Illegal Trapping in Ontario:

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Last Updated: September 17 2026

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Question:What should I do after I get a summons for illegal trapping in Ontario?

Answer:If you received an Illegal Trapping summons in Ontario, don’t panic and start by reading every document carefully, noting the exact offence wording, section number, wildlife species, date, location, registered trapline/area, and the specific trap or method alleged, because different trapping breaches have different evidence and possible defences.  Paying a ticket is often treated as a guilty plea, so instead you should gather your trapping licence (with conditions and any quota info), Outdoors Card, inspection records, trapline documents, land permission, photos/maps/GPS, and the Conservation Officer’s seizure notice and inventory if anything was seized, then respond by the deadline on your paperwork.  For help assessing your specific charge and next steps with a Ontario paralegal, call (647) 559-3377 to contact DefendCharges.ca™.

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Illegal Trapping in Ontario

Received a hunting or trapping ticket or summons for Illegal Trapping in Ontario?  You have been charged with a provincial offence under Ontario wildlife law.  The charge may concern trapping without the required licence, trapping during a closed season or outside an authorized area, exceeding a trapping quota, using an unlawful trap or method, failing to inspect a trap as required, or another breach of Ontario's trapping rules.

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

Do not panic.  Illegal Trapping is a plain English page title that can describe several different Ontario offences rather than one single charge.  Being charged does not automatically mean you will be convicted.  The exact section number and wording on your ticket or summons are especially important because different trapping offences have different legal requirements, evidence, exceptions, and set fines.

This page explains the main types of Illegal Trapping charges, what a trapping licence authorizes, how season, area, quota and trap-method rules can affect the charge, what must be proven, current set fines, evidence, possible defences, seizure issues, and what may happen next.  This offence is part of Small Game & Furbearer Charges.

I Received an Illegal Trapping Ticket or Summons.  What Should I Do?

Read every document carefully and do not miss the response deadline or required court date.  A summons is a court document requiring you to attend court or respond as directed.  Your documents may use specific wording such as trapping a furbearing mammal without a licence, unlawfully trapping a furbearing mammal, using an unauthorized trap, failing to inspect a live holding trap, exceeding a quota, or another trapping offence instead of the general title used on this page.

Start with the exact offence wording, section number, wildlife species, date, location, registered trapline or other trapping area, and trap or method involved.  Record whether you were the head trapper, helper trapper, landowner, farmer, or another person and what authority or permission you had at the time.

Keep your trapping licence, Outdoors Card, licence conditions, quota information, trapline documents, written land permission, season-end records, photographs, maps, GPS information, trap identification, trap model information, inspection records, messages, witness information, and every document provided by the Conservation Officer.  If wildlife, traps, a firearm, vehicle, phone, or other property was seized, keep the seizure notice, inventory, and receipt.

Should I Pay the Ticket?

Paying the ticket will generally be treated as pleading guilty and will result in a conviction.  A conviction means a finding of guilt.  Before paying, identify the exact trapping offence because a no-licence charge is different from trapping outside an open season, using the wrong trap, exceeding a licence quota, or failing to inspect a live holding trap.

Also distinguish between having no valid trapping licence and having a valid licence but failing to carry or produce it.  Ontario has separate document offences, and the current set fine for trapping without having the required licence on your person is different from the underlying no-licence offence.

What Is Illegal Trapping?

Illegal Trapping is the plain English term used on this page for trapping wildlife contrary to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, Ontario Regulation 667/98, or another applicable wildlife rule.  The precise offence depends on what the Conservation Officer says was unlawful.

A trapping licence authorizes its holder to hunt or trap furbearing mammals and black bear in the area designated in the licence, subject to the restrictions and conditions imposed by law.  A furbearing mammal is a mammal that Ontario legally places in its regulated furbearer category.

