Archery Rules

[Travis Schallock 28]

If I'm archery hunting for moose or deer while only bear season is open for rifle, do I still need to wear hunter orange? Also if it is not needed what about if I carry a .22 or .410 for grouse on my way to and from my hunting area, is hunter orange required when using those firearms?

Thanks

[Guest MNR]

The objective of the hunter orange regulation is to maximize

hunter safety without negatively impacting hunting success. Under this regulation, all licensed hunters, including archery hunters while hunting during the gun season for deer and moose, are required to wear hunter orange, regardless of whether in a tree stand or not. As well, all black bear hunters hunting during the black bear season are required to wear hunter orange except when in a tree stand. (This exception is in place because, unlike deer and moose, black bears have colour vision.) Waterfowl hunters, wild turkey hunters and archery hunters in archery-only areas are exempt from the hunter orange requirement.

So if you’re archery hunting moose in the archery only season, you don’t need to wear hunter orange. If you’re hunting birds with a .22 or .410 before the moose or deer rifle season starts, you don’t need to wear hunter orange. BUT it is against the law to carry a rifle (.22 or .410) if you are out archery hunting moose.

When hunting moose or deer you may use or carry only a firearm of the type (rifle, shotgun, archery or muzzleloader) permitted at that time in that Wildlife Management Unit. For example, when hunting moose during an archery only season, you may use or carry only archery equipment. You may not carry a rifle or shotgun for hunting other game species (ie .22 or .410 for birds). However, when hunting moose during a rifle/shotgun season (after archery only season is over), you may also carry a rifle or shotgun for small game (in addition to the firearm that meets the specifications to hunt moose).

A hunter orange garment and head cover must be worn. The hunter orange garment must cover a minimum of 400 square inches (2,580 square cm) above the waist and be visible from all sides. Open mesh or camouflage hunter orange must not be part of the 400 square inches. A hunting coat or vest generally meets this requirement. The hunter orange head cover may have: open mesh; a peak or brim colour other than hunter orange; a crest or logo which does not completely cover the hunter orange on the side where it is affixed. The head cover may not contain camouflage material.

“hunter orange” means a daylight fluorescent orange colour with a dominant wave length between 595 and 605 nanometers, excitation purity of not less than 85 per cent and a luminance factor of not less than 40 per cent, but does not include camouflage hunter orange colouring. O. Reg. 665/98, s. 26 (5).