if they had to work for something then everyone else should have to do the same work.

Again, nice thread.

Jeff