All users of the Dufferin County Forest should take note of the following:
The peak periods for hunting in parts of the Dufferin County Forest are the two five-day shotgun hunts for white-tailed deer (November 7-11 and December 5-9, 2022) and the spring wild turkey hunt (April 25-May 31, 2023).
You should also be aware of these other seasons:
- archery seasons for white-tailed deer: October 1-November 6, 2022; November 12-December 4, 2022; and December 10-31, 2022
- archery season for wild turkey: October 1-31, 2022
- shotgun/archery season for wild turkey: October 11-23, 2022
- More Key Hunting Seasons in Dufferin County →
During this time there will be a number of hunters using the Dufferin County Forest properties where hunting is permitted. Please use caution in the forest and wear bright-coloured clothing.
There is no hunting allowed at any time in the Mono forest tracts or on the following Dufferin County Forest properties: north portion of Amaranth, Hockley, Leening, Levitt, Little, Main, Mono, Thomson, and River Road. These are posted accordingly. Suspected violations of the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act should be reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry at 877-847-7667 (877-TIPS-MNR). Other inquiries should be directed to the County Forest Manager at 877-941-7787.
Hunters in Mono
The Town of Mono would like to remind everyone about what to do if someone is hunting on your property without permission, trespassing, or if there is reason to suspect poaching.
What do I do if someone is hunting on my property without my permission?
It is an offence under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 for anyone to trespass for the purpose of hunting or fishing.
People should report abuse via the Natural Resources Violation Reporting Line: 1-877-847-7667.
According to MNR's Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary Guide:
A person is trespassing if the person, without appropriate permission, enters onto property or engages in an activity on property where notice has been given that entry or the activity is not allowed. Notice may be given in a variety of ways; some of the common ones are verbally, signs, symbols or fences. Lands under cultivation are also considered to be notice against entry. A hunting licence does not give a hunter the right to enter private property.
Not all land is signed. Unsigned lands may be private land as well. (For example if the property is fenced, no access is permitted without permission of the occupier.) It is your responsibility to find out who owns the land you wish to hunt on and obtain permission. If unsure, stay out. If a wounded animal runs onto private property where you do not have permission to enter, you must seek the landowner’s or occupier’s permission to retrieve the animal.
As well as the Natural Resources Violation Reporting Line, you may also report cases of trespass or suspected poaching to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Firearms at Night
Discharging firearms is restricted from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise in Mono (see Bylaw Number 2019-46). This bylaw mirrors the time period in the Ontario hunting restrictions and was passed on September 10, 2019.
This bylaw does not apply to police or conservation officers among others, or to farmers protecting their livestock from prey.