Hunting Without a Moose Licence in Ontario:

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Last Updated: August 29 2026

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Question:What should I do if I got a ticket for hunting moose without a Moose Licence in Ontario?

Answer:DefendCharges.ca™ can help you respond correctly to a moose licence charge in Ontario by reviewing your ticket or summons wording, offence date, WMU, resident status, and your Outdoors Card and Licence Summary, then advising whether paying is appropriate or whether a defence plan, evidence review, and court-ready submission is possible.  This matters because paying a ticket is usually treated as a guilty plea.  If you want a fast case check, call (647) 559-3377 to discuss your documents and next steps with a paralegal in Ontario.

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Hunting Without a Moose Licence in Ontario

Received a hunting ticket or summons for hunting moose without a Moose Licence in Ontario?  You have been charged with a provincial offence under Ontario hunting law.  A conviction may result in a fine and may also affect your hunting privileges or seized property.

Note: Please contact DefendCharges.ca™ by phone at: (647) 559-3377 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Do not panic.  Being charged does not automatically mean you will be convicted.  You may have held a valid Outdoors Card, been part of a hunting party, or had other moose hunting documents and still have been charged if you did not hold the Moose Licence required in your circumstances.  Different rules may apply to an eligible apprentice hunting under Ontario’s apprenticeship requirements.

This page explains what hunting without a Moose Licence means, the licensing rules that may apply, what must be proven, the law that applies, possible fines and other consequences, evidence, defences, and what may happen in court.  If your documents list several moose charges, see Moose Hunting Charges to identify the charges that may apply.

What Should I Do Next?

Read every document carefully and do not ignore the response deadline or required court date.  The exact wording and section number matter because hunting without a Moose Licence is different from hunting without a Moose Tag, failing to carry or produce hunting documents, or failing to comply with a non-resident or party hunting rule.

A summons is a court document requiring you to attend court or respond in the manner stated.  Paying a ticket will generally be treated as pleading guilty and will result in a conviction without a trial.

Before deciding how to respond, check:

• The exact wording and section number of every charge;
• The alleged date, time, location, and Wildlife Management Unit;
• Your resident or non-resident status;
• Whether a Moose Licence appeared on your Licence Summary;
• When the licence was purchased and whether it was valid on the alleged date;
• Whether party hunting, apprenticeship, or a tourist outfitter was involved; and
• Whether a moose or other property was seized.

A Wildlife Management Unit, commonly called a WMU, is a numbered area Ontario uses to apply hunting seasons and other local hunting rules.  The WMU may matter where the incident also involves a Moose Tag, season, or party hunting charge.

Keep your ticket or summons, Outdoors Card, Licence Summary, Moose Tag, purchase confirmations, allocation records, outfitter documents, maps, photographs, messages, hunter reports, and seizure documents.  Do not delete or alter information that may be relevant.

Consider obtaining legal advice before paying the ticket, entering a plea, or giving an additional written or recorded statement.  Statements made after the incident may become part of the evidence used in the case.

Should I Pay the Ticket?

Paying the ticket will generally be treated as a guilty plea and will result in a conviction.  Before paying, make sure you understand whether the charge is that no Moose Licence existed, that the licence was not valid, or that you failed to carry or produce documents for a licence you actually held.

Those are not necessarily the same charge.  A person who held the required Moose Licence but could not produce the required document may face a different charge from a person who did not hold the licence.

The amount printed on the ticket may not be the only possible consequence.  A conviction may affect hunting privileges or seized property, and the same incident may involve separate tag, season, party hunting, vehicle, possession, or transportation charges.

What Is Hunting Without a Moose Licence?

This charge generally concerns hunting moose without holding the Moose Licence required for your participation in the hunt.

You may have been charged because:

• No Moose Licence had been purchased or issued;
• You held an Outdoors Card but no Moose Licence;
• The Moose Licence was purchased only after the alleged hunting occurred;
• The licence was suspended, cancelled, expired, or otherwise not valid;
• You relied on another hunter’s Moose Tag while party hunting but did not hold your own required Moose Licence; or
• You were a non-resident hunting without the required Moose Licence or other applicable authority.

