Hullett Rules & Regulations

General Hunting Rules

The HPWA is provincially owned Crown Land with Sunday hunting. There are no fees to use the property for hunting or other activities. You do not have to call the Friends of Hullett before you come out to hunt. We do however encourage questions as well as any support in the form of donations, memberships, volunteering, material donations or raffle/draw/auction prizes. With only two staff, every bit counts.

Quick Hunting Facts for Hullett
• Hullett PWA is located in WMU #85
• For the controlled deer hunt, Hullett PWA is in 85B
• Sunday gun hunting is legal
• Hullett is free to use and open 365 days a year
• Frequent user? Why not become a member and help maintain the area and receive several newsletters
• There is no overnight camping at Hullett
• The South Maitland River divides the area into two hunting zones, be familiar with the differences before you hunt 

Firearms:

• Loaded firearms are prohibited on or within 8 metres of the edge of a roadway. These roads include Conservation Road, Front Road, Sanctuary Line, Bridge Road, and Burns Line. Law enforcement regularly patrols the Hullett property.

Hunting:

• Hunting is not permitted near maintenance buildings or on neighbouring private land without the permission of the landowner.
• A retriever, waders or canoe will be necessary to ensure retrieval of all birds shot. Hunters are required by the Migratory Birds Convention Act to retrieve downed game. Hunting is prohibited within 400 metres of waterfowl baiting locations. Bait sites are marked on the user guide map and are signed on the property.
• From June 1 to September 1, hunting is prohibited on or near the nature trails.
• Consult the 2022-2023 Hunting Regulations Summary for a more detailed listing of Ontario's Hunting regulations.
• Consult the federal Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations for details (links above)
• Hullett Marsh supports Sunday hunting. This may affect Ontario Hunting Seasons

Zone A is North/East of the South Maitland River
Zone A is a unit consisting of 1133 ha (2800 acres) of land, of which 680 ha (1680 acres) are flooded with shallow open water. The average water depth within the five compartments is approximately 50 cm (20 inches).

Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations:

Within Zone A, there are 52 hunting stations (stakes) available.

The following regulations apply to lawfully hunt migratory birds in Zone A:

• Migratory Bird hunting season must be OPEN.
• For morning hunts, check the overnight parking (40874) to make sure no one has claimed the stake you plan to use.
• If you arrive before 5:00 am, you must park in the overnight parking. After 5:00 am you must park in your stakes corresponding parking lot.
• One vehicle must be parked at a numbered space corresponding with the stake number you wish to hunt at.Parking lot 40905 Summerhill Rd. is for Stakes 1 to 20
  Parking lot 81001 Burns Line is for Field Stake 2, Handicap Blind 1 & 2, as well as Stakes 21-44
  Parking lot 41494 Bridge Road is for field stake 1 and stakes 45-50
• Stake locations are shown on the property map and within our user guide.
• Only two people are permitted at any stake.
• Hunters must keep their firearms unloaded and encased except while occupying the blind or stake.
• Hunters must hunt within 30 metres of their stake with the same number as their parking spot.
  

Information:

• Portable blinds may be used. No person shall cut any vegetation nor erect and leave a blind of any fashion.
  Handicap blinds are reserved for only those with a disability (temporary or permanent). Please call or email the Friends of Hullett to reserve a handicap hunting stake.
• Some stakes are better for walk-ins than others. These stakes are 1-9, 11, 22, 27, 32, 33, 42, 46, 48-50.
• Migratory bird include waterfowl and Mourning Dove
• NO ENTRY is allowed in the baited areas (Pintail Pool and Sat Pond 14 behind the office)
• You can claim a stake for the following day by parking in the overnight parking lot in front of the stake number you wish to hunt at. A minimum of one person must stay with the vehicle during the night. No tents, trailers or RV are allowed on Hullett Property without permission from the MNRF and Friends of Hullett. After 5:00 am you must move your vehicle to your designated numbers parking lot.

Small Game Hunting Regulations

It is lawful to hunt small game in Zone A only if the following conditions are adhered to:

1. The season for all migratory birds must be closed. This includes Mourning Doves.

2. The vehicle arrived in must be parked in a designated lot for Zone A but cannot be parked in a parking space designated for a waterfowl stake. There are designated parking spaces for this purpose in Zone A parking lots. Look for the parking barriers that are unnumbered.

LARGE GAME HUNTING IS NOT PERMITTED IN ZONE A (i.e. NO deer hunting).

Zone B is South/West of the South Maitland River

Zone B is a unit consisting of 1060 ha (2620 acres). This zone consisted of agriculture fields, meadows, forests, tall grass prairies, marginal woodland, swamps, and ponds.

All game for which there is an open season, and during that open season, may be hunted under the following conditions:

1. All hunters must park in one of the designated parking lots (identified on the accompanying map) and position their vehicle in front of an unnumbered barrier. This parking space permits all hunters in the vehicle to hunt anywhere in Zone B.

2. Night hunting for raccoon is legal with the proper license from the MNRF, and coordination with the Friends of Hullett is requested.

Pheasant

Friends of Hullett purchase and release 1,000 ring-neck pheasant during the pheasant season for the purpose of hunting in Zone B only.
There is no fee to hunt these birds but it is highly recommended that hunters support the Friends of Hullett Pheasant Challenge. Please see our homepage for more details. 