Holding a trapping licence does not give unlimited authority to trap any species anywhere or at any time.  The species must have an applicable open season, the licence must authorize the relevant area, any quota or licence condition must be respected, private land permission may be required, and the trap or trapping method must comply with Ontario's rules.

Some Illegal Trapping charges do not concern licence status at all.  A licensed trapper can still face a charge involving an unlawful trap, prohibited snare, excessive trap dimensions, failure to inspect a live holding trap, trapping outside the licence area, or exceeding an authorized number of animals.

The exact section on the ticket therefore controls which legal issue must be answered.  Other furbearer possession and pelt-sale offences are separate and are organized within Small Game & Furbearer Charges.

What Does a Trapping Licence Authorize?

A trapping licence authorizes trapping only within the legal scope of that licence and the applicable regulations.  Ontario Regulation 667/98 provides that a trapping licence authorizes the holder to hunt or trap furbearing mammals and black bear in the area designated in the licence.

The licence may be connected to a registered trapline area, meaning an area assigned and managed for licensed trapping, or to other land the licence and regulation permit the trapper to use.  The land status, registered trapline boundaries, licence wording, and written permission can therefore become evidence in a disputed charge.

A trapping licence is valid only for the period specified in the licence.  A licence from an earlier trapping period does not provide authority after it expires, and later renewal does not retroactively authorize earlier trapping.

Can I Trap Outside My Registered Trapline?

Only where the licence and current land rules authorize it.  Ontario Regulation 667/98 regulates the land on which a trapping licence holder may hunt or trap.  Depending on the licence and circumstances, this can include Crown land designated in the licence and land owned by the trapper or land where the trapper has permission, where the regulatory location requirements are satisfied.

For private land, written permission can be important.  A licence to trap in one area does not automatically authorize trapping on unrelated private land or outside the geographic authority of the licence.

If location is disputed, the licence, registered trapline map, property boundary, written permission, GPS information, Conservation Officer location evidence, and trap coordinates should be reviewed together.

Can I Trap During Any Time of Year?

No.  A valid trapping licence does not create an open season.  Ontario Regulation 667/98 prohibits trapping a furbearing mammal except in an area and during an open season specified for the species under Ontario's open season regulation.

A closed season is a period when no applicable open season permits trapping the species in that area.  Different furbearing mammals can have different trapping seasons, so the correct species, date, and location must be matched to the season that was in force when the trapping occurred.

If the ticket concerns trapping during a closed season or in an unauthorized area, a valid trapping licence may still exist while the particular trapping activity remains unlawful.

Can a Trapping Licence Have a Quota?

Yes.  A trapping licence can limit how many animals of a species may be captured or killed.  A quota is the number of animals that the licence authorizes to be taken.

Ontario Regulation 667/98 prohibits the holder of a trapping licence from capturing or killing more than the number of furbearing mammals or black bears fixed by the licence.  Where helper trappers are used, the head trapper and helpers cannot collectively exceed the quota fixed in the head trapper's licence.

Quota records, harvest records, trapline records, carcasses, pelts, sales records, messages, and statements can become important if the charge alleges that more wildlife was taken than the licence allowed.

Can a Licensed Trapper Still Be Charged for Using the Wrong Trap?

Yes.  A valid trapping licence does not authorize every trap or trapping method.  Ontario has detailed rules governing trap types, certified traps, snares, leg-hold traps, body-gripping traps, trap dimensions, and how particular traps may be set for specific species.

A certified trap is a trap listed in Ontario's trapping regulation as approved for the species and trapping purpose identified in the applicable schedule.  Where the regulation requires a certified trap, using a different trap can result in a charge even if the trapper otherwise holds a valid licence.

Ontario also prohibits or restricts specific devices and methods, including traps with certain hooks, sharpened devices, teeth or serrations, deadfalls, some suspended snares, and specified leg-hold trap uses.  The exact trap model, dimensions, how it was set, target species, land or water location, and applicable exception may therefore matter.

This page does not reproduce Ontario's complete certified-trap schedules because the relevant technical rule should be matched to the particular trap and section identified in your charge.