Whether a Moose Licence was required must be determined using the law that applied on the alleged date and your actual role in the hunt.  Limited exceptions, including Ontario’s apprentice hunting rules, may apply in particular circumstances.  If the same incident resulted in more than one moose charge, see Moose Hunting Charges to identify the other charges that may apply.

What Is the Difference Between a Moose Licence, Licence Summary, and Outdoors Card?

These documents are connected, but they do not serve the same purpose.

Moose Licence

A Moose Licence provides the licensing authority required to hunt moose, subject to the applicable tag, season, Wildlife Management Unit, party hunting, firearm, and other requirements.  An ordinary participant hunting independently or as a party member generally requires their own Moose Licence.

Licence Summary

A Licence Summary identifies the hunter’s valid licence products and related authorizations.  Ministry licensing records may also show when a Moose Licence was purchased and whether it was valid on the alleged offence date.

Outdoors Card

An Outdoors Card identifies the hunter within Ontario’s licensing system and is generally required to purchase hunting licences.  Holding an Outdoors Card does not, by itself, authorize a person to hunt moose and does not replace a Moose Licence or Moose Tag.

Does Applying to the Moose Tag Allocation Process Give You a Moose Licence?

No.  Applying to Ontario’s Moose Tag Allocation Process does not, by itself, provide a Moose Licence or authorize you to hunt moose.  Applying through the allocation process and purchasing a Moose Licence are separate steps.

A successful applicant must purchase the required Moose Licence before claiming and holding a Moose Tag.  Except for an eligible apprentice hunting under the apprenticeship rules, a person who intends to party hunt with a tag holder must also obtain their own required Moose Licence before hunting.

Purchasing a Moose Licence after the alleged hunting occurred does not retroactively authorize earlier activity.  The purchase time, Ministry transaction records, and timing of the alleged hunting may therefore become important evidence.

Can You Party Hunt Without Your Own Moose Licence?

Generally, no.  An ordinary participant in a moose hunting party must hold their own valid Moose Licence.  Party hunting may allow a participant to hunt under another party member’s applicable Moose Tag, but it does not normally allow the participant to use another hunter’s Moose Licence.

A lawful moose party generally requires the participating hunters to satisfy the applicable licensing and party hunting rules.  At least one participating member must hold an applicable unused Moose Tag, and requirements concerning the Wildlife Management Unit, distance, communication, active participation, cooperation, and available tag authority may also apply.

You may therefore have been covered by another participant’s applicable Moose Tag for a lawful party hunt but still have been charged with hunting without a Moose Licence if you did not hold your own required Moose Licence.

Can an Apprentice Hunter Hunt Moose Without Their Own Moose Licence?

Yes, in limited circumstances.  An eligible apprentice hunter may hunt without purchasing their own Moose Licence when the requirements of Ontario’s Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program are satisfied.

Until December 31, 2026, an Ontario resident who is at least 12 but under 15 may hunt as an apprentice without their own Moose Licence.  The apprentice must hold an Outdoors Card with hunting accreditation, or otherwise qualify under the transitional rule for a Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Card issued before January 1, 2019.

The apprentice must hunt under the direct and immediate supervision of a licensed hunter who is at least 18 and holds the licence and tag required for the moose hunt where applicable.  The apprentice and supervising hunter must share one firearm.  Wildlife killed by the apprentice is included in the supervising hunter’s bag limit, and the applicable Moose Tag and party hunting requirements must be followed.

Beginning January 1, 2027, an apprentice must hold an Outdoors Card with hunting accreditation.  For moose hunting, apprentice eligibility continues to apply to residents who are at least 12 but under 15; the new age-15 apprentice exceptions apply only in the specified elk and controlled deer hunting circumstances set out in the regulation.

An apprentice does not create an additional Moose Tag or increase the number or type of moose that may lawfully be harvested.  If the apprentice rules are relied upon, age, residency, the required Outdoors Card, the mentor’s qualifications, supervision, firearm sharing, and the applicable Moose Tag or lawful party hunting arrangement may become important.

What Rules Apply to Non-Resident Moose Hunters?

A non-resident generally requires a valid Moose Licence and must also comply with Ontario’s additional rules for non-resident moose hunting.

