Canada Exam Prep
Ontario Hunter Education overview

Ontario Hunter Education study guide: key rules on all 11 topics

Free Ontario Hunter Education study guide: 203 key points from the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary 2026 (Ministry of Natural Resources) in plain words, organised by topic, each topic linked to its practice questions.

By the ·

  • 11 topics
  • 203 key points
  • Free, no sign-up

This study guide collects our notes on every topic of the Ontario Hunter Education Course Exam (OHEP) on one page: 203 short points in our own words, grouped by topic and by handbook section. Read it from top to bottom before your first practice test, or jump to a topic from the list below.

Each topic ends with a link to its practice questions, so you can check what you just read straight away, and a link to the official chapter for the full wording. The notes summarise the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary 2026 (Ministry of Natural Resources) from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (program administered by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters); they do not replace it, and where our notes and the official source differ, the official source wins.

Study these notes as flashcards →

Hunter accreditation, Outdoors Card and licences

The hunter education course and exam, registering accreditation, the Outdoors Card, residency, carrying licences, firearms accreditation for gun hunters and the Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program.

Practise Hunter accreditation, Outdoors Card and licences questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Hunter education (updated 2026-06-29)

  • Most people need to pass the Ontario Hunter Education Course, including its exam, to get a resident hunting licence.
  • The ministry offers the course two ways: in person with a certified instructor, or online at your own pace.
  • The course covers hunting safety and equipment, laws and regulations, hunter responsibilities, wildlife management, hunting techniques and wildlife identification.
  • After passing, you receive proof of completion and take it to a participating ServiceOntario location to register your hunter accreditation.
  • With accreditation on file you can buy licences and tags and apply to big game draws; a valid Outdoors Card is needed before buying hunting products.
  • New Ontario residents who have lived here at least 6 months and took hunter education (or hold recognized credentials) in their home jurisdiction can skip the course.
  • To hunt with a gun you must also have completed the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and hold a PAL, a minor's licence or proof of completing the CFSC.
  • Many instructors offer a one-stop course combining the hunter education course and the CFSC; they can also be taken separately.

Ontario Hunter Education Course; Hunting licence information

  • Passing the hunter education course and buying the right licences lets you hunt with a bow; a gun also needs the CFSC.
  • In Ontario, people who take the CFSC and its tests get a copy of the CFSC student report, which counts as proof until the PAL or minor's licence arrives.
  • A person with only a CFSC report (no licence), or an expired firearms licence, must hunt under the direct and immediate supervision of a valid PAL holder.
  • Gun hunters (including air and pellet guns and apprentices) must carry proof of firearms accreditation; bow and crossbow hunters do not need it.
  • A PAL application can be submitted up to six months before turning 18.
  • The Outdoors Card is a wallet-sized plastic card you must carry while hunting; it costs $8.57 and is valid for 3 calendar years.
  • It is illegal to hold more than one Outdoors Card or give false information on an application.
  • Residents under 16 need parent or guardian consent to get an Outdoors Card.
  • An Ontario resident has a primary residence in Ontario and has lived here at least 6 consecutive months in the 12 months before applying.
  • First-time non-resident hunters must be at least 16 and show equivalent accreditation from their home jurisdiction.
  • While hunting, carry your Outdoors Card, your licence (on your licence summary or the back of the card) and any tags.
  • A digital licence summary must be the PDF from the licensing service; a photo or screenshot is not valid.
  • Hunting licences expire on December 31 of the year issued unless stated otherwise.
  • You may not transfer an Outdoors Card, licence or tag to anyone else, or use someone else's.
  • Tell the ministry within 10 days of a change of address, name, residency or contact information.

Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program (HASP)

  • HASP is for residents aged 12 to 14 who have passed the hunter education course and hold an Outdoors Card with accreditation.
  • Apprentices hunt under the direct and immediate supervision of a mentor aged 18 or older with a valid Outdoors Card and licence for the species.
  • Apprentice and mentor share a single firearm, and the apprentice's game counts in the mentor's bag limit unless the apprentice buys their own licence or tag.
  • Apprentices cannot apply for big game draws; people 15 and older need their own licences and tags.
  • Gun-hunting apprentices must also have passed the CFSC and carry proof.

