Possession of Furbearing Mammals in Ontario:

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Last Updated: September 17 2026

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Question:I received a ticket or summons for possession of a furbearing mammal in Ontario; should I pay it or contact a paralegal first?

Answer:DefendCharges.ca™ can help you respond to a possession of furbearing mammal charge in Ontario as a paralegal, including reviewing the exact offence wording on your ticket or summons, confirming whether the item is a carcass or an untanned pelt, checking whether a Notice of Possession or Licence to Possess a Pelt was required, and building next steps around disclosure, deadlines, seizure or forfeiture issues, and potential defences.  Don’t panic or automatically pay, because paying is often treated like pleading guilty and can lead to a conviction.  For immediate guidance specific to your facts, call (647) 559-3377.

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Possession of Furbearing Mammals in Ontario

Received a hunting ticket or summons involving Possession of Furbearing Mammals in Ontario?  You have been charged with a provincial offence under Ontario wildlife law.  The charge may concern possession of a furbearing mammal carcass without the required notice, possession of an untanned pelt without the required licence or notice, or possession of a furbearing mammal that Ontario says was unlawfully killed, injured, or captured.

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.  Ontario has different possession rules depending on whether the item is a carcass or pelt, how you acquired it, whether you were the hunter or trapper who lawfully killed the animal, whether the open season had ended, and whether a Notice of Possession, Licence to Possess a Pelt, trapping licence, Small Game Licence, or another lawful basis applied.

This page explains what a Possession of Furbearing Mammals charge means, how Ontario treats carcasses and pelts, when notice or a licence may be required, what must be proven, current set fines, evidence, possible defences and legal issues, seizure and forfeiture, and what may happen next.  This offence is part of Small Game & Furbearer Charges.

I Received a Possession of Furbearing Mammals 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 ticket may use wording such as Unlawfully possess furbearing mammal carcass, Unlawfully possess pelt, or Possess illegally killed wildlife rather than the public page title used here.

Start with the exact offence wording and section number.  Record the species, whether the item was a whole carcass, part of a carcass, or pelt, how and when you acquired it, who originally killed or possessed the animal, and what licence, notice, confirmation, purchase, gift, trapping, or hunting records existed.

Keep your ticket, summons, Small Game Licence, trapping licence, Licence to Possess a Pelt, Notice of Possession confirmation, Licence Summary, Outdoors Card, season-end harvest report, receipts, invoices, photographs, messages, freezer or storage records, taxidermy or tanning records, and anything provided by the Conservation Officer.  Do not alter, discard, sell, transfer, destroy, or relabel disputed wildlife or records after learning of the investigation unless you receive clear official direction or legal advice.

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 whether the charge concerns a carcass, pelt, missing notice, missing Licence to Possess a Pelt, unlawful source of the wildlife, or another possession rule.

The distinction matters because the offences have different legal requirements.  A person can lawfully acquire a furbearing mammal but later face a pelt possession problem after the open season closes, while another charge may concern a carcass that required notice when it was first acquired.

What Is Possession of Furbearing Mammals?

Possession of Furbearing Mammals is the plain English title used on this page for several Ontario offences governing possession of furbearing mammal carcasses and pelts.  A furbearing mammal is a mammal Ontario places in a regulated fur-bearing wildlife category.  Examples include beaver, bobcat, coyote, fisher, fox, lynx, marten, mink, muskrat, otter, raccoon, red squirrel, skunk, weasel, and wolf.

Ontario Regulation 666/98 distinguishes between a carcass and a pelt.  For this regulation, a carcass includes any part of a carcass.  A pelt is the untanned skin of a furbearing mammal, whether or not the skin remains on the carcass.

This means possession of meat, a whole dead furbearing mammal, or another carcass part can raise a different provision from possession of the untanned skin.  How the wildlife was acquired is also important because Ontario provides different rules for a person who lawfully killed the animal, found it dead, received it from another person, bought it, killed it while protecting property, or possesses the pelt after an open season ends.

