West Grey rejects Sunday gun hunting (2025)

https://oodmag.com/west-grey-rejects-sunday-hunting/

The Municipality of West Grey has voted against allowing Sunday gun hunting, bucking a growing trend in southern Ontario.

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You can lead a horse to water.......

Wrong crowd living there.

Originally Posted by Sam Menard

Wrong crowd living there.

West Grey is very close to the GTA area now and much more built up than it was 30 years agoi when I used to hunt up there. So urban sprawl with thousands of folks moving up from the city and many cottagers has changed the whole dynamic for the hunting scene. Almost all that area is private land, so it really limits the hunting opportunities. The council is merely reflecting the wishes of the voters who they feel they have to appease.

Originally Posted by Gilroy

West Grey is very close to the GTA area now and much more built up than it was 30 years agoi when I used to hunt up there. So urban sprawl with thousands of folks moving up from the city and many cottagers has changed the whole dynamic for the hunting scene. Almost all that area is private land, so it really limits the hunting opportunities. The council is merely reflecting the wishes of the voters who they feel they have to appease.

Or the ones who hunt there prefer to have a late goose season.

Originally Posted by Gilroy

West Grey is very close to the GTA area now and much more built up than it was 30 years agoi when I used to hunt up there. So urban sprawl with thousands of folks moving up from the city and many cottagers has changed the whole dynamic for the hunting scene. Almost all that area is private land, so it really limits the hunting opportunities. The council is merely reflecting the wishes of the voters who they feel they have to appease.

I own property in West Grey (100 acres on the Saugeen about 5 miles ENE of Durham). 30 years ago the population for the entire township was 11,500 people. Now it is around 13,000 to 13,500 - so 1,500 to 2,000 more people than 30 years ago - not the kind of rampant growth you are talking about. West Grey is further (travel time wise at close to 2 hours) from the GTA than Orillia, Gravenhurst or Peterborough. I think it is religious people as believe it or not many of those new 1500 to 2000 people are Mennonite farmers moving north from their traditional areas north of KW. Funny story - I am one of the only non-Mennonite guys with permission to hunt some of their farms - but not on Sundays LOL. Driving down the road and a bunch of live stock was loose on the road. Pulled into the farm where i believe they originated. Knocked on the door and an old Mennonite farmer with a walker answered. Sure enough they were his animals. None of his sons were around but his grandkids were. So i went out with a pack of a dozen or so 8 to 12 year old kids and between us we rounded up all his critters. He was grateful and i felt emboldened to ask and was granted permission to hunt his bush.

As for public hunting land you are more or less correct but there is 40,000 acres of free public land on SVCA and Grey County forests - not all in West Grey mind you but in the vicinity (like within 10 minutes).

As for GTA style urban sprawl it is just now encroaching on the SE corner of Grey County around Dundalk. This is still 30 minutes southeast of West Grey but eventually it will come just not there yet. My guess is another 20 years. Anecdotally in the last 15 years i have seen two new houses built on the 20 km of road between my place and Highway 10. That 20 km is split about 60/40 between paved and gravel.

Originally Posted by Species8472

I own property in West Grey (100 acres on the Saugeen about 5 miles ENE of Durham). 30 years ago the population for the entire township was 11,500 people. Now it is around 13,000 to 13,500 - so 1,500 to 2,000 more people than 30 years ago - not the kind of rampant growth you are talking about.

I know this area fairly well and he may have confused the municipality of West Grey with Grey County. He mentioned cottagers in his post of which there are many on Georgian Bay in Grey County, not so much in the Municipality of West Grey.

The ban on Sunday hunting in West Grey isn't about the hunting, it's about the Sunday.

The Municipality of West Grey recently voted against allowing Sunday gun hunting, with a narrow 4-3 decision on May 6, 2025. This move goes against a growing trend in southern Ontario, where over 190 municipalities have approved Sunday hunting to provide more opportunities for hunters and support local economies .