Hunter orange, hunting hours and loaded firearms

Who must wear hunter orange and what counts, legal hunting hours, when firearms must be unloaded and encased, and what makes a gun, muzzleloader or bow loaded.

Practise Hunter orange, hunting hours and loaded firearms questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

General regulations, Hunter orange

  • During a gun season for deer, elk or moose, all licensed hunters must wear hunter orange, including bow hunters, falconers, turkey and bear hunters and trappers hunting under a trapping licence.
  • Exception: hunters of migratory game birds (other than woodcock) and double-crested cormorants.
  • Licensed bear hunters must also wear hunter orange during bear season when it is not a deer, elk or moose gun season, except when in a tree stand.
  • You need both a hunter orange garment and a hunter orange head cover.
  • The garment needs at least 400 square inches (2,580 cm²) of solid hunter orange above the waist, visible from all sides; no open mesh or camouflage orange.
  • Retro-reflective stripes on a garment that has 400 square inches of orange are acceptable.
  • A backpack must not completely hide the orange on that side; orange on the backpack is a good practice.
  • The head cover may have mesh, a different-coloured brim and a logo, but no camouflage.
  • Hunters in ground blinds must still wear hunter orange inside the blind and should mark the blind with orange.

General regulations, Hunting hours and loaded firearms

  • Hunting hours run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset (exceptions: night raccoon hunting, spring turkey).
  • Spring wild turkey hunting ends at 7:00 p.m.
  • Outside hunting hours, in areas usually inhabited by wildlife, any firearm must be unloaded and encased.
  • Encased means enclosed on all six sides.
  • A firearm is loaded if there is an unfired cartridge or shell in the chamber, or in a magazine attached to it.
  • A percussion muzzleloader is loaded if powder and projectile are in the barrel and a cap is on the nipple; a flintlock if powder and projectile are in the barrel and the vent is unplugged.
  • An electronic-ignition muzzleloader is loaded if a projectile is in the barrel and a battery is connected.
  • Under federal storage and transport rules, a muzzleloader is unloaded only when propellant, projectile or cartridge has been removed.
  • A crossbow is loaded when cocked with a bolt in place; another bow when strung with an arrow nocked.

Firearm safety in the field

The basic rules of safe firearm handling for hunters, target identification, crossing obstacles, group hunting, careless hunting, injury reporting and turkey-hunting safety.

Practise Firearm safety in the field questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Vital Four ACTS and PROVE (general safety used in hunter education)

  • ACTS: Assume every firearm is loaded; Control the muzzle direction at all times; keep the Trigger finger off the trigger and outside the guard; See that it is unloaded by PROVEing it safe.
  • Only pass or accept a firearm that is open and unloaded.
  • Load only when you intend to shoot, where it is safe and legal; unload before crossing fences, ditches or rough ground.
  • When crossing a fence alone, unload, lay the firearm under the fence with the action open and muzzle pointed away, then cross.
  • Never lean a loaded firearm against a tree or vehicle. Hunting alone from a blind or pit: unload, place the firearm outside, enter, then bring it in.
  • Positively identify the target; never shoot at sound, movement, colour or shape.
  • Be sure of what is beyond the target; bullets ricochet off water and hard surfaces and travel far past the target.
  • Never use a rifle scope instead of binoculars to identify something.
  • If a firearm fails to fire, keep the muzzle pointed safely and wait 60 seconds before opening it.
  • Agree on safe zones of fire when hunting in a group, and always know where your partners are.
  • Never mix alcohol or drugs with hunting or firearms.