Possession is not unlawful merely because the item came from a furbearing mammal.  The question is whether your particular possession complied with the legal pathway that applied to the carcass or pelt.  Other small game, trapping, and pelt-sale offences are organized within Small Game & Furbearer Charges.

What Is the Difference Between a Carcass and a Pelt?

The distinction can determine which possession rule applies.  Ontario Regulation 666/98 provides that a carcass includes any part of the carcass.  A pelt is specifically the untanned skin of a furbearing mammal, whether or not the skin is still on the carcass.

If your charge concerns meat, bones, or another carcass part, section 2 may be the important provision.  If the charge concerns an untanned skin, sections 3, 3.1 and 3.2 may be central.  The exact item seized or described by the Conservation Officer should therefore be compared with the section written on your ticket.

When Is a Notice of Possession Required for a Furbearing Mammal Carcass?

A Notice of Possession can be required when you acquire a furbearing mammal carcass by a method covered by section 2 of Ontario Regulation 666/98.  Under the current rule, a person who acquires a qualifying carcass must promptly give notice of the acquisition to the Ministry by submitting a notice of possession in the format established by the Ministry.

The Ministry then provides confirmation that the notice was received.  The person must keep a record of that confirmation for as long as the carcass remains in their possession.  Incomplete, false, or misleading information is treated as though the required notice was not submitted.

This current rule reflects amendments that took effect July 1, 2026.  Older references to maintaining Registry contact information or completing the former form structure should not be used as though they remain the current statutory requirements.

When Is a Carcass Exempt From the Notice Rule?

Section 2 does not apply to every way a person may acquire a carcass.  Important exclusions include a person who lawfully killed the wildlife under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, subject to the special protection-of-property rule described below, and a taxidermist or butcher possessing qualifying wildlife in the course of that business.

The ordinary lawful-kill exclusion can therefore protect a licensed hunter or trapper who personally lawfully harvested the furbearing mammal.  However, the exemption for receiving a lawfully killed carcass as a gift expressly excludes furbearing mammals.  A person who receives a furbearing mammal carcass from someone else should not assume the gift itself removes the notice requirement.

What If I Found the Animal Dead?

Finding a dead furbearing mammal can trigger the Notice of Possession requirement if you want to keep the carcass or a part of it.  Roadkill and other found wildlife are common examples of wildlife acquired by a means other than personally lawfully hunting or trapping it.

The date and place where the animal was found, photographs, messages, witness evidence, and the Ministry notice confirmation may help establish how the animal entered your possession.  Finding wildlife does not by itself prove illegal possession, but the required possession process must still be followed.

What If I Killed the Animal to Protect My Property?

A special rule applies to a furbearing mammal lawfully killed while protecting property under section 31 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.  Even though the animal may have been lawfully killed, the ordinary section 2 exemption for a person who lawfully kills wildlife does not exempt a furbearing mammal killed under the protection-of-property provision.

If you keep that carcass, the Notice of Possession requirement can therefore still apply.  A pelt derived from a carcass that was properly reported under section 2 can be possessed under the corresponding pelt provision.

When Can a Hunter or Trapper Possess a Pelt?

The rules depend on who lawfully killed the furbearing mammal and whether the open season is still in effect.  Section 3.1 of Ontario Regulation 666/98 allows specified people who lawfully kill a furbearing mammal during its open season to possess its pelt during the remainder of that open season.

This includes a person holding a trapping licence, a person holding a Small Game Licence where that licence lawfully authorized the kill, and a qualifying farmer holding a Farmer's Licence to Sell Pelts and Carcasses.

A person holding a trapping licence, and a qualifying farmer covered by the regulation, may continue to possess lawfully taken pelts after the open season if the required season-end harvest report is completed.  A Small Game Licence holder follows a different rule.

What Happens When the Season Closes for a Small Game Hunter?

