THUNDER BAY - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR) will roll out a series of updates to Ontario’s moose tag allocation system in 2027 in an effort to ensure more tags are claimed and used by committed hunters.
“They’re not really changing the tagging system per se,” said John Kaplanis, executive director of the Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen’s Alliance. “What they’re changing is the application process.”
In recent years, thousands of moose tags have gone unused despite being awarded through the lottery system. “There’s been upwards of 3,000 to 4,000 unclaimed moose tags at the end of the year after the draw has taken place,” Kaplanis explained.
He said the issue comes from the way the second phase of the draw was designed. Hunters could be offered tags but were not required to claim or pay for them. Often, this occurred in large hunting groups where not every tag was needed. Many of those tags were left unused, year after year. Kaplanis described these as missed opportunities and said the system did not ensure tags reached hunters who actually planned to use them.
While the core of the tag system remains unchanged, the way hunters apply for and retain tags, particularly in the second chance allocation phase, will be significantly tightened.
Hunters who are awarded a moose tag as their first choice in the second chance allocation phase will be required to claim the tag or forfeit their accumulated points. This rule is designed to discourage speculative applications.
“With these changes, hunters who receive a tag as their first choice in the second chance allocation will be required to claim it,” Kaplanis said. “If they don’t, they’ll forfeit their points. The goal is to ensure people only apply for tags they actually plan to use.”
The current deadline to claim a second chance tag is Dec. 15, after the moose season ends. Starting in 2027, the deadline will be moved to a date before the moose season begins. This change will provide greater clarity about how many tags are actually in use prior to the start of the season.
A new phase, called the last chance allocation, will be introduced. This phase will allow resident hunters to purchase any remaining unclaimed or unawarded tags after the earlier allocation stages are complete.
Under this phase, the number of available tags will be announced in advance, purchasing a tag at this stage will not impact a hunter’s points, the system will resemble the current process used for additional deer tag sales, and hunters who didn’t participate in earlier allocation rounds will still be eligible to purchase a tag, provided they pay the standard application fee and licence cost.
Ontario’s points-based allocation system, introduced in 2021, will remain in place. It gives preference to hunters who have applied consistently but have not received a tag in previous years. For example, a hunter who has applied for five consecutive years without success would have five points, improving their chances.
Kaplanis said his organization supports the changes and sees them as a positive step toward a more efficient and fair process.
“We applaud the Ministry of Natural Resources for taking these steps,” he said. “This way, the tags should get into the hands of hunters who want to use them.”
More details about the updated allocation system will be released by the MNR on the web page as the 2027 implementation date approaches.