General regulations; Wild turkey safety

  • Hunting carelessly is an offence: handling or firing a firearm without due care or consideration for people and property can bring a fine up to $25,000, up to 2 years in prison, or both.
  • Any hunting firearm injury that needs a physician's treatment must be reported to a conservation officer.
  • Turkey hunting safety: do not stalk a turkey, since the sound may be another hunter calling, or you may be mistaken for a turkey.
  • Gobble calls can make other hunters mistake you for a turkey.
  • Keep decoys and harvested turkeys fully concealed.
  • Sit against a solid background wider than your shoulders and taller than your head.
  • To alert an approaching hunter, call out in a loud, clear voice; do not wave or make turkey sounds.

Storing, transporting and displaying firearms (2024-11-12)

  • Non-restricted firearms must be unloaded during transport.
  • In an unattended vehicle, lock firearms in the trunk; without a trunk, keep them out of sight and lock the vehicle.
  • At home, store firearms unloaded and either locked with a trigger or cable lock or in a locked container; keep ammunition locked or separate.

Roads, vehicles, boats and aircraft

Shooting near roads and the 8-metre rule, municipal by-laws, Sunday gun hunting, and the rules for firearms in vehicles, motorboats, canoes, aircraft and drones.

Practise Roads, vehicles, boats and aircraft questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Firearms restrictions related to roads and trails

  • Nowhere in Ontario may you shoot from or across the travelled portion of a right of way for public vehicular traffic.
  • A right of way for public vehicular traffic includes any road or trail open to public vehicle use.
  • In most of southern Ontario you may not have a loaded firearm on, or within 8 metres of, the travelled portion of such a road (or its fence line).
  • In large parts of central and northwestern Ontario the same 8-metre rule applies during open gun seasons for deer or elk.
  • Some municipalities have by-laws restricting firearm discharge; check with the municipal office.
  • Sunday gun hunting is allowed north of the French and Mattawa rivers; south of them, only in municipalities that permit it.

Use of vehicles, boats, drones or aircraft

  • Aircraft, including drones and balloons, may not be used while hunting, even to search for a wounded animal.
  • Vehicles (including snowmobiles and even muscle-powered vehicles) and boats may not be used to chase, pursue, harass, capture, injure or kill wildlife.
  • You may not have a loaded firearm in or on, or shoot from, an aircraft, a vehicle (including snowmobiles and ATVs) or a motorboat, or anything it tows.
  • A motorboat is a boat with a motor attached that can propel it, whether or not the motor is running.
  • A loaded firearm may be carried in and fired from a canoe or boat that is paddled with no motor attached.
  • Exceptions for loaded firearms in a motorboat apply to hunting double-crested cormorants and migratory waterfowl under federal rules.
  • Hunters with certain mobility disabilities may get an authorization to have a loaded firearm in a vehicle or motorboat.
  • Cormorants may be hunted from a motorboat only when it is stationary with the motor's power off.
  • Night raccoon hunters must keep guns unloaded and encased in a vehicle, and may not shine a light from or attached to a vehicle or boat.

Private land, protected areas and dogs

Trespass notice, landowner permission, Crown Game Preserves, provincial parks, wolf-protection closures and the rules for hunting and tracking dogs.

Practise Private land, protected areas and dogs questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Trespassing and landowner relations

  • It is unlawful to enter private property after notice is given that entry, or hunting, is prohibited.
  • Notice can be verbal, by signs, by symbols such as a red circle 10 cm across, coloured markings or fences; cultivated land is itself notice against entry.
  • Not all private land is signed; it is the hunter's job to find out who owns land and whether hunting is allowed. If unsure, stay out.
  • If a wounded animal runs onto land where entry is prohibited, you must ask permission to retrieve it.
  • A party of more than 12 people may not enter private land without the occupier's express permission if anyone has a firearm or hunting device.
  • Ask the Band Council for permission before hunting on an Indian Reserve.
  • Written landowner consent on the ministry form is required for elk on private land, moose on private land in WMU 65, and deer on private land in WMUs 43A, 43B and 44.

