Hunting

• On July 8, 2021, Dufferin County Council passed a motion to discontinue hunting in the Main Tract (WMU 77B on the east side of Airport Road and WMU 81B on the west side of Airport Road) of the Dufferin County Forest.
• Hunting is permitted between October 1 and May 31 in the following tracts of the Dufferin County Forest: south portion of Amaranth, Gara Gore, Melancthon, Randwick, Riverview, and Simmons

• Hunting is permitted between October 1 and May 31 in the following tracts of the Dufferin County Forest: south portion of Amaranth, Gara Gore, Melancthon, Randwick, Riverview, and Simmons.
• There is no hunting allowed at any time in the following tracts: north portion of Amaranth, Hockley, Leening, Levitt, Little, Main, Mono, Thomson, and River Road.
• There is no hunting allowed in any Dufferin County Forest tract between June 1 and September 30.
• Hunters are required to obtain a hunting forest use permit from the County in order to hunt in the County Forest. The application form is located below. The permit is valid from October 1, or the date of issue, whichever is later, until May 31 of the following year. The fee for the permit is $30.00 + HST = $33.90.
• The fees are used to support the ongoing management of the Dufferin County Forest; specifically the provision of signs and advertisements to inform both hunters and non-hunters about the times when they can expect the greatest number of hunters in the Forest. Permits may be obtained in person or by mail from the address below. Please make cheques for permits payable to the County of Dufferin.
• Hunters are required to provide proof of membership in a recognized organization that provides a minimum of $5M liability insurance for its members while they are engaged in hunting activities, in order to obtain a Forest Use Permit.
• Electrically powered vehicles are permitted for game retrieval. Otherwise, there are no motorized vehicles allowed on the County Forest properties, with the exception of areas designated for parking (in the Main Tract on the east side of Airport Road) and snowmobiles using designated Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (O.F.S.C.) trails.
• Treestands and blinds must be of a portable, freestanding design and must be removed after every use. The County assumes no responsibility for treestands or blinds left in the Forest or for their use.
• For information on Sunday gun hunting, click here.
• For your own protection, ensure that you are in compliance with the requirements of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and associated regulations at all times while hunting in the Dufferin County Forest.
• Note that the preceding information applies to hunting on the Dufferin County Forest properties only. Hunting on other properties in the County is governed by rules stipulated by the owner(s) of those properties. Ensure that you have the landowner’s permission prior to hunting on any property.

To obtain a hunting permit for the applicable tracts in the Dufferin County Forest, please visit our online payment portal to complete the registration form and submit payment. For questions, please contact forest@dufferincounty.ca.

No hunting is allowed in any Dufferin County Forest tract between June 1 and September 30. A forest use permit is required for hunting at all other times.