Special Early Moose Hunting Season for Physically Disabled Persons

Location: WMU 11B Thunder Bay District

Dates: September 17, 2011 to October 7, 2011

**Please note: Deadline for 2011 has passed but for more information about 2012 please see below for details and contact information.

INFORMATION PACKAGE

This information package on the early moose hunting season is intended to inform interested persons on the Eligibility Criteria, Maximum Permitted Number of Hunters, Location of the Hunt, Application Procedure, Role of the Assistants, and the name of the contact person for further information.

The Special Early Moose Hunting Season for Disabled Persons originated in 1992 as a three year (1992, 1993, 1994) pilot project to evaluate the suitability of an early moose hunting season for people with special needs. The pilot project has been considered a success by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the program’s original proponent, The Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) of Northwestern Ontario.

As a result, the CPA Ontario and the MNR have formed a partnership to continue administration of this program.

Eligibility Criteria:

This early moose hunting season will be open to hunters who meet the following criteria:

a) Ontario residents only;

b) holder of a valid Ontario Moose hunting licence;

c) is a paraplegic or hemiplegic; or

d) has a single above the knee lower limb amputation or a double below the waist amputation; or

e) suffers from a severe disability that prevents the person from hunting except with a wheelchair or similar means of locomotion. (Must provide details)

The physical impairment of the lower limbs described above must be confirmed by medical examination and certified by a licensed medical authority who must complete the form provided by the MNR

Maximum number of permitted hunters is 25. If more than 25 applications are received, preference will be given to those hunters whose disability is described in c) and e).

Location of the Early Hunting Season is Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 11B in Thunder Bay District.

Application Procedure:

Application forms are available from the CPA or the MNR (addresses below). The MNR will review application received, and successful applicants will be provided with separate authority to participate in the early moose hunting season.

Persons applying must choose “A” or “B”, following:

A) To Hunt an Adult Moose:

Physically disabled hunters who have applied in the Adult Validation Tag (AVT) draw and have been successful in obtaining an AVT for either a bull or a cow in WMU 11B, may apply to use the AVT during this special early season. To do so, they must surrender their original AVT received through the provincial lottery system, to the MNR in Thunder Bay, and accept a re-issued AVT which will be valid only for the special early season (i.e. Sept. 17 to Oct. 7, 2011). After October 8th, the hunter may continue to hunt for the remainder of the regular season (i.e. To Dec. 15) for a calf only.

B) To Hunt a Calf Moose Only:

i) Physically disabled hunters who have a “calf only” licence (i.e. they did not receive an AVT through the provincial lottery system), may apply to hunt for only a calf. If unsuccessful at harvesting a calf during the early season, they may continue to hunt a calf to the end of the regular season in any WMU, which has a regular gun season.

ii) Physically disabled hunters who have received an AVT for a WMU other than WMU 11B, may apply to hunt a calf only during this special early season. If they do not harvest a calf during the special early season in WMU 11B, they may continue to hunt in the WMU for which they hold the AVT.

iii) If an applicant has received an AVT for WMU 11B through the provincial lottery system he/she may choose to hunt only a calf during this special early season. To do so, they are entitled to continue hunting for a calf or an adult moose in WMU 11B after Oct. 7, to the end of the regular season, provided they are unsuccessful in harvesting a calf during the special early season.

Role of the Assistants:

Applicants must include the names of an assistant(s) who can be available to accompany the hunters and help with retrieving the moose. The assistant must be a licensed moose hunter, but cannot participate in the actual hunt, including pursuit of a moose. The assistant can only participate in pursuing a wounded moose for final dispatching, field dressing and retrieval. Only the hunter may possess a firearm. If the assistant is required to dispatch a wounded moose, he/she must borrow the hunter’s weapon. The assistant and hunter must abide by the laws governing the possession and transferring of firearms (i.e. Possession and Acquisition Licences (PAL) or Possession Only Licences (POL). The hunter must remain in the vicinity while the assistant(s) retrieves the moose.

Assistants will receive authority from MNR in Thunder Bay District to participate.

Application Deadline:

Applications to participate in this early season moose hunt for disabled people must be received by August 19, 2011. Please contact us to inquire about deadlines for subsequent years or to obtain an application.

For Further Information, contact:

Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario

Darren Lillington, Regional Services Coordinator

1201 Jasper Drive, Suite “B”, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6R2

Phone: (807) 344-3743 Toll Free: 1-866-344-4159

e-mail: darren.lillington@cpaont.org

Janice Bachanek, Thunder Bay South Supervisor

Ministry of Natural Resources

435 South James Street, Suite B001, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 6S8

Phone: (807) 475-1462

FAX: (807) 475-1527

e-mail: janice.bachanek@ontario.ca