Wild animal control: information for municipalities

We work with municipalities to prevent and manage conflicts between wildlife and people.

Municipalities decide on and take appropriate actions when human-wildlife encounters create ongoing conflict situations on municipal property. Municipalities can also take action on private property with the permission of the landowner.

Municipalities can develop by-laws to address the causes of human-wildlife conflict. These may include restrictions on feeding wildlife and rules related to residential waste management.

When prevention fails, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (FWCA) allows municipalities to protect their property by harassing, capturing or killing a variety of wildlife species, including coyotes, or to hire an agent to do so on their behalf. Municipalities may also take action to address human-wildlife conflicts on private property with the permission of the landowner. No approval or authorization is required from us in either of these cases.

Municipalities can hire licensed hunters or trappers to help deal with furbearing mammals (such as coyotes, beavers, and skunks) within their municipal boundaries.

We support municipalities by providing advice and expertise on the following, when requested:

• actions they can take to resolve ongoing conflict situations
• how to find a licensed trapper or hunter
• the development of by-laws related to wildlife

We do not provide direct wildlife control. Any situation that impacts public safety should be referred to the local police who have the authority to deal with these matters. Police can dispatch the animal if they decide it is necessary to protect public safety.

Download municipal information fact sheet (PDF)

The law (effective July 1, 2013)

Municipalities can hire licensed hunters or trappers to help deal with furbearing mammals (for example, coyotes, beavers, skunks, etc.) within their municipal boundaries.

These animal control activities can only be carried out during the open season unless the animal is damaging or about to damage property.

The municipality:

• hires or employs the licensed hunter or trapper
• sets the terms of arrangements with the hunter or trapper
• pays for any services

A municipality does not need a special permit or authorization from the ministry to do this.

Hired hunters or trappers must:

• comply with the conditions of their licence
• follow hunting and trapping rules (for example, use of pelts)
• follow any local by-laws (for example, when and where firearms can be used)

Discharge of firearms by-laws

Section 119 of the Municipal Act allows municipalities to enact by-laws related to the discharge of firearms for the purpose of public safety, such as:

• closing areas to discharge of firearms
• restricting types of firearms that can be used in certain areas
• prohibiting the discharge of firearms within specific distances of buildings

The closure of areas to discharge of firearms and other similar restrictions can result in the loss of hunting opportunities. Hunting provides significant ecological, cultural, economic and social benefits for the people of Ontario. It is an important, cost-effective wildlife management tool and a means of keeping wildlife populations at levels which assist in reducing human-wildlife conflict.

Protecting public safety

There are many existing hunting and firearms laws that protect public safety. The FWCA requires hunters to:

• have a hunting licence for the game they wish to hunt
• pass the Ontario Hunter Education Course and
• pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (if hunting with a firearm)

The FWCA prohibits the discharge of firearms from or across public roads anywhere in Ontario. It is also illegal in many parts of the province, and during certain hunting seasons, to possess a loaded firearm on or near a public road.

Conservation officers and enforcement

Our conservation officers enforce Ontario’s natural resources laws, including those related to public safety and hunting.

Conservation officers do not enforce municipal by-laws. Municipalities are responsible for enforcement of their by-laws and providing information on them to the public.

We support municipalities by helping develop or amend by-laws, particularly by-laws related to the discharge of firearms, when requested. This helps to address public safety concerns of the municipality while minimizing the restriction of hunting opportunities and the associated benefits of controlling wildlife populations using hunting.

Report a violation to the ministry

If you suspect or know of unlawful hunting, including trespassing for the purpose of hunting, or other natural resource abuse, report it to the ministry’s TIPS violation reporting line at 1-877-847-7667.

Source law

This is a summary of the provincial laws. You can find a complete set of rules related to this activity in:

• Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997
• Ontario Regulations 665/98 (hunting)
• Ontario Regulations 667/98 (trapping)
• The Municipal Act, 2001

Use a wildlife control agent

Agents are:

• licensed trappers or hunters
• a member of a landowner’s immediate family acting on behalf of the landowner
• a person whose business is primarily removing problem wildlife
• municipal employees with specific responsibilities for wildlife control (for example, Animal Services)

To locate a licensed trapper, contact the Ontario Fur Managers Federation:

• Telephone: 705-254-3338
• Email: furmanagers@gmail.com

You can also use a municipal employee to protect property from most species of wild animals on your behalf. The employee must have responsibilities related to animal control.

Learn more about hiring a wildlife agent

Learn more about harrassing, capturing or killing a wild animal damaging private property

Bears

You need special authorization from us to use a hunter or trapper to manage bears. However, if a bear poses an immediate threat to public or personal safety, no authorization is required.

Types of furbearing animals

Hunters or trappers can be used to control: