Hunters improve public safety

Hunters improve public safety
O.F.A.H. officially rings in the fall hunting season

A record number of vehicle collisions with wildlife continues to reinforce the virtues of the annual hunting season, says the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.).

This week, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation announced that, in the past decade, collisions with wildlife have jumped 86 percent. In 2003, over 13,000 vehicle/wild animal collisions were reported (many more go unreported). On average, there is a costly collision with wildlife approximately every 38 minutes in Ontario – about 90 percent of these are collisions with deer. One out of every 18 vehicle collisions involves a wild animal.

Ottawa, Simcoe County, Lanark County, Thunder Bay and Middlesex County are the five areas in Ontario with the highest number of combined property damage, injury and fatal collisions as a result of wildlife.

“Hunters play a critical role in keeping our roadways safe,” said O.F.A.H. Biologist, Ed Reid. “Hunting is more than just a time-honored family tradition, it’s also a proven wildlife management tool. Regulated hunting helps reduce crop damage, habitat degradation as well as vehicle collisions with wild animals. In fact, wildlife experts estimate that, if it were not for hunters, collisions with wildlife would soar by over 200 percent,” he said.

As Ontario’s fall hunting season gets underway, the O.F.A.H. is proud to point out all of the valuable contributions made by Ontario’s half a million licensed hunters, particularly in the interests of public safety, economics and conservation. While hunting in Ontario represents $1.5 billion in economic activity, over $10 million in annual hunting license fees pays for conservation enforcement, research and restoration programs.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is the province’s largest fishing, hunting and conservation organization, representing 80,000 members and 630 member clubs.

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