County takes look at hunting in its forests
by Richard Blanchard

Simcoe County council will be taking a look at changes to its hunting policy in its forests at its meeting next Tuesday.

The Corporate Services committee agreed last Wednesday to direct staff to do a cost analysis of posting signage in forests when hunting season is underway.

Adjala-Tosorontio deputy mayor Doug Little, who chairs the committee, said that he wanted the county to look at posting signs. He made the motion at the close of the committee meeting.

An Adjala-Tosorontio woman was shot and killed in a hunting accident on Nov. 6 in a county forest located west of Concession Road 2, just north of Sideroad 5 in former Adjala. A Keswick man has been charged in connection with her death. Little said that he asked for the study in order that the county can come to some solution on the proper use of the forests.

"I would like to see some balance in the situation. We have some forests where there is a lot of development where hunting should not be allowed. Other forests border less development and I would like to see hunting continue in them," he said.

Simcoe county owns about 30,000 acres of forest. A review of the forest use by the

county earlier this year will see hunting restricted in seven county forests near built up areas beginning in 2007.

The forest where the shooting occurred in Adjala-Tosorontio is not on the list.

Little said that he would also like to see the province increase its enforcement of hunters everywhere in the county.

"The Ministry of Natural Resources has so few staff to police hunting," he said.