THUNDER BAY -- Anglers and hunters across Ontario have until July 28 to provide feedback on proposed significant changes to the province's licensing system.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has said the changes will "modernize licensing products and approaches, improve client services and support sustainable fish and wildlife management."
The plan would impact numerous areas including hunter-harvest reporting, game seals, fishing licences, hunting licences and the Outdoors Card.
The MNRF proposes to eliminate the different versions of Outdoors Cards (H1, H2, Fishing) and replace them with a single type.
It would also create a single licence document that would list all the many different types and formats of hunting and fishing licences, and allow for licences to be self-printed at a client's home if desired. Alternatively, the licence could be delivered via email and maintained and stored digitally such as on a smartphone.
Game seals would be dropped in favour of tags which clients would have the option of printing from their own computer. Hunters would have to carry the tag and notch it when an animal was harvested but would only be required to attach it to the animal if they were no longer accompanying it.
Among other significant changes, all hunters would be required to provide information on hunting activity and harvest for moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, elk wild turkey and wolf/coyote. Electronic reporting would replace mailed-in questionnaires.
The ministry says more consistent reporting timelines across species will allow hunters adequate time to return from a hunt and provide their report.
Changes would also be made to the Hunter Apprenticeship Program. The existing Apprenticeship Card would be replaced by an Outdoors card, and apprentice hunters would have the option of hunting under their own licence/bag limit or continue to hunt under their mentor's licence and bag limit. Apprentices would still have to be under the immediate supervision of the mentor, and share the mentor's firearm.
Comments on the proposals can be submitted online until July 28.
The anticipated implementation date is late next year or early 2019.
