FIVE YOUNG GTA MEN CHARGED IN RELATION TO ONGOING PUBLIC RECREATIONAL SHOOTING CONCERNS ON PUBLIC LANDS IN GEORGIAN BAY TOWNSHIP
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
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GEORGIAN BAY TWP. — Five young GTA men aged 22 to 27 face provincial offences charges involving illegal recreation shooting after being stopped Sept. 26 in west Muskoka.
The OPP say given that they are not criminal charges, they are not releasing their names.
But police say they are not the same individuals recently charged with discharging weapons and posting videos online.
Police from the Bracebridge OPP detachment charged them after conducting proactive patrols of Tower Road in Georgian Bay Township.
Officers have been doing the “proactive patrols of areas that members of the public have identified as a concern with respect to recreational shooting.”
As a result of those efforts, on Saturday September 26, police charged the men ranging in age from 22 to 27 from the Greater Toronto Area each with Disobeying a Notice pursuant to section 28(3) of the Public Lands Act.
The charges were related specifically to where they were shooting in relation to the hydro cut.
Careless shooting went viral
This comes after an unrelated charge against a Brampton resident who avoided a permanent criminal record conviction after he was charged in September 2025 with carelessly shooting firearms on a Muskoka trail near MacTier that went viral online with related video previously recorded two and three years prior.
Instead, Ontario Court of Justice E.A. Carlton gave the 25-year-old temporary foreign worker a 12-month conditional discharge, 50 hours community service and a restriction on using firearms for the next five years.
The sentence comes after videos of him unsafely shooting guns in MacTier gained popularity on social media in September 2025.
The sentencing judge noted last June that while a conviction would make him inadmissible in Canada and subject to a removal order from the country, his sentence won’t cause “any significant weight on the immigration consequences” and prioritizes public safety.
The Public Lands Act governs the management and use of public lands and forests, formerly referred to as Crown lands, in Ontario.
The OPP says it takes firearms incidents very seriously and behaviour that compromises the safety and security of our communities will not be tolerated.
And members of the public who utilize those lands must familiarise themselves with the laws surrounding their safe use and expect to see police officers conducting patrols and enforcement.
Hunting vs. target shooting
According to our search of Destination Ontario, the province’s tourism and marketing agency website, target shooting and hunting on public lands and forests in Ontario are strictly regulated by provincial laws, municipal by-laws and local land authorities.
Regarding Crown lands and general public lands, hunting is generally permitted on Crown lands for eligible residents and licensed hunters following the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary.
However, recreational target shooting, sighting in firearms and clay shooting are heavily restricted or prohibited in many municipal forests, county forests, and localized public green spaces.
Gun owners and users must hold a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) for firearms and an Outdoors Card with applicable species tags if they are actively hunting.
Ontario fall hunting seasons
Fall hunting in Ontario generally runs from August 15 through December 31, with exact dates varying by species, weapon type, and Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). You can check official schedules and purchase licenses through Hunt and Fish Ontario or the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary.
- Black Bear: Runs from August 15 to October 31 in northern units, and extends into November in parts of the south. [1]
- White-Tailed Deer: Archery windows open as early as September 1 in northern units, general gun seasons run October through December, and controlled hunts take place mostly across November and December (e.g., November 2–8 or November 30–December 6 depending on the WMU).
- Moose: Gun seasons run from September 19 to December 15 in the far north down to shorter October windows in southern zones, requiring tag allocation.
- Wild Turkey: The fall hunting season takes place during October (with fall tags available starting September 1).
- Small Game (Grouse, Rabbits, Hare, Squirrels): Broadly open starting mid-September to late September (such as Ruffed Grouse opening September 25) and run through December 31 in the south or March 31 in northern units.
- Migratory Birds & Waterfowl: Various seasons for geese and doves open starting September 1 through the winter months, requiring a federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit.
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