The Ontario government is protecting Ontario moose population by ensuring hunters are harvesting safely.
Eric Plouffe of Red Lake pleaded guilty to hunting moose without a licence and unlawfully discharging a firearm from a motorboat. He was fined a total of $5,000 and is prohibited from possessing, applying for, or obtaining a hunting licence for one year.
Dylan Auger of Dryden pleaded guilty to hunting moose without a licence and unlawfully invalidating a tag with respect to animal not of same type as specified on the tag. He was fined $4,000.
Robert Plouffe of Hearst pleaded guilty to hunting moose without a licence and fined $2,000.
The court heard that on October 9, 2022, conservation officers in the Red Lake area received a tip regarding a group that had been hunting moose from a boat and had successfully harvested a moose on Alford Lake.
Conservation officers determined that Auger and Eric and Robert Plouffe were licensed to hunt a bull moose in Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 2. The group harvested a bull moose in WMU 3. The moose was shot from a motorboat.
Justice of the Peace Pat Clysdale-Cornell heard the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice, Kenora, on August 23, 2023.
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.