2026 Hunting and Fishing General Information
- Feb 23
- 6 min read
2026 Ontario Hunting and Fishing Information
News Release | February 23, 2026
Hunting and fishing regulations summaries
Printed copies of the 2026 Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary have been sent to private licence issuers and participating ServiceOntario locations. The summary is available online at www.ontario.ca/FishingRegulations. Printed copies of the 2026 Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary are sent to private licence issuers and participating ServiceOntario locations in early to mid-March, which is earlier than previous years. The summary will be available online at
2026 licence prices
There are no price changes in 2026. For a full list of licence prices please check online at
Outdoors Cards and licences
The Outdoors Card is valid for three calendar years, expiring on December 31 of the third
year after purchase. Annual fishing and hunting licences also expire on December 31
each year. Ontario residents have three ways to renew their cards and purchase licences
starting the first Tuesday of December each year.
They can renew:
• by phone by calling 1-800-288-1155
• online at: www.huntandfishontario.com, or
• in person at licence issuers and participating ServiceOntario locations offering
Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) services. A list of these issuers can be found
When You Don’t Need to Purchase a Fishing Licence:
If you are under 18 years old or 65 and older, you do not need to purchase an Outdoors
Card or licence to fish. You will need to carry your government-issued identification with
you, that includes your name and date of birth, at all times while fishing. Your identification acts as your licence to fish, if you belong to one of these age ranges. Catch
and possession limits for a Sport Fishing Licence apply in this situation.
For other examples of when you do not need a fishing licence, please visit:
Outdoors Card and Licence Summary: Clients who renew their Outdoors
Card and purchase fishing and/or small game licences in the same
transaction can expect to receive their new plastic card, with licences printed
on the back, in approximately 20 days. If the licences are printed on the back
of the Outdoors Card, clients are not required to carry their Licence
Summary. Clients can access their accounts online and print or download a
digital Licence Summary for immediate use at any time.
Clients with an existing Outdoors Card who purchase a one-year licence
(fishing, small game etc.) either online or at an issuer, will not receive
anything by mail. Instead:
• those who purchase their one-year licences online can print or
download a digital Licence Summary, or
• those who purchase at a licence issuer will be given a printed Licence
Summary at the time of purchase.
Tip sheets for navigating the licensing service, setting up an account online and
purchasing licences can be found on the Support and Resources page at
Dates that big game and turkey licences go on sale for 2026
• March 1 - Deer, Bear and Spring Wild Turkey
• April 15 - 2nd Bear tags
• May 16 - Moose licence and tags
• July 8 - Additional Deer tags
• September - 1 Fall Wild Turkey
Big game draw entry dates for 2026
• March 1 to June 30 - Antlerless deer
• April 1 to April 30 - Moose Primary Allocation
• April 15 to June 10 - Elk
• June 15 to July 7 - Moose Second Chance Allocation
• July 1 to July 31 - Controlled Deer
These draw deadlines are strictly enforced, and no exceptions are made. Farmers/landowners who qualify to hunt in a controlled deer hunt season may apply online or in person at a private licence issuer or participating ServiceOntario location. They will be required to select the hunt code where their land is located and attest to their qualifications as a farmer/landowner.
Big game draw results for 2026
Draw results will be available online at www.huntandfishontario.com or by calling
the automated telephone service at 1-800-288-1155 starting on:
• May 16 - Moose Primary Allocation
• August 1 - Moose Second Chance Allocation
• August 1 - Elk
• August 1 - Antlerless deer
• September 1 - Controlled deer
Moose tag claim period
Moose hunters that are successful in the allocation process must purchase their moose
licence and tag during the tag claim period in which they were awarded the tag.
• May 16 to June 8 - Primary Moose Tag Claim Period
• August 1 to December 15 - Second Chance Moose Tag Claim Period
Tags not claimed during the primary moose tag claim period will be made available for
the second chance allocation.
For more detailed information on the moose allocation process please visit
Changes to hunter reporting
Thanks to all hunters who continue to submit their hunter reports. This information is an
important part of wildlife management and hunters play an important role. Hunters who
fail to report will have a $25 surcharge automatically applied to their next product
purchase (e.g., licence, tag, application) for that species. The $25 surcharge is applied
for each report a hunter fails to submit.
The one-year prevent from purchase penalty has been eliminated and replaced by a $50
surcharge for a consecutive failure to report for the same species. A $50 surcharge will
apply to any consecutive failure to report that occurs after July 1, 2026. This means the
first time any hunter could receive a $50 surcharge is in 2027. Subsequent consecutive
failures to report for the same species will also incur a $50 surcharge until the hunter has
submitted a report for that species on time. Hunters who provide false or misleading
information may be subject to penalties under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.
Hunter reporting provides critical data to support wildlife management decisions such as
harvest planning to set tag quotas and adjusting seasons and bag limits. Good quality
hunter reporting information can lead to increased opportunities for hunters.
The ministry appreciates the data provided by hunters through mandatory hunter
reporting and has been working to share the results with hunters in a timely manner. This
can help inform hunters’ plans for future seasons.
For more information on hunter reporting and to view results from previous years, please
Ontario Family Fishing Events
Ontario and Canadian residents are provided four opportunities throughout the year to
fish without having to purchase a fishing licence. These dates include:
• February 14 to 16, 2026 - Family Fishing Weekend
• May 9 to 10, 2026 - Mother’s Day Weekend
• June 20 to 21, 2026 - Father’s Day Weekend
• June 27 to July 5, 2026 - Ontario Family Fishing Week
Government issued identification is required, and anglers must follow conservation
licence catch and possession limits.
Additional information is available at www.ontariofamilyfishing.com.
Fish and Wildlife on social media @FishWildlifeON
Stay in the loop with our Ontario Fish and Wildlife social media channels for the latest
updates on angling and hunting in the province.
Our channels are designed to educate and keep the public informed about important
dates, news and deadlines. We also share insights from MNR research projects and
highlight hunting and fishing experiences from across the province.
Join our @FishWildlifeON community today to stay engaged and informed.
Important update on FAWLS - new fishing and hunting licensing system
In early 2027, MNR will replace the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service with a new and
improved licensing system to better serve our anglers and hunters. This new system will
be built internal to the Ontario government and will be part of a new approach to better
integrate digital services across government.
This new system will make it easier to purchase and renew fishing and hunting products.
It will include all our current products and services, such as:
• purchasing fishing and hunting licences and tags
• entering big game draws
• submitting hunter reports
Existing service channels — including online, in-person at a private issuer and
participating ServiceOntario, and over the phone — will remain in place.
Based on feedback from anglers and hunters across Ontario, proposed changes include
a fish and wildlife mobile application, a digital game tag option, and other licensing
improvements.
Details of the proposal can be accessed through the Environmental Registry of Ontario
(posted from May 13 to June 27, 2025): https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-9441.
Hunters and anglers can find additional information at ontario.ca/FishHuntONLaunch.
This webpage will be updated regularly with more details