A non-resident may hunt moose as a registered guest of an authorized tourist outfitter where the applicable outfitter and tag requirements are satisfied.  In certain circumstances, a non-resident may also party hunt on a Moose Tag issued through the Moose Tag Allocation Process to an Ontario resident immediate relative.

A non-resident relying on a tourist outfitter arrangement must satisfy the applicable registration, licensing, tag, and hunting requirements.  A person relying on the immediate relative arrangement must satisfy the relationship, licensing, tag, and party hunting requirements that apply.

Recognized hunter accreditation, open season rules, firearm documentation, guide requirements in particular areas, and other conditions may also apply.  A non-resident charge should be reviewed using the precise offence wording and section number shown on the ticket or summons.

What Law Applies?

The principal rules are found in Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 and Ontario Regulation 665/98, commonly called the Hunting Regulation.

Section 6(1)(a) of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 prohibits hunting big game except under the authority of a licence and in accordance with the regulations.  Big game includes black bear, woodland caribou, white-tailed deer, American elk, and moose.

Ontario Regulation 665/98 contains further rules concerning the licence required to hunt moose, Moose Tags, party hunting, apprentices, non-residents, tourist outfitters, open seasons, Wildlife Management Units, firearm classes, and hunting documents.  The exact provisions that apply depend on the circumstances of the alleged hunt.

What Must Be Proven?

The prosecutor, the lawyer or representative acting for the government, must prove every required part of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.  Beyond a reasonable doubt is the high legal standard required before the court can find you guilty.

For a charge involving section 6(1)(a) of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, the prosecution may need to establish that:

• You were the person involved;
• Your conduct legally amounted to hunting;
• The wildlife involved was moose or your hunting activity was directed toward moose;
• The alleged activity occurred in Ontario on the relevant date; and
• Your conduct fell within the prohibition against hunting big game without the required licence.

The prosecution must prove your conduct, not merely the conduct of someone else in the hunting group.  Being present at a camp, travelling with hunters, carrying equipment, or helping after a lawful harvest does not automatically establish that you were personally hunting.

An apprentice exception or another form of lawful authority may affect the case.  Whether an exception applies depends on the precise legal provision, the evidence, and any legal burden that applies to that issue.

Section 107 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 is particularly important in a licence case.  Where having the required licence is relied upon as a defence, section 107 places the burden on the defendant to prove that the required licence was held.

This means you should not assume that the prosecutor must independently prove the absence of a licence in the same way as every other part of the charge.  Your Licence Summary, purchase history, Ministry records, and evidence supporting an exception may therefore be particularly important.

Does This Charge Require a Moose to Have Been Shot or Killed?

No.  This charge does not require that a moose was shot, injured, or killed if your conduct legally amounted to hunting.  Ontario’s legal definition of hunting includes conduct beyond killing wildlife.

Hunting can include lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of, pursuing, chasing, or shooting at wildlife for a hunting purpose.  It can also include capturing or harassing wildlife.

The charge may be based on conduct such as waiting for moose at a known crossing, following fresh tracks, calling moose, pursuing an animal, driving a moose toward another hunter, or shooting and missing.  Whether particular conduct legally amounts to hunting depends on its purpose and the surrounding evidence.

Scouting is not automatically hunting.  Searching for or following wildlife for a purpose other than attempting to kill, injure, capture, or harass it may fall outside the statutory definition, depending on what occurred.

You may have been photographing wildlife, checking a trail camera, travelling, retrieving equipment, working, or accompanying another hunter for a purpose that did not legally amount to hunting.  Your conduct, equipment, location, communications, and statements may all be relevant.

What Common Situations Are Involved in This Charge?

The Hunter Applied to the Moose Tag Allocation Process but Did Not Buy a Moose Licence

You may have believed that applying to the Moose Tag Allocation Process or receiving a successful allocation result automatically provided the Moose Licence required to hunt.  Ontario treats the allocation process and the Moose Licence as separate requirements.

The Hunter Had an Outdoors Card but No Moose Licence

You may have believed that a valid Outdoors Card provided authority to hunt moose.  An Outdoors Card identifies you in Ontario’s licensing system but does not replace the required Moose Licence.

The Licence Was Purchased After Hunting Began

You may have purchased the Moose Licence after being stopped or after the alleged hunting activity had already begun.  Transaction timestamps, Ministry records, and officer observations may become important.

