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Illegal big game hunt nets three men $5,500 in fines

Ministry of Natural Resources Media Release Three men have been fined a total of $5,500 for an illegal moose hunt.

Ministry of Natural Resources Media Release

Three men have been fined a total of $5,500 for an illegal moose hunt.

Lon Danielson, of Stuart, Florida, pleaded guilty and was fined $1,500 for shooting a moose from a motorboat and $1,000 for providing false or misleading information to a conservation officer. He is not allowed to hunt in Ontario for one year.

Gordon K. Macdonald, of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was fined $500 for providing false or misleading information to a conservation officer.

Clarence Thomas of Whitefish Bay was fined $1,500 for shooting a moose from a motorboat and $1,000 for transporting illegally-killed wildlife. Although he did not shoot the moose himself, Thomas operated the motorboat so that another could, making him a party to the act.

Court heard that on October 16, 2014, officers contacted the men during a routine patrol. Upon investigating, officers discovered that Thomas had been contracted by Danielson and Macdonald to be their moose hunting guide. As their guide, Thomas had driven the two men by motorboat to Aldous Bay in Lac Seul the day before. When the three men saw a moose onshore, Thomas told the hunters to shoot it and Danielson did. Danielson and Macdonald provided false information to officers, saying they were onshore when the moose was shot. The moose was seized and forfeited to the Crown. Danielson’s rifle was seized and will be returned upon payment of fines.

Justice of the Peace Danalyn MacKinnon heard the case for Danielson and Macdonald in the Ontario Court of Justice, Dryden, on April 2, 2015, and sentenced them on July 23, 2015, in the same court. Thomas was tried in absentia and sentenced in the Ontario Court of Justice, Dryden, by Justice of the Peace Tom Logan on August 6, 2015.

The ministry reminds hunters that it is illegal to discharge a firearm from a vehicle or motorboat. Laws regarding the use of firearms are in place for the protection and safety of hunters and members of the public.

For further information on hunting regulations, please consult the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary available at ontario.ca/hunting.

To report a natural resources violation, call the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
 





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