TORONTO — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says it is "modernizing" Ontario's hunting and fishing licensing system with changes that will be implemented starting later this fall.
They include a new online licensing service that will launch in November.
"On November 26, there will be a better way for hunters and anglers to get their Outdoors cards and hunting and fishing licensing products," said a ministry announcement Monday afternoon.
The new service, according to minister Jeff Yurek, "will be easy to use, with new features like a mobile Licence Summary and a single Outdoors Card."
In conjunction with the rollout of the new system, the MNRF has scheduled two service interruptions:
- From November 19 to 25 there will be no fishing or hunting licences for sale online, at licence issuers or at Service Ontario locations.
- From November 19 to December 31, licences requiring a game seal will not be available for purchase. All fishing and hunting licences not requiring a seal will be available for sale.
The ministry announcement advised hunters and anglers to keep theses dates in mind when planning their purchases.
After the new hunting and fishing website goes into service on November 26, customers will still have the option of buying licences at licence issuers or participating Service Ontario locations.
November 26 also marks the implementation of revised hunting and fishing regulations.
The MNRF will issue only one version of the Outdoors Card rather than three separate cards for fishing, hunting or apprentice hunters, but customers will still need to carry their Outdoors Card.
Among other changes, hunters with guns must carry their firearms licence or proof that they have completed the Canadian firearms safety course.
A number of additional changes for hunting will take effect January 1, 2019, including the replacement of game seals with tags. Hunters will have the option of printing their tags at home.
Mandatory hunter reporting when an animal is harvested will also replace the current process which involves different reports and voluntary postcard surveys.