A Small Game Licence holder who lawfully killed the furbearing mammal during the open season needs a Licence to Possess a Pelt to continue keeping the pelt after that species' open season closes.

A Licence to Possess a Pelt is a Ministry licence specifying the number of pelts and species that the holder may keep.  Ontario's current hunting guidance states that the licence is available without charge.

The fact that you lawfully hunted and possessed the animal during the open season therefore does not automatically mean your Small Game Licence continues to authorize possession of the untanned pelt indefinitely.  The species' closing date, when the pelt remained in your possession, and whether the Ministry issued the required pelt licence may be central to the charge.

What If I Bought or Was Given a Pelt for My Own Use?

A person who buys a pelt for personal use, or otherwise acquires one for personal use outside the other possession pathways, may be required to give Notice of Possession to the Ministry.  The rule applies whether the pelt is acquired in Ontario or acquired elsewhere and transported into Ontario.

Under the current section 3.2 rule, the person must submit the notice in the format established by the Ministry.  Once the Ministry confirms receipt, the confirmation must be kept for as long as the pelt remains in the person's possession.

The possession rule does not make an otherwise unlawful purchase lawful.  Buying and selling pelts is regulated separately, so the source of the pelt and whether the person who transferred it could lawfully do so may also matter.

What Law Applies?

The principal possession rules are sections 2, 3, 3.1 and 3.2 of Ontario Regulation 666/98 under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.  Section 2 governs qualifying carcasses, while sections 3 through 3.2 govern possession of pelts and the different licensing, reporting, dealer, carrier, and notice pathways that can make possession lawful.

Section 12 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 is a separate possession offence.  It prohibits possession of wildlife that was killed, injured, or captured contrary to the Act or regulations.  If your ticket cites section 12 rather than Ontario Regulation 666/98, the prosecution must address the unlawful source of the wildlife as part of that case.

Other provisions can apply to buying, selling, exporting, tanning, trapping, farmed animals, or possession in a Provincial Park or Crown Game Preserve.  Those rules are separate and are not taught in detail on this page unless they are necessary to understand the possession charge itself.

What Must Be Proven?

The prosecutor, meaning the lawyer or representative presenting the government's case, must prove every required part 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.

For an Unlawfully possess furbearing mammal carcass charge under subsection 2(2), the prosecutor will generally need evidence establishing that:

• You possessed a carcass or carcass part of a furbearing mammal;
• You acquired it in circumstances to which section 2 applied;
• You kept possession of it;
• The required Notice of Possession had not been promptly submitted as required; and
• No applicable exclusion from section 2 removed the notice requirement.

For an Unlawfully possess pelt charge under subsection 3(1), the prosecution must establish possession of a pelt in circumstances not permitted by section 3, 3.1, or 3.2.  The dispute may therefore turn on a trapping licence, Small Game Licence, Licence to Possess a Pelt, Ministry notice and confirmation, lawful harvest, open-season timing, fur-dealer status, common-carrier status, or another lawful possession pathway.

For a section 12 charge, the prosecution must establish both your possession and that the wildlife was killed, injured, or captured contrary to Ontario wildlife law.  Merely possessing a furbearing mammal does not by itself prove section 12.

If you rely on holding a required licence, section 107 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 can place the burden on you to prove the licence.  The Provincial Offences Act also generally places the burden of proving a prescribed authorization, exception, exemption, or qualification on the person relying on it.

What Common Situations Lead to These Charges?

A Found Carcass Was Kept Without Notice

A person may find a dead raccoon, fox, coyote, beaver, or other furbearing mammal and take the carcass or part home without submitting the required Notice of Possession.  The acquisition itself may have been innocent, while the continued possession becomes the issue.

A Furbearing Mammal Carcass Was Received From Another Person

A friend, family member, hunter, or trapper may give someone the whole carcass or part of it.  The gift exemption available for some other wildlife does not apply in the same way to a furbearing mammal carcass, so the source and notice records may be important.