A Party Hunter Relied on the Tag Holder’s Documents

You may have believed that another participant’s Moose Licence and Moose Tag covered everyone in the party.  An ordinary party hunter generally requires their own Moose Licence even when lawfully hunting under another participant’s applicable Moose Tag.

The Person Believed They Qualified as an Apprentice

You may have believed the apprentice rules allowed you to hunt without your own Moose Licence.  The prosecution may dispute your age, residency, accreditation, mentor, supervision, firearm sharing, or another apprenticeship requirement.

A Non-Resident Did Not Complete Every Required Step

The charge may involve the Moose Licence, tourist outfitter arrangement, immediate relative provision, hunter accreditation, season, tag, guide requirement, or supporting documentation.  The exact legal issue depends on the wording of the charge.

The Person Says They Were Not Hunting

You may say you were scouting, travelling, checking cameras, retrieving equipment, working, or helping only after a lawful harvest.  Whether the conduct legally amounted to hunting must be determined from the evidence.

What Is the Fine?

The current Ontario set fine for a resident who hunts big game without a licence under section 6(1)(a) is $500.  The corresponding current set fine for a non-resident is $600.

A set fine is the fine assigned when a particular offence is dealt with by ticket.  A victim fine surcharge is an additional amount added after conviction under Ontario law to help fund programs and services for victims.  It is separate from the fine for the hunting offence and is not paid directly to a victim in your case.  The amount you may have to pay can therefore be higher than the set fine shown for the offence, and the set fine should not be confused with the maximum penalty a court may impose after conviction.

The applicable set fine should be confirmed using the exact charge wording, residency category, statutory provision, and set fine schedule in force on the alleged offence date.  A separate charge involving carrying or producing a licence, a non-resident requirement, a Moose Tag, or another moose hunting rule may have a different set fine.

Section 102 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 provides a general maximum penalty for an individual of a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, unless another penalty provision applies.  These are statutory maximums, not the automatic or usual result of every hunting without a Moose Licence charge.

A conviction may also lead to a legally authorized order affecting licences, authorizations, or regulated hunting activity.

What Evidence May Be Used?

These cases often depend on licensing records, the timing of any licence purchase, and evidence showing what you were doing.  Several different categories of evidence may be considered together.

Licensing, Tag, and Party Hunting Records

• Outdoors Card records, Licence Summaries, Moose Licence records, purchase histories, and account information;
• Moose Tag Allocation Process applications, allocation records, tags, and records relating to other members of the hunting party; and
• Records showing the alleged date, purchase time, residency status, apprenticeship status, or tourist outfitter arrangement.

Officer and Witness Evidence

• Conservation Officer observations, notes, reports, photographs, video, and audio recordings;
• Statements from hunters, passengers, outfitters, landowners, or other witnesses; and
• Statements allegedly made by you about the licence, hunt, party, or reason for being in the area.

Electronic, Location, and Hunting Evidence

• GPS tracks, phone location information, messages, radio communications, photographs, videos, and timestamps;
• Maps, Wildlife Management Unit boundaries, routes, camps, blinds, trails, and observation locations; and
• Firearms, bows, ammunition, calls, vehicles, hunting equipment, a moose or moose parts, and seizure records.

No single item necessarily proves the charge.  The evidence must be considered in relation to the legal requirements of the precise offence and any issue concerning a licence, apprentice exception, or other lawful authority.

Disclosure is the evidence and information provided by the prosecution in connection with the case.  It should be requested and reviewed before making important decisions about a disputed charge.

What Possible Defences or Legal Issues May Apply?

Possible defences and legal issues depend on the charge wording, Ministry records, alleged activity, residency status, and surrounding circumstances.  No defence automatically guarantees that a charge will be withdrawn or dismissed.

Issues that may need to be reviewed include:

• A valid Moose Licence was held: Your Licence Summary, purchase confirmation, and Ministry records may establish that the required licence existed at the relevant time;
• You were not hunting: The evidence may support scouting, photography, travel, work, equipment retrieval, or assistance provided only after the hunt;
• You were not the person involved: Officer observations, photographs, video, or witness accounts may not reliably identify the alleged hunter;
• The apprentice exception applied: The evidence may establish the required age, residency, accreditation, mentor, supervision, firearm sharing, and other conditions;
• The alleged timing was incorrect: Purchase records, GPS data, photographs, messages, or witnesses may show that the licence was valid before the alleged hunting began;
• Due diligence was exercised: The evidence may show that you took all reasonable care to obtain and confirm the required licence; or
• An honest and reasonable mistake of fact occurred: You may have honestly and reasonably believed facts that, if true, would have made the conduct innocent.

