Illegal hunting, forged documents and exporting wildlife lead to $11K fine

MNR Media Release

Two Wisconsin men have pleaded guilty and been fined a total of $11,000 for a number of infractions. 

Reid Viertel of West Allis was fined $1,000 for wolf hunting without a licence, $750 for having a void export licence, $750 for unlawfully exporting a black bear from Ontario, $2,000 for bear hunting without a licence and $1,500 for two counts of making a false statement to a conservation officer. He is banned from hunting in Ontario for 15 years.

Terry Schmit of Franklin was fined $3,000 for bear hunting without a licence, $1,000 for transporting unlawfully-killed wildlife and $1,000 for having a void export licence. He is banned from hunting in Ontario for five years. 

Court heard that between February 16 and 22, 2012, Viertel hunted for wolves in the Dryden area without a licence. On February 21, 2012, Viertel used documents he had intentionally falsified to obtain a licence to export a number of furbearing mammals from Ontario. 

On August 22, 2013, Schmit unlawfully harvested a black bear with the help of Viertel. Viertel then falsified documents and obtained a permit so they could export the bear from Ontario.  Conservation officers conducted an investigation with the assistance of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Several species of wildlife, including black bear, wolf, fisher, red fox and ermine, were seized and forfeited to the Crown. 

Justice of the Peace Edith Baas heard the case against Schmit on May 21, 2015, and the case against Viertel on December 3, 2015, both in the Ontario Court of Justice, Dryden. 

For further information on hunting regulations, please consult the 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).