Ontario Hunter Education Practice Test 2026: Practice test 4

Practice test 4 of 5 for the Ontario Hunter Education Practice Test: 25 more questions with answers and explanations.

Hunting
Ontario
124 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 25
What is a widely recognized distress signal?
- Waving one arm above your head
- One long shout every hour, followed by a single flash of light
- Two short flashes of a light
- Three of anything, such as three whistle blasts or three fires
Show answer
Answer: D. Three of anything, such as three whistle blasts or three fires
Signals in threes are widely recognized as a call for help.
Question 2 of 25
What happened to the passenger pigeon, once one of the most common birds in North America?
- It became extinct, mainly from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss
- It became the most common bird in Canadian cities
- It moved south and now lives only in South America
- It nearly died out but was brought back to large numbers by hunters and farmers
Show answer
Answer: A. It became extinct, mainly from unregulated market hunting and habitat loss
The passenger pigeon shows what can happen without hunting laws. It helped lead to modern wildlife protection.
Question 3 of 25
In the ACTS safety rules, what does the "T" stand for?
- Trigger finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard
- Test-fire the firearm at a target before every hunt to check the sights
- Take the safety off as soon as you start walking
- Tell your hunting partner whenever you see game
Show answer
Answer: A. Trigger finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard
Keep your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
Question 4 of 25
What is one of the most important things to do before any hunting trip?
- Turn off your phone so the battery lasts all week
- Try a new area without a map, because it is the fastest way to learn the land
- Leave a trip plan saying where you will be and when you will return
- Pack only enough food and water for lunch
Show answer
Answer: C. Leave a trip plan saying where you will be and when you will return
If you do not return, searchers will know where to look and when to start.
Question 5 of 25
Why can a hunter wear blaze orange and still hunt deer?
- Deer see colours differently, so orange does not stand out to them as it does to us
- Orange clothing is only worn after the animal has been shot
- Deer are attracted to orange, so it helps bring them closer
- Deer are fully colour-blind, so they cannot see any bright colours at all in daylight
Show answer
Answer: A. Deer see colours differently, so orange does not stand out to them as it does to us
Blaze orange is very visible to people but does not stand out the same way to deer. Movement is more likely to alert them.
Question 6 of 25
You fall and are hanging in your harness. Why is it urgent to get help or relieve pressure on your legs?
- The harness straps will slowly loosen and let you slip out of them completely
- Your movement will scare away all the animals nearby
- Hanging still in a harness can quickly cut off blood flow to the legs
- It is not urgent, as long as the harness is holding you
Show answer
Answer: C. Hanging still in a harness can quickly cut off blood flow to the legs
Hanging without moving can become life-threatening (suspension trauma). Use a relief strap to stand, move your legs and call for help.
Question 7 of 25
How is regulated hunting used as a wildlife management tool?
- It helps keep populations within what the habitat can support
- It is used to wipe out species that are too common
- It replaces the need to protect any habitat
- It is used to remove every predator, such as wolves and bears, from an area
Show answer
Answer: A. It helps keep populations within what the habitat can support
Seasons, bag limits and quotas are set so hunting takes part of the population each year without harming it.
Question 8 of 25
Where should you aim for a quick, ethical kill on big game?
- The heart-lung (vital) area
- The head, for an instant kill
- The hindquarters, to stop it running
- The neck, to save the most meat
Show answer
Answer: A. The heart-lung (vital) area
The heart and lungs are a large target, and a hit there kills quickly and wastes little meat.
Question 9 of 25
How should arrows with broadheads be carried?
- In your jacket pocket with the tips up
- In a quiver that covers the broadheads
- Tucked under your belt at your side
- Loose in your hand, ready to nock
Show answer
Answer: B. In a quiver that covers the broadheads
Broadheads are razor sharp. A covered quiver protects you if you trip or fall.
Question 10 of 25
What is "biological surplus"?
- Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
- Meat that is left over after a successful hunt and is given away to friends and family
- Animals that are kept in zoos and wildlife parks
- Animals that are raised on farms for food
Show answer
Answer: A. Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
Many of these animals would die naturally. Regulated hunting can take part of this surplus.
Question 11 of 25
Which ammunition is safe to use in your firearm?
- Any cartridge that fits into the chamber, as long as the action closes easily
- Any ammunition of a similar size and shape
- Only ammunition that matches the marking stamped on the barrel
- Whatever ammunition your hunting partner is using
Show answer
Answer: C. Only ammunition that matches the marking stamped on the barrel
The barrel is marked with the correct calibre or gauge. The wrong ammunition can cause a dangerous failure.
Question 12 of 25
Why do wildlife agencies ask hunters to report their harvest?
- To decide who will get a free licence next year
- To sell hunters' names and addresses to outdoor stores
- The data helps biologists set seasons, quotas and limits
- Only to collect extra licence fees
Show answer
Answer: C. The data helps biologists set seasons, quotas and limits
Harvest reports show how many animals were taken and where, which guides management decisions. Ontario now has mandatory reporting for some licences.