Do Traps Have to Be Inspected?

Some traps do.  Ontario Regulation 667/98 requires a person to inspect every live holding trap set by that person at least once a day, subject to a geographic exception in parts of northern Ontario.

A live holding trap is a trap that is not designed or set to kill or drown the animal immediately upon capture.  If your charge concerns a missed inspection, the type of trap, when it was set, inspection times, geographic location, weather or access evidence, GPS information, photographs, and trapper records may be important.

What Law Applies?

The principal laws are the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 and Ontario Regulation 667/98, the Trapping Regulation.  Section 6 of the Act establishes the general requirement for licence authority to trap regulated wildlife.

Section 21 prohibits trapping certain wildlife, including game birds, and generally prohibits killing, capturing, or injuring big game by means of a trap, baited line, or similar device, subject to the specific black bear trapping rule.  Section 22 regulates body-gripping traps and creates specified exceptions where their use is authorized in accordance with the regulations.

Ontario Regulation 667/98 contains the detailed rules most commonly involved in Illegal Trapping charges, including open seasons, licence area and quota restrictions, head and helper trapper obligations, reporting requirements, certified traps, prohibited trap types, snares, leg-hold traps, black bear trapping methods, and trap inspection requirements.

What Must Be Proven?

The prosecutor, meaning the lawyer or representative presenting the government's case, must prove the required parts of the particular offence beyond a reasonable doubt.  Beyond a reasonable doubt is the high legal standard that must be met before the court can find you guilty.

Because Illegal Trapping can describe several separate offences, the exact elements depend on the section written on your ticket or summons.  Depending on the charge, the prosecutor may need evidence establishing:

• You were the person legally responsible for the trapping activity;
• The wildlife or target species fell within the legal category covered by the charge;
• The relevant trapping conduct occurred;
• The licence, season, area, quota, trap, inspection, reporting, or other requirement applied in the circumstances;
• The required licence authority, season, area authorization, quota, trap condition, inspection, or other requirement was not satisfied; and
• The conduct occurred on the date and at the location identified in the charge.

A licence charge can involve a special statutory burden.  If you rely on having the required licence as a defence, section 107 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 places the burden on you to prove that licence.  A defendant relying on a prescribed authorization, exception, exemption, or qualification can also bear the burden of proving it under the Provincial Offences Act.

The prosecutor must still prove the offence actually charged.  Evidence that a trap was found on land connected with you does not automatically prove every element of a no-licence, closed-season, prohibited-trap, quota, or inspection offence.

Does an Animal Have to Be Caught or Killed?

Not for every trapping offence.  Some charges concern the act of setting or using a prohibited trap or trapping method and can arise even if no animal was ultimately caught or killed.

Other offences, such as exceeding a quota, necessarily depend on wildlife having been captured or killed.  Whether an animal must have been taken therefore depends on the exact provision charged.

If no animal was caught, the physical trap, its location and condition, photographs, officer observations, ownership or identification evidence, messages, and evidence showing who set or used it may become especially important.

What Common Situations Lead to Illegal Trapping Charges?

No Valid Trapping Licence

Ministry records may show that the person was trapping regulated wildlife without the required trapping licence or after the licence had expired.  A later licence purchase or renewal does not create retroactive authority.

Trapping During a Closed Season

The trapper may have held a valid licence but set or operated traps when no open season applied to that species and area.  Species identification, dates, trap location, and the applicable season table can be central.

Trapping Outside the Authorized Area

The Conservation Officer may say the traps were outside the registered trapline or other land authorized by the licence and regulation.  GPS coordinates, maps, property boundaries, licence documents, and written permission may be important.

Using an Unauthorized Trap or Method

The charge may concern a trap that was not certified for the species, a prohibited snare or leg-hold arrangement, an excessive jaw spread or chain length, or another method that did not comply with the trapping regulation.

