The Ontario government is safeguarding moose from illegal hunting by ensuring hunters obey the laws.
Eleven individuals and one corporation were fined a total of $56,500 in addition to being issued 27 years of hunting licence suspensions.
Kevin Walsten of Kenora pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a conservation officer and was fined $3,000.
1526085 Ontario Inc. pleaded guilty to hunting a bull moose without a licence and was fined $10,000.
Scott MacIntosh of Kenora pleaded guilty to using a boat to pursue wildlife and using a firearm carelessly to hunt. He was fined $9,500 and is required to re-take the hunter education safety course.
Russel Canfield of Kenora pleaded guilty to hunting a bull moose without a licence, having a loaded firearm in a boat and using a boat to pursue wildlife. He was fined $9,000 and received a three-year hunting licence suspension.
Travis Young of Kenora pleaded guilty to hunting a bull moose without a licence, discharging a firearm from a motorboat and using a boat to pursue wildlife. He was fined $9,000 and received a six-year hunting licence suspension.
Tim Jones of Burnsville, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to hunting a bull moose without a licence and discharging a firearm from a motorboat. He was fined $7,000 and received a 10-year hunting licence suspension.
Garry Jones Jr., Garry Jones Sr., David Flynn, and Allen Flynn of Minnesota pleaded guilty to possessing an illegally killed bull moose. They were each fined $500 and received a two-year hunting licence suspension.
Wayne Heikoop of Powassan pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm from a motorboat and was fined $3,500.
Thomas Shields of Smithville pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm from a motorboat and was fined $3,500.
Court heard that between October of 2020 and October 2021 conservation officers, assisted by the Intelligence and Investigation Services Unit, investigated illegal moose hunting in the Eagle, Chase, and Snowshoe Lakes area, which is a remote, fly-in-only area, north of Kenora. A special investigation was initiated from information received from the public, as well as from previous investigations to address the ongoing issue of illegal moose hunting with allegations of discharging a firearm from a watercraft, using an aircraft while hunting, hunting without a licence and other offences under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Various Justices of the Peace heard the cases on various dates throughout 2023 and 2024 in the Ontario Court of Justice in Kenora.
To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll free at 1-877-847-7667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/mnrftips.