Places

  • Hunting or trapping is illegal in Crown Game Preserves, and firearms may not be used or carried there unless you live on private land inside one.
  • Hunting is allowed in some provincial parks; check with the park office for areas, species and rules.
  • Wolves, coyotes and furbearers generally cannot be hunted in provincial parks or Crown Game Preserves.
  • Wolf and coyote hunting is closed in and around Algonquin, Killarney, Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands and Kawartha Highlands parks to protect the Eastern wolf.
  • Wildlife management areas (such as Provincial Wildlife Areas) may charge fees; contact the local ministry work centre.

Dogs

  • Dogs used to hunt deer, moose or black bear must be licensed for hunting; dogs may not be used to hunt elk.
  • Dogs may not run at large in big game areas during the closed season, and hunters must keep their dogs off land where they lack permission.
  • A leashed dog (leash 10 m or less, under the handler's control) may track wounded big game during legal hours in the open season without a licence; the hunter who wounded the animal must be present.
  • The dog handler may not carry a firearm unless licensed to hunt that animal.
  • Raccoon hunting at night requires a dog licensed for hunting.

Tags, party hunting and hunter reports

How tags work, notching and attaching them, tagging locations by species, the conditions for party hunting and mandatory hunter reporting.

Practise Tags, party hunting and hunter reports questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Tags

  • A tag authorizes the holder to take one animal of the species and type shown; only 1 animal may be taken per tag.
  • Tags must be carried on paper; an electronic image of a tag is not accepted.
  • Copying, altering or counterfeiting a tag is illegal, as is holding more than one tag unless allowed (for example an additional deer tag).
  • Tags can be printed only once; a replacement costs a $10.50 fee, and damaged tags must be surrendered.
  • Keep tags intact and readable, for example in a resealable plastic bag.
  • Immediately after the kill, at the kill site and before moving the animal, invalidate the tag by notching the day, month and time.
  • You need not attach the tag while you stay with the animal and can show the tag, but you must attach it if you leave the animal (for example at camp, at the butcher or in another vehicle). If unsure, attach it.
  • The tag stays with you or the animal until it reaches the place of processing and is being prepared for long-term storage.
  • Tagging locations: deer and elk — antler or ear, head kept with the animal; bull moose — hind leg with scrotal sac attached; cow moose — hind leg with vulva attached; moose calf — lower jaw; black bear and wolf/coyote — through the cartilage between the nostrils; wild turkey — lower leg.

Party hunting

  • Moose, deer and black bear (and elk with extra rules) may be party hunted by 2 or more people who each hold a licence for that species.
  • At least one member must hold an unused tag, and the party may not take more animals of a type than the tags its members hold.
  • Party members hunt in the same WMU, within 5 km of the tag holder, and must be able to communicate reliably and immediately.
  • Everyone must actively take part in the hunt.
  • If someone other than the tag holder makes the kill, the tag holder must go to the kill site, confirm the animal and invalidate the tag.
  • Party hunting is not allowed for wild turkey, or for wolf and coyote where a tag is required.

Mandatory hunter reporting

  • Anyone who buys or is issued a tag for elk, deer, bear, wild turkey or wolf/coyote (where a tag is required), and every moose licence holder, must submit a hunter report, even if they did not hunt.
  • Reports are generally due within 14 days after the last season for that species closes.
  • Failing to report adds a $25 surcharge to your next purchase for that species; consecutive failures after July 1, 2026 bring a $50 surcharge.
  • Reports cover participation, harvest, effort (WMUs and days) and observations, and are used to monitor populations and set tag quotas, seasons and bag limits.

Deer, moose, bear, turkey and wolf rules

Species rules for big game and wild turkey: swimming animals, moose age and tags, bear cubs, dens and bait, turkey tags, calls and bait, and wolf/coyote tags.

Practise Deer, moose, bear, turkey and wolf rules questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Big game general

  • You may not hunt moose, elk, deer or black bear while they are swimming.
  • Big game, including black bears, may only be hunted with a firearm, and "firearm" includes bows.
  • A moose licence alone does not let you take a moose: you need a tag or to party hunt with a tag holder. A moose licence does not include a calf tag.
  • An adult moose is at least 1 year old at the time of the hunt; a calf is less than 1 year old. If in doubt about age or sex, do not shoot.
  • Hunting predominantly white moose (over 50 per cent white) is not permitted in WMUs 30 and 31.
  • You cannot hold more than 1 moose tag per year.
  • Deer hunters may take only the type of deer shown on their tag, or on a party member's tag when party hunting.

