A woman came into the shop in August asking what she needed to take her son duck hunting, and she already had the hard part done.
She had passed the hunter education course, she had her Outdoors Card, and she had bought a small game licence that spring. She figured she was set. I had to tell her that ducks need two federal documents on top of everything she had bought, and that the post office sells them. She got them that afternoon and they made the opener. Had she found out three weeks later, on a boat at dawn, that trip would have ended very differently.
What the Small Game Licence Covers on Its Own
For $22.76, the small game licence opens more species to you than any other single hunting product Ontario sells. Most hunters never use half of what they have already paid for.
Here’s what the licence covers with nothing else attached:
Upland game birds
Ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, and sharp-tailed grouse all fall under the small game licence, along with ptarmigan in the far north, grey partridge, and ring-necked pheasant. Grouse seasons run long in much of the province and open earlier than big game, which makes them the first real hunting opportunity of an Ontario fall.
Rabbits, hares, and small mammals
Cottontail rabbit, European hare, and snowshoe hare all sit under the licence, as do grey and black squirrel, fox squirrel, red squirrel, groundhog, and porcupine. Snowshoe hare seasons in particular stretch deep into winter, long after every big game season has closed.
Furbearing mammals
Raccoon, red fox, skunk, and weasel fall under the same licence when you hunt them rather than trap them. Trapping runs on an entirely separate licensing and training system. Ontario also publishes the full species list and season structure on its small game and furbearing mammals page.
The Species That Need More Than the Licence
Three categories look like small game, sit in the same regulations section, and require documents the licence does not include. This catches people every single season.
Here’s what each one needs on top:
Migratory game birds
Ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, and mourning dove all require a federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit and a Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp in addition to your Ontario small game licence. You buy both federally rather than through Ontario’s licensing service, and any post office can sell them to you. Non-toxic shot applies to all migratory birds except woodcock.
Wild turkey
Turkey requires a small game licence plus a separate wild turkey tag for the season you hunt. Spring and fall run as different seasons with different tags and different rules, and our guide to Ontario’s fall turkey season and dates by WMU covers how the fall side works.
Wolf and coyote
Some wildlife management units require a wolf or coyote tag on top of your small game licence, and others do not. A resident tag costs $10.05 while a non-resident tag costs $255.57, one of the widest resident and non-resident gaps in Ontario’s fee schedule. Check your specific unit before you hunt.
What the Licence Costs and How Long It Lasts
The pricing includes one option most hunters overlook, and taking it saves money and removes a piece of paper from your pack.
Here’s how the purchase works:
The one-year and three-year options
A resident small game licence costs $22.76 plus HST for a single year, and Ontario also sells a three-year version. Every hunting licence expires December 31 of the year issued unless otherwise noted, so a licence bought in November gives you six weeks rather than twelve months.
Printing it on your Outdoors Card
Buy a three-year small game licence at the same time you buy or renew your Outdoors Card and Ontario prints it directly on the back of the card. That version expires with the card. It also means you can carry just the card plus any tag, with no licence summary needed at all.
The Rules That Catch Small Game Hunters
Small game feels casual next to a moose tag, and that is exactly why hunters skip the fine print. Three rules trip people up regularly.
Here’s what to check before your first outing:
Municipal licences in southwestern Ontario
Certain municipalities in southwestern Ontario require an additional municipal licence to hunt ring-necked pheasant, cottontail rabbit, and hare. Your provincial small game licence does not cover this. Ontario identifies the affected municipalities on the southwestern WMU map in the regulations summary, and almost nobody checks it.
Keeping a pelt after the season closes
Keeping the pelt of a furbearing mammal after the hunting season closes requires a Notice of Possession, which costs nothing. Ontario also makes it illegal to abandon a pelt or allow it to spoil, so plan your handling before you shoot rather than after.
Limits and reporting
Bag and possession limits vary by species and by unit, and daily limits differ from possession limits. Where a species requires a tag, Ontario requires a hunter report, and failing to submit one on time now triggers a $25 surcharge applied to your next licence or tag purchase for that species.
Why Small Game Makes the Best Entry Point
New hunters fixate on deer and moose and then discover a year of prerequisites standing in the way. Small games remove almost all of it.
Here’s what makes it the easiest start in Ontario:
No draw, no tag, no waiting
Most small game species need no draw, no application window, and no tag. Once your hunter accreditation sits on file and you hold an Outdoors Card, you can buy a small game licence and hunt grouse that same week. Our walkthrough of how to get a hunting licence in Ontario covers the accreditation steps.
The cheapest legal season in the province
An Outdoors Card at $8.57 plus a small game licence at $22.76 puts you in the field for roughly $35 before tax. Hunting small game with a bow requires no federal firearms licence at all, which lets a new hunter start this season instead of next.
Getting Started on Small Game
Grouse in September, hare through the winter, ducks in between. Small game gives you the longest season in Ontario and asks the least of you to get into it.
We run a Canadian hunting and target sports store in Barrie, Ontario, at 431 Bayview Drive. We stock shotguns and rimfire rifles suited to small game, along with non-toxic waterfowl loads, upland vests, blaze orange, calls, decoys, boots, and the kind of gear that holds up to a long walk through wet cover. Most of the people behind our counter started on small game, so we would rather talk through where you plan to hunt and what you already own than sell you a package. Visit the Barrie showroom Monday through Saturday, call 1-705-252-4400, or order online with free shipping over $250
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a small game licence in Ontario?
A resident small game licence costs $22.76 plus HST for one year, and Ontario also offers a three-year version. You also need a valid Outdoors Card, which costs $8.57 and lasts three calendar years.
Can you hunt ducks with an Ontario small game licence?
Not on its own. Migratory game birds require a federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit and a Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp in addition to your provincial small game licence. Both are available at post offices and online.
Does a small game licence cover coyote in Ontario?
It covers wolf and coyote hunting, though some wildlife management units also require a separate wolf or coyote tag. A resident tag costs $10.05. Confirm the requirement for your specific unit before hunting.
Do you need a small game licence for turkey in Ontario?
Yes, plus a wild turkey tag for the season you plan to hunt. Spring and fall turkey run as separate seasons with separate tags, and the fall tag covers one bird of either sex.