Mandatory hunter reporting

General requirements

All hunters that purchase or are issued a tag to hunt elk, deer, bear, wild turkey and wolf/coyote (in WMUs where a tag is required) and any hunter issued a licence to hunt moose must complete a hunter report. You are required to complete a hunter report even if you did not participate in the hunt or harvest an animal.

Consequences of failing to report

Thanks to all hunters who submitted their hunter report(s) last year. This information is an important part of wildlife management, and hunters play an important role. Hunters who fail to report will receive a $25 surcharge that will automatically be applied to the next draw or allocation application, licence or tag purchase for that species. The $25 surcharge will be applied for each report that a hunter fails to submit. If a hunter fails to submit a hunter report on two consecutive occasions for the same species, they will be prevented from purchasing the relevant product(s) (such as draw or allocation application, licence or tag) the following year. Note: the ministry is currently reviewing this policy and hunters will not be prevented from purchasing relevant products in 2024.

Hunters who provide false or misleading information may be subject to penalties under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.

Reporting deadlines

Generally, hunter reports must be submitted within 14 days following the end of the last hunting season for that species. Moose and black bear hunters who are required to submit their report to a moose tourist outfitter or black bear operator must provide their report back to the outfitter or operator within seven days of the close of the season. Refer to how to report for more details.

All hunters are encouraged to provide their report as soon as their hunting activities are completed. However, hunters should not report until they know they are done and must ensure the information they provide is accurate. Timely submission of reports when a hunt is complete helps to ensure accurate data to support harvest planning.

Species reporting deadlines

How to report

For most hunters (including apprentice hunters who have chosen to purchase their own licence/tag), reports must be completed by logging into your account at Ontario Fishing & Hunting Licences or by calling 1-800-288-1155. The Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service can help you remember important dates by sending you email reminders. For more information visit Hunter reporting.

Important reporting notes

• Turkey hunters are reminded that they must report at the end of their hunt and not each time they harvest.
• Resident black bear hunters must provide information on all their hunting activity and harvest for the year in a single report due December 14. Bear hunters should not submit their report until they are done hunting for the year and should make note of their spring hunting activities, observations and harvest to ensure accurate information is provided.
• Non-resident black bear hunters must return their completed report to the bear operator. The operator is responsible for returning all reports completed by their hunters to the ministry.
• All non-resident moose hunters who are registered guests of tourist outfitters must return their completed report to the outfitter. The outfitter is responsible for returning all reports completed by their hunters to the ministry.
• Ontario resident moose hunters who acquire a tag from a tourist outfitter must complete both a regular moose hunter report and provide a report to the tourist outfitter with information unique to each type of hunt reported separately. Resident moose hunters who are hunting with a tourist outfitter but do not hold a tag issued by the outfitter must report once, either online or by calling 1-800-288-1155.
• Non-resident moose hunters who hunt with an immediate relative who has a valid moose tag must submit their report by December 29 online at Ontario Fishing & Hunting Licences by logging into their account or by calling 1-800-288-1155.
• Wolf or Coyote hunters are reminded that tags are valid until December 31 and that all hunting activities from the calendar year (January 1 - December 31) must be reported on by the reporting deadline of January 14 of the following year.

Information you will be asked to provide

Hunters will be asked to provide the following information and are encouraged to keep records if they will not be providing the information until the end of the season.

• Participation – Did you hunt?
• Harvest – Did you harvest an animal? If so, where, when and what type of animal was it (for example, male or female)?
• Effort – What WMU(s) did you hunt in and how many days did you hunt in each?
• Observations – What observations did you have during the hunt? Hunters should report only the animals they saw while actively hunting.

How mandatory hunter reporting information is used

Information provided by hunters through mandatory hunter reporting is important for managing wildlife in Ontario. It specifically helps:

• monitor wildlife populations
• set tag quotas and determine the availability of additional tags
• make changes to seasons and bag limits
• inform management policies

For more information on mandatory hunter reporting and to find past results, please visit hunter reporting.

Mandatory hunter report results

Additional results are available at hunter reporting.