Black bear

  • In the spring season it is illegal to shoot cubs or female bears accompanied by cubs.
  • It is illegal to hunt bears within 400 m of a waste disposal site, or to shoot or disturb bears in their dens or damage dens.
  • During bear seasons, bait may not be placed within 500 m of a dwelling (without the owner's written permission) or a public building, or within 30 m of a public road or marked recreational trail.
  • It is illegal to possess a bear gallbladder separated from the carcass.
  • Non-residents must hunt bears through a licensed bear operator and need a validation certificate.
  • Hunters are asked to submit a bear tooth (first premolar) to help estimate ages for population management.

Wild turkey

  • Up to 2 spring turkey tags (bearded birds only) may be bought, but 2 birds may not be taken on the same day; only 1 fall tag and 1 fall bird.
  • Live decoys and electronic calls are illegal for turkey.
  • You may call turkeys for another hunter after filling your own tags, but without carrying a firearm.
  • No turkey hunting within 400 m of bait unless the place has been bait-free for at least 7 days.

Wolf and coyote

  • A wolf/coyote tag is needed in some WMUs; a hunter may buy at most 2 per calendar year.
  • Where tags are required, hunters may hunt co-operatively only if each has a valid tag, and the person who takes the animal tags it with their own tag.
  • The tag stays on until the pelt is skinned and frozen or sent for tanning.

Small game, furbearers and migratory birds

Small game licences and limits, furbearers and pelts, snares and falconry, federal permits for migratory birds, baiting rules, cormorants and wild pigs.

Practise Small game, furbearers and migratory birds questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Small game and furbearing mammals

  • Small game hunters need a small game licence on their licence summary or the back of their Outdoors Card.
  • Arctic fox, raccoon, opossum, red fox, skunk and weasel are furbearing mammals that can be taken under a small game licence; wolves and coyotes are furbearers too.
  • A small game licence is not valid in northern and some central parts of Ontario from June 16 to August 31.
  • Some southwestern Ontario municipalities also require a municipal licence for pheasant, cottontail and hare.
  • Daily limits: 5 cottontails and 3 European hares; possession limit 15 of each.
  • To keep furbearer pelts after the season closes you need a free Licence to Possess a Pelt; pelts must never be abandoned or allowed to spoil.
  • Snares may not be used under a small game licence except for snowshoe hare north of the French and Mattawa rivers with copper or brass wire.
  • Falconers need a small game licence plus a falconry licence; falconry season runs September 1 to March 31.

Migratory game birds and cormorants

  • Migratory game bird seasons and rules are set by the federal government under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994.
  • To hunt migratory game birds you need a federal migratory game bird hunting permit, a wildlife habitat conservation stamp, an Outdoors Card and an Ontario small game licence.
  • Permits and stamps are sold at most post offices and online.
  • It is illegal to hunt migratory birds within 400 m of bait unless the place has been bait-free for at least 7 days.
  • Double-crested cormorants may be hunted only with shotguns no larger than 10 gauge and non-toxic shot; single-projectile shells are not allowed.
  • Shot cormorants must be retrieved immediately and counted in the bag; unwanted birds must be disposed of properly.

Other

  • Under the Invasive Species Act, 2015, hunting pigs is illegal in Ontario; any pig outside a fence is a wild pig and sightings should be reported.
  • Bullfrogs may be taken for personal use under a fishing licence, and only bows may be used as firearms for them.

Wildlife management and wildlife health

The FWCA and what counts as hunting, WMUs, how moose quotas and hunter data are used, chronic wasting disease, cervid lure ban, safe carcass handling and game-meat health.

