FINCH, Ontario – As fall approaches, it is a special time for many residents in the area. The crisp cool air brings a change in the seasons and summer gives way to autumn, and hunting season.
South Nation Conservation (SNC) owns and manages over 13,000 acres of community forests, wetlands, and grasslands across its 4,441 square-kilometre watershed jurisdiction in Eastern Ontario; over 8,500 acres of which are accessible for hunting with permission from SNC.
The cost for a permit to hunt on select SNC properties is $100 for watershed residents, paid to the Conservation Authority. Hunters must also have provincial permits from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and are required to provide proof of liability insurance to SNC.
SNC Lands are sustainably managed, restored, and maintained for recreational use and the protection of local natural heritage. Some of these protected natural areas offer a range of hunting opportunities for species such as deer, moose, waterfowl, upland game, and rabbit. Permit fees help to support land management activities and SNC’s annual Youth Hunt Apprenticeship Program.
Hunters should always exercise caution and wear high visibility clothing when accessing SNC Lands as some areas may have multiple users at any given time. Residents are also advised to keep themselves and their pets safe while exploring the outdoors during hunting season by wearing high visibility clothing.
Hunting is not permitted in SNC’s public Conservation Areas where managed trail systems exist. Residents can access SNC’s online mapping tool at www.nation.on.ca to find out which of the Conservation Authority’s properties are permittable for hunting.
All Conservation Authority rules and MNRF laws apply to SNC hunting areas. It is illegal to hunt on SNC Lands without a permit from the Conservation Authority. Please be aware of specific hunting requirements for each location; and be sure to keep your SNC hunting licence on you always.
To report poaching and other hunting or natural resource violations, please call the MNRF tip line at 1-877-847-7667. For more information and to access SNC’s permit application form please visit www.nation.on.ca/recreation/hunting-and-trapping or call 1-877-984-2948.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Philip Duncan, SNC Property and Approvals Assistant, 1-877-984-2948, pduncan@nation.on.ca.
