Founders of Ontario Hunter Education program welcome M.N.R. revisions

Founders of Ontario Hunter Education program welcome M.N.R. revisions

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is pleased to support new improvements to the Ontario Hunter Education Program, announced last week by Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay.

As supported by the O.F.A.H., the Ministry of Natural Resources is presenting a new Outdoors Hunting Card (H2) for aspiring hunters who prefer to focus on hunting with bows and falcons instead of firearms. Effective January 1, 2006, bow hunters and falconers will receive a H2 Outdoors Card to signify their level of training through the Ontario Hunter Education Program.

Hunter education graduates that meet both the provincial training requirement to hunt, and the federal training requirements for firearms possession and ownership, will receive an M.N.R. Outdoors Card with an H1 insignia that represents their training in all hunting methods and all equipment. The changes apply only to new hunters.

“Many new hunters have a personal preference for archery and falconry and this revision to the Hunter Education program and licensing will help promote these hunting traditions,” said O.F.A.H. Executive Director, Mike Reader.

As the founder of Ontario’s Hunter Education Program, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters continues to work with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to enhance accessibility of this program which is mandatory for all new hunters.

Reader added that a cooperative effort to promote hunter education and hunter recruitment is the reason that half a million licensed hunters in Ontario share an outstanding safety track record.

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