Practise Wildlife management and wildlife health questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Wildlife management

  • The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 (FWCA) is the main Ontario law for hunting and trapping.
  • Hunting includes lying in wait for, searching for, trailing, pursuing, chasing or shooting at wildlife, whether or not it is killed; you need a licence to do any of these.
  • Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) divide the province; seasons, tags and rules vary by WMU.
  • Moose tag quotas are the most immediate tool for managing moose; they are usually held stable for 3 to 5 years until a new aerial inventory.
  • If a moose population declines, planned harvests are reduced; if it grows, increases can be considered.
  • Moose tags are allocated by a points system; points reset after you claim a tag awarded by points.
  • Hunter reports, bear teeth and CWD samples all feed the science behind seasons and quotas.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) and human health

  • CWD is a contagious, fatal disease of deer, moose, elk and caribou; no evidence of it has been found in Ontario.
  • An infected animal can look normal for years; the disease spreads through saliva, urine, feces and blood, and prions can stay infectious in soil for years.
  • It is illegal to use or possess any product containing urine, feces, blood, gland oil or saliva of any cervid; only synthetic or plant-based lures are allowed.
  • Ontario restricts importing whole carcasses and high-risk parts of cervids harvested elsewhere.
  • Wear rubber or latex gloves when field dressing and minimize contact with brain, spinal cord, eyes and lymph nodes.
  • Do not eat meat from animals that test positive for CWD or look sick; report sick deer.
  • Game meat is not government inspected; hunters are responsible for proper field dressing, transport and processing.
  • Avian influenza can infect birds and some mammals; spring and fall migrations are high-risk periods.
  • Ticks can carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
  • Animals with an ear tag showing 1-866-514-2327 were once chemically immobilized; call before eating the meat.
  • Report escaped deer or elk and any pig outside a fence.

Hunter ethics and enforcement

Penalties under the FWCA, conservation officers and inspections, wasting game, buying and selling wildlife, shipping game, landowner relations and Indigenous hunting rights.

Practise Hunter ethics and enforcement questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

General regulations, Enforcement

  • FWCA penalties include fines up to $25,000 and 1 year in jail for general offences, and up to $100,000 and 2 years for commercial offences.
  • Courts can cancel or suspend hunting licences and prohibit licence-related activities.
  • Conservation officers include ministry officers, RCMP and police officers, federal migratory bird game officers and national park wardens.
  • Conservation officers may stop and inspect vehicles, boats and aircraft, inspect firearms, ammunition and wildlife, ask questions, enter and cross private property, and arrest.
  • At game check stations and inspections, hunters must give reasonable assistance and accurate information.
  • When transporting game taken by another hunter, be ready to give that hunter's name, Outdoors Card and licence numbers and details of the hunt.

Hunter responsibilities

  • You may not let the flesh of harvested game that is suitable for food spoil or be abandoned (furbearers and cormorants aside), including black bear.
  • In general it is illegal to buy, sell or barter game wildlife or its parts.
  • Shipped containers of game not accompanied by the hunter must show sender, receiver and contents on the outside.
  • Poison and adhesives may never be used to kill, injure or capture wildlife.
  • Positive relationships with landowners are important to the future of hunting; always ask permission and obey signs.
  • Many Indigenous communities hold Aboriginal or treaty rights to hunt; non-Indigenous companions may help retrieve or transport game but may not shoot, carry a gun, search for or flush game for them.
  • Plan ahead: get training and accreditation well before the season.

Written in our own words from: Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary 2026 (Ministry of Natural Resources)

FAQ

Ontario Hunter Education study guide: common questions

What is the best way to use this Ontario Hunter Education study guide?

Read one topic, then answer that topic's practice questions while the rules are fresh. Note the questions you miss, re-read those notes, and finish with a full practice test across all 11 topics.

Is this the official Ontario Hunter Education handbook?

No. It is our own summary of the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary 2026 (Ministry of Natural Resources). Use it to review, and use the official handbook when you need the exact wording of a rule.

Can I print the study guide?

Yes, with your browser's print command. For practice questions on paper with an answer key, use our printable questions and answers page instead.

Keep practising

Practice by topic