A Small Game Hunter Kept a Pelt After the Season Closed

The animal may have been lawfully harvested during the open season, but the pelt remained in the hunter's freezer, garage, camp, or storage area after the season ended without a Licence to Possess a Pelt.

A Pelt Was Bought or Received Without Notice

A person may acquire an untanned pelt for personal use and keep it without submitting the Notice of Possession required by section 3.2.  Receipts, messages, transfer records, and Ministry confirmation can become important evidence.

Wildlife Killed While Protecting Property Was Kept Without Notice

A landowner or agent may lawfully kill a furbearing mammal under the protection-of-property provision but fail to complete the separate possession requirement that applies if the carcass is kept.

The Wildlife Was Allegedly Obtained Illegally

The Conservation Officer may say the furbearing mammal was hunted, trapped, killed, or captured unlawfully and then possessed contrary to section 12.  The prosecution must connect the claimed underlying offence to the wildlife found in your possession.

What Is the Fine?

There is no single set fine for every charge that can be described as Possession of Furbearing Mammals.  The exact offence wording and section number determine the fine.

• Unlawfully possess furbearing mammal carcass, O.  Reg. 666/98 s.2(2): $150;
• Unlawfully possess pelt, O.  Reg. 666/98 s.3(1): $150;
• Possess illegally killed wildlife, FWCA s.12: $200;
• Possess illegally injured wildlife, FWCA s.12: $200; and
• Possess illegally captured wildlife, FWCA s.12: $200.

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

Ontario Regulation 666/98 was amended effective July 1, 2026, including changes to the notice and confirmation subsections.  The consolidated Schedule 17.8 set-fine page still carries older short-form entries for some secondary notice-related provisions, so a ticket citing one of those notice or confirmation subsections should be checked against the current regulation and exact court document rather than assuming an older short-form description still matches the amended provision.

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 $150 or $200 possession ticket.

Can This Charge Affect My Hunting or Trapping Licence?

A licence cancellation or prohibition is not automatic simply because you have been charged.  A charge is not a conviction.  Following conviction, Ontario law can permit the court to make a discretionary order affecting a licence or authorization related to the offence and the activity requiring it.

Where the court makes an order concerning a kind of licence or authorization you already hold, cancellation consequences can follow under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.  This should be considered separately from the amount printed on the ticket.

What Evidence May Be Used?

These cases often depend on what was possessed, how it was acquired, when it was possessed, and what licensing or notice records existed.  Relevant evidence may include:

• The carcass, carcass parts, pelt, packaging, labels, freezer contents, photographs, or other physical evidence;
• A Small Game Licence, trapping licence, Farmer's Licence to Sell Pelts and Carcasses, Licence to Possess a Pelt, Licence Summary, or Outdoors Card;
• A Notice of Possession and Ministry confirmation showing when notice was submitted and received;
• Season-end harvest reports, trapping records, harvest records, receipts, invoices, taxidermy records, tanning records, or transportation documents;
• Conservation Officer notes, photographs, videos, recordings, statements, and seizure records;
• Messages, photographs, GPS records, phone records, social media material, or other evidence showing when and how the wildlife was acquired; and
• Witness evidence from hunters, trappers, landowners, family members, sellers, buyers, taxidermists, tanners, or other people connected with the wildlife.

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 available defence depends on whether the charge concerns a carcass, pelt, notice, licence, unlawful source, or another possession pathway.  Not every issue applies to every case.

You Lawfully Killed the Furbearing Mammal

For a carcass charge, the section 2 notice requirement may not apply where you personally lawfully killed the animal under the Act, except for the special rule where a furbearing mammal was killed while protecting property.  Hunting or trapping records may establish how the animal was acquired.

The Required Notice Was Submitted

Ministry records or your confirmation may show that the required Notice of Possession was submitted promptly and accepted.  The current regulation requires the confirmation to be kept while the carcass or personal-use pelt remains in your possession.