Failing to Inspect a Live Holding Trap

The allegation may be that a live holding trap was not inspected at least once during the required daily period and no geographic exception applied.

Exceeding a Licence Quota

The investigation may focus on whether the trapper, head trapper and helper trappers collectively captured or killed more animals than the licence permitted.

What Is the Fine?

There is no single set fine for every offence described as Illegal Trapping.  The exact section number and offence wording determine the set fine.

Current principal set fines include:

• Resident — trap furbearing mammal without licence: $250;
• Non-resident — trap furbearing mammal without licence: $300;
• Unlawfully trap furbearing mammal under Ontario Regulation 667/98: $300;
• Unlawfully kill more furbearing mammals than fixed by licence: $200;
• Use trap not certified for species: $200;
• Fail to inspect live holding trap once a day: $200; and
• Trap without having the required licence on your person: $200.

Other trapping offences have their own set fines.  For example, unlawful black bear trapping can carry higher set fines, and many prohibited trap or snare offences carry a $200 set fine.  The exact ticket should therefore be matched to the correct schedule rather than assuming one standard Illegal Trapping fine.

A set fine is the preset fine used when an offence is dealt with by ticket.  It is not necessarily the total amount payable because a victim fine surcharge and applicable court costs may also be added.

Under section 102(1) of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, the general maximum penalty for an individual is a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.  Those are statutory maximums and are not the automatic or usual result of an ordinary trapping ticket.

Can an Illegal Trapping Charge Affect My Trapping or Hunting Licence?

A trapping licence cancellation or prohibition is not automatic simply because you have been charged.  A charge is not a conviction.

After conviction, section 104 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 can permit the court to make a discretionary order affecting a licence or authorization related to the offence and the activity requiring it.  If an order applies to a kind of licence or authorization you already hold, cancellation can follow as required by the Act.

Licence renewal can also depend on compliance with particular trapping licence conditions and reporting obligations.  Any administrative licensing issue should be distinguished from the court penalty for the offence itself.

What Evidence May Be Used?

Illegal Trapping cases often depend on licence records, trapline location, species, trap design, timing, inspection records, and evidence connecting the trap to the person charged.  Relevant evidence may include:

• Your trapping licence, Outdoors Card, licence conditions, registered trapline documents, quotas, and Ministry licensing records;
• Maps, GPS coordinates, trap locations, property boundaries, written land permission, and photographs of the trapping site;
• The trap itself, manufacturer or model information, measurements, chain or cable configuration, snare components, identification marks, and how the trap was set;
• Wildlife, pelts, carcasses, biological evidence, photographs, and records identifying the species involved;
• Inspection logs, harvest records, season-end reports, sales or shipping records, and other trapping records;
• Conservation Officer notes, photographs, video, audio, surveillance, seizure records, and statements; and
• Messages, phone records, trail camera images, vehicle or GPS data, witness evidence, and other records connecting a person to the trap or trapping activity.

Disclosure is the relevant information and evidence in the prosecutor's possession or control that you are entitled to receive, subject to the law.  Disclosure should be obtained and reviewed before important decisions are made about a disputed charge.

What Possible Defences or Legal Issues May Apply?

The defence depends on the exact trapping offence, licence records, species, location, trap, timing, and reliability of the evidence.  Not every defence or legal issue applies to every case.

You Had the Required Trapping Licence and Authority

Your trapping licence and Ministry records may establish that valid authority existed for the relevant period, species, and area.  Because section 107 places the burden on a person relying on holding the required licence, preserving reliable licensing records is important.

The Trap Was Within the Authorized Area

GPS information, registered trapline mapping, licence documents, Crown land information, property boundaries, and written permission may establish that the trap was within an area where your licence authorized trapping.

An Open Season Applied

The species, location, and date may show that a lawful trapping season was open.  The version of the open season table in force on the alleged offence date should be checked rather than relying on another trapping year.

