Canada Deer Hunts

Ontario has a land base of nearly 400,000 square miles(1 million square
kilometres). It is larger than the province of British Columbia or the state of
Texas. For up-to-date information on hunting regulations and licences,
consult the current Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary. Telephone 1-800-
667-1940 for your free copy. The white-tailed deer is Ontario’s premier big
game. Whitetails range from the southern border of the province to north of
the Great Lakes. The population is an estimated 300,000 to 350,000, and
hunting seasons for deer are the longest of any big game season in Ontario.
From mid-September to late December, there is an open season for deer
somewhere in the province.

Deer hunting takes many forms. You can use a bow, a muzzleloader, a
shotgun or a rifle. You can sit on a stump or in a tree stand, still-hunt, stalk,
drive or, in some areas, listen to the song of baying hounds. You can deer
hunt in shirt sleeves on an October afternoon or with crusted
snow crunching underfoot. Many seasons are also open to non-residents.
Ontario’s whitetails are large-bodied, in keeping with the biological rule that
the farther north a species lives, the greater the body mass required to
survive extended periods of cold weather. The possibility of a record book
rack exists because antler mass is generally heavy. Since Ontario hunters
have traditionally been more concerned with meat for the freezer than with
antlers, many magnificent racks have simply been tacked over mantles or
over hunt camp or barn doors without being scored. Archery hunters may
choose among longbows, recurves, compounds and crossbows. For deer,
longbows, recurves and compounds must have a draw weight of 40 pounds
(18 kg) or more when measured at a draw length of 28 inches (700 mm) or
less. A crossbow must have a draw weight of 100 pounds (45 kg) or more at
a draw length of 12 inches (300 mm) or more. Minimum specifications also
apply to broadheads and bolts used when deer hunting. Shotgun hunters
commonly use either rifled slugs or sabots. Increasingly, scopes are used to
maximize the effectiveness of these firearms. Some hunters also use
buckshot in certain situations, such as drives in thick cedar swamps, tag
alder or black spruce, where shots are generally held to 20 yards (18 m) or
under. Twentygauge shotguns and SG (or No. 1 buckshot) are the smallest
sizes allowed for deer. The most commonly used shotgun is a 12-gauge with
slugs or SSG. Muzzleloading firearms may be used during shotgun hunts, and
in WMUs with bows-and-muzzleloaders-only seasons. Special December
muzzleloader-only seasons are offered in several WMUs in southern Ontario.
Rifle hunters have more options. Ontario’s deer country is the perfect place to
take grandpa’s cherished lever-action rifle for a walk. Cedar swamps, stands
of spruce, and narrow rock ridges are an ideal environment for these
fast-handling guns. Short-range shooting is the norm in these situations, and
quick follow-up shots in heavy cover might be required. This is why many
hunters use pump actions and semi-automatics in thick woods. Some farm
country, power lines, logged open areas, and grassy meadows are suited to
flat-shooting long-range boltactions. The bottom line is to hunt with the firearm
you are most comfortable with and which can deliver both power and
accuracy.