Question 13 of 25
Before you shoot, what must you be sure of?
- Only that the wind is calm enough for an accurate shot
- Your target, and what is in front of it and beyond it
- Only that the animal is a legal species for your licence
- Only that your hunting partner is standing beside you
Show answer
Answer: B. Your target, and what is in front of it and beyond it
You are responsible for where the bullet or shot goes, including if it misses or passes through the animal.
Question 14 of 25
How should you get your firearm or bow up into a tree stand?
- Raise it unloaded with a haul line once you are secure in the stand
- Carry it loaded in one hand so it is ready
- Have a partner on the ground throw it up to you
- Carry it slung on your back while you climb up, so both hands stay free
Show answer
Answer: A. Raise it unloaded with a haul line once you are secure in the stand
Climb with both hands free. Then pull up the unloaded firearm or bow with a haul line.
Question 15 of 25
Why should you never "dry-fire" a bow or crossbow (release the string without an arrow or bolt)?
- It wastes arrows
- It only matters for crossbows, not bows
- It makes the string too tight to draw again
- It can break the bow and injure you
Show answer
Answer: D. It can break the bow and injure you
Without an arrow to take the energy, the bow can be damaged or come apart.
Question 16 of 25
In Canada, where are the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples, including hunting rights, recognized and affirmed?
- Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982
- Each provincial hunting regulation summary
- The Migratory Birds Convention
- The Criminal Code
Show answer
Answer: A. Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982
Section 35 recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal and treaty rights. BC's CORE exam includes a section on Indigenous peoples and hunting.
Question 17 of 25
You come to a wire fence while hunting alone. What do you do first, as shown in the diagram?
- Push the loaded firearm through the wires
- Unload the firearm and open the action
- Lean the loaded firearm against a fence post
- Climb over while holding the firearm
Show answer
Answer: B. Unload the firearm and open the action
Always unload before crossing a fence, log, ditch or other obstacle where you could slip.
Question 18 of 25
You see someone hunting illegally. What should you do?
- Note details from a safe distance and report it to a conservation officer
- Walk up and confront them while holding your firearm so they know you mean it
- Ignore it, since it is not your job to get involved
- Post photos online first so others can identify them
Show answer
Answer: A. Note details from a safe distance and report it to a conservation officer
Every province has a line for reporting poaching. Safe, accurate details help officers act.
Question 19 of 25
The trail carry points the muzzle ahead and down. When is it unsafe?
- When someone is walking in front of you
- When someone is walking behind you on the trail
- When you are walking alone through open fields
- When you are on flat ground
Show answer
Answer: A. When someone is walking in front of you
In the trail carry the muzzle points ahead, so it should not be used when another person is in front of you.
Question 20 of 25
How should the tether from your harness to the tree be set up?
- Short, with little slack, attached above head height
- Attached near your feet, below the platform
- Long, so you can move around the platform freely and stand up to shoot
- Loose, so it hangs below the platform
Show answer
Answer: A. Short, with little slack, attached above head height
A short tether above your head keeps any fall very short, so you can climb back onto the platform.
Question 21 of 25
A hunting partner has a deep cut that is bleeding heavily. What should you do first?
- Give them a drink of water and wait for the bleeding to stop by itself
- Apply firm, direct pressure on the wound and call for help
- Have them walk out alone quickly to get help
- Wash it in a creek and leave it open to the air
Show answer
Answer: B. Apply firm, direct pressure on the wound and call for help
Firm, direct pressure is the first step to control serious bleeding.
Question 22 of 25
Which feature helps you tell a grizzly bear from a black bear?
- A grizzly has taller, more pointed ears
- A black bear is always black and never brown
- A grizzly has a shoulder hump and a dished face profile
- A grizzly is always brown and never black
Show answer
Answer: C. A grizzly has a shoulder hump and a dished face profile
Look for the shoulder hump, face profile, ears and claws. Grizzlies have shorter, rounder ears and longer front claws.
Question 23 of 25
Many hunting licences include a wildlife habitat stamp or certificate. What does it help pay for?
- Hunting trips for conservation officers
- Repairs to hunters' firearms
- Conservation of wildlife habitat
- Road repairs in rural areas
Show answer
Answer: C. Conservation of wildlife habitat
Habitat fees, such as Nova Scotia's Wildlife Habitat Stamp, are a way hunters help pay for conservation.
Question 24 of 25
How should firearms be carried in a vehicle on the way to your hunting area?
- Loaded and ready in the back seat
- Loaded, with only the magazine filled
- Loaded, with the safety on
- Unloaded, and preferably in a case
Show answer
Answer: D. Unloaded, and preferably in a case
Provinces such as Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba make it illegal to have a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle.
Question 25 of 25
Which of these makes a good backstop for a shot?
- A flat rock face or cliff behind the animal
- Open sky above a wide, flat field
- A hill or earth bank behind the target
- Open water behind the animal
Show answer
Answer: C. A hill or earth bank behind the target
Soft earth safely stops bullets. Water and rock can cause ricochets, and open sky stops nothing.

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