THUNDER BAY — A hunter from southern Ontario has paid a steep price for shooting illegally at a decoy moose.
The resident of the Parry Sound area was fined $6,500 after pleading guilty to careless use of a firearm.
The Thunder Bay Justice of the Peace who tried the case heard that conservation officers conducted a moose decoy operation in the Dog River Road area northwest of Thunder Bay in October 2021.
It was a planned operation in response to reports of unsafe hunting practices in the same vicinity.
The moose decoy was placed on a commonly-used forestry road.
Officers were in the area when the hunter fired at it with a high-powered rifle, down the road, while standing on the road.
In addition to the fine, the man had his hunting privileges suspended for one year, and must complete the Ontario hunter education course before he's allowed to purchase another licence.
