The Ontario government is safeguarding deer by ensuring hunters use valid tags.
Five people were convicted of licence tag-related offences and fined a total of $24,500 for licence and tag violations resulting from an investigation into the over-harvest of white-tailed deer.
Dwayne Musclow of Bancroft was convicted of failing to tag a deer killed by an apprentice hunter, possessing copies of his deer tag and hunting deer without a licence. He was fined a total of $8,000.
Doug Musclow of Bancroft was convicted of possessing and using copies of his deer tag and hunting without a licence. He was fined a total of $6,500.
Darrin Musclow of Oshawa was convicted of possessing and using copies of his deer tag and hunting big game without a licence. He was fined a total of $7,000.
Sue Tate of Bancroft was convicted of party hunting and failing to immediately invalidate her tag for a deer killed by a member of her hunting party and was fined $1,500.
William Fransky of Bancroft was convicted of possessing copies of his deer tag and was fined $1,500.
The court heard that between November 6 and November 11, 2023, Darrin Musclow, Dwayne Musclow, Doug Musclow and Fransky had party hunted with a group of successful deer hunters and both Doug Musclow and Darrin Musclow had used their original deer tags. Fransky did not use his original deer tag but did possess two additional copies during this time.
Following the initial hunt in early November, Darrin Musclow, Dwayne Musclow, Doug Musclow, Sue Tate and an apprentice hunter continued to hunt deer on several other occasions. Between November 18 and December 10, 2023, four additional deer were harvested, one by the apprentice hunter, one by Doug Musclow and two by Dwayne Musclow. All the deer were tagged using copies of tags or tags that ought to have been used previously. Collectively between Dwayne Musclow, Darrin Musclow and Doug Musclow, they possessed seven additional copies of their tags.
Justice of the Peace David Auger heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Belleville, on March 18, 2024.