The Trap or Method Was Lawful

The trap may have been certified for the species or fall within a specific regulatory exception.  Trap model identification, dimensions, photographs, the manner in which it was set, target species, and land or water location may be necessary to resolve the issue.

You Did Not Set, Use, or Control the Trap

A trap may have been found on land you owned, occupied, travelled through, or were licensed to trap without sufficient evidence that you personally set or used it.  Identification marks, fingerprints, photographs, GPS data, messages, witnesses, and officer observations may affect whether the trap can be attributed to you.

The Required Inspection Was Completed

Inspection logs, GPS data, photographs, vehicle records, witness evidence, timestamps, and other records may establish that a live holding trap was inspected within the required period or that the geographic exception applied.

Due Diligence or an Honest and Reasonable Mistake of Fact

Due diligence means taking all reasonable care in the circumstances to prevent the offence.  An honest and reasonable mistake of fact means honestly and reasonably believing facts that, if true, would make the conduct innocent.  Section 101 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 recognizes these defences where their requirements are established.

A factual mistake might concern a trapline boundary, whether a trap model was the certified model recorded in the trapper's equipment, whether a required inspection had already occurred, or another fact affecting legality.  Simply misunderstanding the trapping law is different from a reasonable mistake about a fact.

Could Wildlife, Traps, a Firearm, or Other Property Be Seized or Forfeited?

Yes, where the statutory requirements are met.  Depending on the investigation, a Conservation Officer may seize wildlife, pelts, traps, snares, firearms, trapping documents, a vehicle, phone, GPS device, camera, or other property believed to have been obtained by, used in, or provide evidence of an offence.

Seizure means property has been taken into official custody and does not itself establish guilt.  Forfeiture means permanent loss of ownership and is a separate legal consequence.  Keep every seizure notice, inventory, receipt, and document identifying the property taken.

What Happens Next?

Your ticket or summons should identify the next procedural step and any response deadline or court date.  Do not miss that deadline while obtaining legal advice, requesting disclosure, or deciding how to respond.

After disclosure is obtained, compare the exact charge with your trapping licence, trapline and land records, species and season information, quota, trap model and configuration, inspection records, Conservation Officer observations, electronic records, statements, and seizure documents.  If several trapping offences arose from the same investigation, each should be matched to its own legal requirements.

The prosecutor may withdraw the charge, meaning the charge is no longer being pursued, or the matter may be resolved by a guilty plea or another agreement, or proceed to trial.  The appropriate response depends on the evidence, legal issues, possible consequences, and circumstances of your case.

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

• Illegal Trapping is a plain English title covering several possible Ontario trapping offences rather than one single charge;
• A trapping licence authorizes trapping only within the species, area, season, quota, land-access, and other conditions imposed by Ontario law;
• A licensed trapper can still face charges involving an unlawful trap, snare, trapping method, location, quota, or required trap inspection;
• Some trapping offences can be complete even when no animal was caught or killed;
• There is no single Illegal Trapping set fine, and current principal fines commonly range from $200 to $300 depending on the offence, with some black bear trapping offences carrying higher amounts;
• Licence records, trapline boundaries, trap design, species, dates, inspection records, quotas, and evidence connecting the trap to the person charged may be central to the case; and
• The exact offence wording and section number determine what the prosecutor must prove and which legal issues or defences may apply.

Conclusion

Your Illegal Trapping charge should be reviewed using the exact offence wording and section number, your trapping licence, species, date, location, registered trapline or other authorized land, quota, trap type and configuration, inspection records, and evidence connecting you to the trapping activity.  A no-licence charge, closed-season charge, prohibited-trap charge, quota charge, and inspection charge require different legal analysis.

Before paying the ticket or entering a plea, review the disclosure and compare the evidence with the trapping law and licence conditions that were in force on the alleged offence date.  Legal representation can help determine what must be proven and whether the licence records, location, season, trap, inspection history, statutory defence, or another legal issue affects the charge.