Section 101 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 provides a defence where a person establishes due diligence or an honest and reasonable belief in facts that, if true, would make the conduct innocent.  Due diligence means taking all reasonable care in the circumstances and requires more than simply having no intention to break the law.  Forgetting to purchase the Moose Licence, assuming an allocation application or allocation result was itself a licence, or relying only on another hunter’s documents may not establish the defence.

A mistake about the law is also different from a mistake about a fact.  Merely misunderstanding Ontario’s licensing requirements may not provide a defence.

Could a Moose, Firearm, Vehicle, or Hunting Equipment Be Seized or Forfeited?

Yes.  A Conservation Officer may seize wildlife or other property where the legal requirements for seizure are met.  Depending on the circumstances, this may include a moose or moose parts, firearms, bows, vehicles, hunting equipment, documents, phones, cameras, or GPS devices.

Seizure means property has been taken into official custody.  It does not automatically mean you will be convicted or that ownership has been permanently lost.

Forfeiture means ownership of property is permanently lost under a legally authorized forfeiture process.  Wildlife seized in connection with an offence may be forfeited to the Crown following conviction as provided by law, and other seized property may also be subject to an authorized forfeiture order.

Keep every seizure notice, inventory, receipt, occurrence number, and other document provided by the Conservation Officer.  The status of seized property should be considered separately from whether the hunting charge is ultimately proven.

What Happens in Court?

What happens in court depends on whether the matter began by ticket or summons, how you respond, and whether additional charges were laid.  A disputed charge may be resolved before trial or may proceed to trial.

If the case proceeds to trial, the prosecutor must prove the required parts of the offence subject to the legal burdens that apply.  Section 107 remains important where you rely on having held the required licence.

If there is a conviction, the court determines the penalty and any legally available order concerning licences, hunting activity, or seized property.  Where several hunters were involved, each person’s conduct, documents, statements, and alleged role should be considered separately.

How Can DefendCharges.ca™ Help?

DefendCharges.ca™ can review the wording on your ticket, summons, seizure notice, or other documents and compare it with the wildlife, records, and activity involved.  This can help identify the exact charge, the legal requirements that apply, and the factual issues that may be important to your case.

If the matter proceeds through court, DefendCharges.ca™ can explain the court process, review the available evidence and legal issues, discuss possible penalties or other consequences, and help you understand your options for responding to the charge.

Have Questions About Hunting Charges?

Whether you have been charged with one hunting offence or several, understanding your legal options is important.  DefendCharges.ca™ can review your case, explain the charges you are facing, and help you understand your legal options and the best course of action.  Contact us today to discuss your situation.

Key Takeaways

• A Moose Licence, Moose Tag, Licence Summary, and Outdoors Card serve different purposes under Ontario’s hunting system.
• Applying to the Moose Tag Allocation Process or receiving a successful allocation result does not provide the Moose Licence required to hunt moose.
• An ordinary party hunter generally requires their own Moose Licence, while an eligible apprentice may hunt without one only when the apprenticeship requirements are satisfied.
• This charge does not require a moose to have been shot or killed if your conduct legally amounted to hunting.
• The current set fine for hunting big game without a licence is $500 for a resident and $600 for a non-resident under section 6(1)(a).
• Section 107 may place the burden on the defendant to prove that the required licence was held when relying on that licence as a defence.

Conclusion

Being charged with hunting without a Moose Licence does not automatically mean you will be convicted.  The outcome depends on the exact charge, what activity occurred, the licensing records, any applicable exception or lawful authority, and the evidence available in the case.

Your Licence Summary, Ministry purchase records, residency status, apprentice or party hunting arrangement, and the timing of the alleged activity may all be important.  Before paying a ticket or responding to a summons, make sure you understand the precise charge, the possible consequences, and the legal options available to you.