THUNDER BAY — Two men from southern Ontario have been fined $10,500 in connection with the illegal shooting of a moose from a vehicle at a time of day when hunting isn't allowed.
At a Thunder Bay court hearing, an Amherstburg resident pleaded guilty to possessing illegally killed wildlife, making a false statement to a conservation officer, and unlawfully using a vehicle to pursue wildlife.
He was fined $8,000 and had his hunting licence suspended for a year.
A resident of Guelph also pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a conservation officer, and received a $2,500 fine.
Court was told that information received from the public led the Ministry of Natural Resources, with assistance from OPP, to commence an investigation in September 2022.
They were told shots had been heard in the early morning hours, prior to when hunting is legal, in the vicinity of the Pikitigushi Road, east of Armstrong.
Officers learned that a bull moose was shot in the dark from a moving vehicle, then taken back to a nearby hunt camp.
Anyone with information about suspected illegal hunting practices can call the MNR TIPS line, toll-free at 1-877-847-7667, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