With the purchase of a pheasant challenge ticket, you are entered in a draw to win a Churchill 520 SxS 3" 20 ga. shotgun (purchased from Clinton Sporting Goods) and a 2200 watt portable inverter generator provided by Sommers Generators.

Pheasants are released at intervals throughout the fall hunting season and may be hunted during the open season. The releasing of pheasants during the season is not scheduled; Hullett staff release birds when they deem appropriate timing. Friends of Hullett staff are not authorized to inform hunters of the whereabouts of the released birds or release times.

Grouse

Grouse hunting is allowed on Hullett Property but we do not have a large population of them. It is recommended that you don't plan on taking many of these birds from the property so the population can grow.

White-tail Deer

Deer hunting is ONLY allowed in Zone B.

Fish, Turtles and Frogs

No species of turtle, snake and certain species of frogs are allowed to be harvested from HPWA.
Bullfrog does have an open season but Hullett Marsh does not support a large population of these frogs for a sustainable harvest.
Fishing is allowed at Hullett Marsh but the pools and ponds do not tend to support large fish species. The only place in Hullett where there may be harvestable fish is in the South Maitland River.
DO NOT release bait-fish, crustaceans or invertebrates (or pets) into Hullett Marsh for this leads to invasive species and environmental issues.

When using Hullett Marsh's property, all users agree to follow these rules and regulations. Please ensure that you read these rules carefully and thoroughly. They are in place to ensure user safety as well as to keep Hullett Marsh healthy! These rules can also be found in the Hullett User Guide found at the link above and at all parking lots within the property. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to staff members using the "Contact Us" page.

General Regulations

Motorized Vehicles

Motorized vehicles are only permitted on maintained roads and parking lots. Pedal-assisted E-bikes are permitted.

Parking

Daily parking is permitted between 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Overnight parking is only permitted at 40874 Summerhill Road. Camper trailers are not permitted. All hunters must park in one of the designated parking lots (identified on the User Guide map) and position their vehicle in front of an unnumbered barrier.

When towing trailers, please don't block access ways, parking spots, or parking barriers. If possible, unhitch and lock trailers and park vehicles beside.

Parking is not permitted in front of gates and access routes.

Dogs in General
Dogs must be on a leash or under immediate control by the owner. Do not allow your dog to disturb wildlife (unless for hunting purposes). Please pick up after your dog and DO NOT leave doggy-bags on trails, parking lots or hanging in trees.

Garbage

Hullett Marsh DOES NOT have garbage cans. If you plan on bringing in litter to the Marsh, no matter what it is, take it back out with you.

Dog Training

Dog training activities on water are permitted in Zone A prior to May 15 and after July 31.

Dog training activities on water are permitted in Zone B prior to May 15 and after July 15.

Dogs are to be leashed or under the immediate control of the handler.

If you use live birds for training you must obtain the appropriate permits from the OMNRF Vineland Area Office. You may need one or both of the following permits:

1. Authorization to Conduct Field Trials and Training During closed season.
2. Authorization to Release Wildlife Imported into Ontario Propagated from Stock Imported into Ontario.

The OMNRF office issuing these permits may be contacted at 905- 562-1177.

Horse Access
Horse Access is permitted throughout the area except in Zone A from October 1 to April 30. Winter access for horses is available in Zone B.

Snowmobiles
Snowmobiles are permitted only on marked OFSC snowmobile trails. Please visit www.ofsc.on.ca for locations of trails and trail status.

Bookings for Group Activities
Booking for any groups, including dog trials, training, bird watching, horseback riding, etc. may be scheduled by contacting the Hullett office at 519- 482-7011. Any large groups found on the property that have no scheduled an event will be asked to leave the marsh.

Water Access
Water access (for any purpose) is not permitted in Zone A between May 15 - July 31 and Zone B between May 15-July 15. This is to minimize disturbances to nesting waterfowl and includes retriever training activities, kayaking, canoeing and wading.

Prohibited Actions

Alcohol

Alcohol is prohibited on public lands under Ontario's Liquor License Act.

ATVs and Snowmobiles

ATVs are not permitted within the Hullett Wildlife Management Area except for Friends of Hullett management purposes, under the permission of Friends of Hullett and in accordance with guided Whitetail Swamp waterfowl hunts. ATVs are extremely damaging to the trails, vegetation and the natural ecosystem of the property. Please remember this and obey the rules.

Snowmobiles are permitted only on marked OFSC snowmobile trails. Please visit www.ofsc.on.ca for the location of trails and trail status.

Camping

Camping is not permitted anywhere in the HPWA.

Commercial Operation

Commercial operations will not be located on the property.

Public Land Access

All users are reminded that public access is not permitted at any time within the sanctuaries signed under the Trespass to Property Act. Public access in the Whitetail Swamp is only permitted through guided hunts provided through the Friends of Hullett.

Baited Areas

It is unlawful to hunt migratory birds within 400 metres of where bait has been deposited. Please refer to the Hullett User Guide Map for bait deposit sites. Restricted access to these areas is labeled in the User Guide Map and the website to ensure undisturbed habitat from public use. Public access in these areas is prohibited.

Signage

You will notice that the common access points of the Hullett are signed with yellow dots in accordance with the Trespass to Property Act. By driving past these signs you are agreeing that you will follow all rules and regulations, that you have fully read and understood all regulations.