Three men have been fined a total of $14,500 for illegal moose hunting activities involving a cow moose that occurred in Longford Township, City of Kawartha Lakes.
Marshall Thompson of Orillia pleaded guilty and was fined $4,000 for unlawfully hunting a cow moose without a licence and $2,000 for unlawfully using a licence, or component of a licence, issued to someone else. In addition, he received a one-year hunting licence suspension.
Karl Thiel of Cayuga pleaded guilty and was fined $4,000 for unlawfully hunting a cow moose without a licence and $500 for failing to submit his moose hunter report by December 29. In addition, he received a one-year hunting licence suspension.
Addison Thompson of Bracebridge pleaded guilty and was fined $3,000 for enabling someone else to unlawfully use a licence, or component of a licence, issued to himself and $1,000 for making a false statement in a document.
The court heard that on October 21, 2021, a conservation officer was conducting an ATV patrol in the vicinity of Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park and checked a hunting group heading home. The group had been hunting moose in Longford Township and had harvested a cow and calf moose, both of which had already been brought to the butcher. It was later determined that Addison Thompson, the cow moose tag holder, did not go hunting and had provided his tag to Marshall Thompson. The hunting group decided they would use the cow tag if they saw a cow moose, despite the tag holder not being there.
On October 18, 2021, Karl Thiel shot a cow moose. Marshall Thompson had Addison Thompson’s cow tag with him while hunting and notched and attached it to the cow shot by Karl Thiel.
Addison Thompson later provided false information on his mandatory moose hunter report stating he had been moose hunting for one day. Karl Thiel did not submit his mandatory moose hunter report.
Justice of the Peace Herbert Radtke heard the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice, Lindsay, on October 17, 2022.
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.
