Your Avon Trail board takes your safety very seriously. The board believes, that although remote, the danger to hikers is during deer hunting periods, and specifically, during the gun season.

 

Hunting season impacts Avon Trail users. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, hunting occurs during these time windows:

  • October 1 through December 3 – Bow hunting for deer in Perth and Oxford counties as well as Wilmot and Woolwich townships
  • December 4 through December 10 – Rifle hunting for deer in Perth, Oxford counties, and Wilmot and Woolwich townships.
  • December 11 through December 31 – Bow hunting for deer in Perth and Oxford counties as well as Wilmot and Woolwich townships

Click Here to view a detailed list of trails that are affected and on what dates.

For iphones and android phones, an app exists (iHunter) can be installed. With this app, looking in  Ontario for example, you see displayed an interactive map. Using your fingers, you can expand a look at an area and see Wildlife Management Units (WMU). For Stratford, you see 86A.  Clicking on this tiny rectangle, you open a display that shows details of hunting times.

This might be handy to examine to know what to expect in a particular section of the Avon Trail.

 

Hikers, be alert and cautious when in woodlots on the Avon Trail during these times.

Tom Kimber – News