Bow hunting facts

A controlled bow hunt of deer in Thunder Bay is just weeks away and city officials want to ensure the public is fully in the know about the rules and regulations.

Ron Bourret, the city’s manager of bylaw enforcement, said next Thursday’s open house session, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Confederation College, said they’re encouraging both hunters and property owners to attend the meeting.

“They can see exactly the areas where hunting could be allowed,” said Bourret, adding he’s only had one complaint about the controversial bylaw since council OKed it in July.

“I said could because we will be telling people that private property owners will have to give people permission to enter their property to do so. And within that, there are certain limitations.”
Crown land, City of Thunder Bay property, easements and hydro corridors are all off limits, Bourret explained.

And then there’s Mission Island.

“We’ve also been getting calls about that, (so the meeting) is also to dispel the myth. There will be no hunting on Mission Island allowed. Pretty well anything outside the Harbour Expressway and Highway 61 going south, you could hunt if you got permission.”

The hunt will follow provincial guidelines, and only be open during deer-hunting season to properly licensed hunters.

Wayward arrows shouldn’t be an issue either, if hunters are following the regulations put in place by the bylaw.

“It will fall in line with MNR laws for hunting, which is Sept. 1 for bow hunting, to Dec. 15. And within that there are certain limitations as to having a 10-foot deer stand. So if you’re shooting an arrow at a deer, you’ll have to go down. There’s less likelihood of it travelling across a highway or roadway like that – and by the way that’s illegal to allow that.”

MNR officials will be on hand, along with Thunder Bay police, to answer any technical questions potential hunters or property owners might have.

Bourret said the controlled hunt was necessary, given the increased deer populations within city limits in recent years and the number of collisions and near misses with vehicular traffic.

Based on similar laws enacted in Duluth and Kenora, Bourret said he doesn’t expect any major issues once the hunt begins.

Thursday’s meeting will be held in lecture room 351. For more information about the hunt, visit www.thunderbay.ca/deer.

This is a corrected version of this story. The meeting will be held on Aug. 23, not Aug. 17 as originally reported.