More stiff penalties for illegal hunting

NEWS RELEASES

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES

************************* $3,000 fine and one-year hunting suspension for unlawful moose hunting A Bonfield man has been fined a total of $3,000 and has lost his hunting privileges for one year for unlawfully hunting moose.

Irvine Reaman pleaded guilty and was fined $2,000 for killing a moose without a proper validation tag and an additional $1,000 for providing a false statement to a conservation officer.

His hunting privileges have also been suspended for one year.

On October 30, 2010, Reaman killed an adult bull moose in Wildlife Management Unit 41, near North Bay, but was only licensed to hunt a calf moose.

The moose was quartered, skinned and hung in a garage where a calf moose jaw was brought in to attempt to conceal that the animal was actually an adult.

In a written statement, Mr. Reaman denied having shot an adult moose but later admitted to doing so, thinking that he was shooting at a calf.

The moose meat was forfeited to the Crown.

Justice of the Peace Ruby Beck heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, North Bay, on March 24, 2011.

To report a natural resource violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or contact your ministry office during regular business hours.

You can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

************************* //// $1,250 in fines for operating illegal bear hunt

Two men have been fined a total of $1,250 for operating an illegal bear hunt near Commanda in the fall of 2008.

David Paul of Nipissing has been fined $1,000 for unlawfully providing bear hunting services to non-residents of Ontario.

Tim Toeppner of North Bay was fined $250 for violating the conditions of his licence to provide bear hunting services.

In September 2008, Paul put out baits for black bears and unlawfully provided guiding services to three hunters from Illinois and Texas.

Toeppner unlawfully provided the certificates required by the non-residents to hunt black bears in Ontario.

A black bear which was killed during one of the hunts and subsequently mounted was seized by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Justice of the Peace Ruby Beck heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, North Bay, on March 24, 2011.

To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or contact your local ministry officer during regular business hours.

You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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