Five people were found guilty of illegal offenses momentum hunting offenses and a fine of nearly $40,000 following an investigation that lasted several years, the Ontario government announced.
The government said the charges followed a two-year investigation conducted between 2020 and 2022 into illegal moose hunting in a remote area north of Pickle Lake, Ontario.
The investigation, involving conservation officers and the Ministry of Natural Resources, revealed that one of five people convicted shot a bull moose on the Otoskwin River from its perch on a motorboat .
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The man, from Mississauga, Ontario, pleaded guilty to illegally firing his firearm from a boat and was fined $20,000. He also faces a three-year hunting ban.
Another man in the group pleaded guilty to invalidating his hunting tag and was fined $2,000 and suspended for two years.
The other three pleaded guilty to making false statements to a conservation officer and were sentenced to fines ranging from $2,000 to $6,000, as well as a one-year suspension.
For the five men, the fines total $37,000 plus $9,250 for victim surcharges, according to the province.
The government said the convictions proved it was “protecting the moose” by making sure hunters followed the rules.
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