You Held a Valid Licence to Possess the Pelt

A Small Game Licence holder may have obtained the required Licence to Possess a Pelt before continuing to keep a lawfully harvested pelt after the open season ended.  The licence, species, number of pelts, and timing should be compared with the charge.

Your Trapping or Farmer Possession Authority Applied

A licensed trapper or qualifying farmer may have a different legal basis for continued pelt possession, including the applicable season-end harvest reporting rule.  The licence, harvest report, species, and source of the pelt should be reviewed.

You Did Not Possess the Wildlife

The carcass or pelt may have belonged to another person or been found in a shared camp, freezer, vehicle, garage, residence, or storage space.  The prosecution must connect you to the possession required by the charge rather than relying only on presence or shared access.

The Wildlife Was Lawfully Obtained

For a section 12 charge, the original hunt, trapping activity, acquisition, licence, season, and other records may show that the animal was lawfully killed or captured.  If the prosecution cannot prove the unlawful source, possession alone does not establish section 12.

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 may concern whether a Ministry notice had been received, whether a Licence to Possess a Pelt had already been issued, who owned the wildlife, or whether the animal had been lawfully harvested.  Simply misunderstanding the law is different from a reasonable mistake about a fact.

Could the Furbearing Mammal, Pelt, or Other Property Be Seized or Forfeited?

Yes, where the statutory requirements are met.  Conservation Officers may seize wildlife and other property in circumstances authorized by Ontario law.  Depending on the investigation, this may include the carcass, pelt, traps, firearm, hunting or trapping documents, vehicle, phone, freezer contents, records, or other evidence connected with the charge.

Seizure means property has been taken into official custody and does not itself establish guilt.  Forfeiture means permanent loss of ownership and is different from temporary seizure.  Following conviction, wildlife seized in connection with an offence and other seized property can be subject to the applicable forfeiture provisions.

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 charge with the carcass or pelt involved, how it was acquired, the relevant open season, your Small Game Licence or trapping records, any Licence to Possess a Pelt, Notice of Possession confirmation, season-end report, receipts, messages, officer observations, and seizure records.  If the incident also produced a trapping, hunting, buying, selling, transportation, or export charge, each offence should be reviewed separately.

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

• Possession of Furbearing Mammals can involve different offences depending on whether the item is a carcass, carcass part, or untanned pelt;
• A person who acquires a qualifying furbearing mammal carcass by finding it, receiving it, or another covered method may need to submit a Notice of Possession promptly and keep the Ministry confirmation;
• A Small Game Licence holder who lawfully harvests a furbearing mammal may possess its pelt during the open season but needs a Licence to Possess a Pelt to keep it after that season closes;
• Licensed trappers and qualifying farmers have different post-season possession rules, including season-end reporting;
• A furbearing mammal lawfully killed while protecting property can still require a Notice of Possession if its carcass is kept;
• The principal current set fines are $150 for unlawfully possessing a furbearing mammal carcass or pelt and $200 for possessing illegally killed, injured, or captured wildlife; and
• The source of the wildlife, licences, Ministry notices, confirmations, season dates, harvest reports, storage evidence, and each person's connection to the wildlife may be central to the case.

Conclusion

Your Possession of Furbearing Mammals charge should be reviewed using the exact offence wording and section number, the species and item involved, whether it was a carcass or pelt, how it was acquired, when it was possessed, and what Ministry notices, licences, reports, or other authority existed.  Lawful hunting or trapping does not answer every later pelt-possession question, and finding or receiving a carcass can create different requirements from personally harvesting it.

Before paying the ticket or entering a plea, review the disclosure and compare the evidence with the current possession rules that applied when the wildlife came into your possession.  Legal representation can help determine what the prosecutor must prove and whether a lawful-harvest exclusion, Notice of Possession, Licence to Possess a Pelt, trapping or farmer rule, disputed possession issue, statutory defence, or other legal issue applies.