ACTION
The OFAH employs a team of professional staff to review policy proposals, changes to regulations and legislation and any other initiatives or programs to advocate for Ontario’s natural resources and the rights and traditions of anglers and hunters. Your Federation responds to proposed changes that could affect fish and wildlife conservation and angling and hunting opportunities. The OFAH continues to be involved in deer management by:
- Recommending licensed hunting in protected areas experiencing overabundant deer and habitat degradation.
- Advocating for additional deer seals where deer populations are overabundant.
- Advocating for increased transparency and accountability in the deer tag allocation process.
- Advocating to keep Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) out of Ontario
- Collecting donations through the DeerSave program for emergency winter conservation activities.
- Encouraging municipalities to adopt deer management strategies to deal with overabundant deer populations (ie: Thunder Bay hunting by-laws)
- Representing deer hunters on the OFAH Big Game Advisory Committee
Listed below are examples of your OFAH hard at work on deer management.
Official Submissions
Apr 29, 2022 ERO 019-5034 Proposal to align white-tailed deer hunting seasons in WMUs 91 A-B and 92 A-D
Mar 25, 2022 ERO 019-4970 Strengthening guide requirements for non-resident white-tailed deer hunters in Northern Ontario
Mar 21, 2022 ERO 019-4995 Conservation Agreement for Boreal Caribou
Jan 4, 2022 ERO 019-4637 Proposal to simplify and align provincial white-tailed deer hunting seasons
Aug 26, 2020 Proposal to reduce the risk of CWD in Ontario
July 25, 2019 OFAH supports new CWD plan and recommends adopting it immediately
July 25, 2019 OFAH generally supportive of the proposed white-tailed deer population and harvest guidelines
Sept 21, 2017 OFAH supports EHD research in Ontario
Apr 18, 2017 OFAH comments on the White-tailed Deer Management Policy for Ontario
Oct 8, 2015 OFAH supports UofG research on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease
Sept 26, 2014 OFAH requests participation in the annual deer tag allocation process
Jan 10, 2013 OFAH letter to MNRF re: Controlled deer hunt program
May 4, 2012 Whitetail deer population management in Pinery and Rondeau Provincial Parks
Where we Stand
- deer management decisions must be made using the best available science
- deer hunting is economically important, generating over $60 million in hunter expenditures annually
- deer harvest is important in terms of crop damage reduction and highway safety
- sustainable deer management requires annual population assessment
- protection of deer habitat must be a primary consideration in Crown Forest Management Planning
- regulated hunting can be used as a tool in maintaining deer densities and deer habitat
- the OFAH supports mandatory deer harvest reporting to optimize deer management and conservation
- the safety and benefits of deer management by licensed hunters should be promoted
Committee Involvement
OFAH Big Game Advisory Committee
MNRF Big Game Management Advisory Committee
MNRF Human-Wildlife Conflict Advisory Group
MNRF Hats for Hides Steering Committee