Night hunters fined $3,500

Hunting at night has cost two Kenora men $3,500.

Philip and Norman Mineault pleaded guilty to the charges and were fined $1,000 and $2,500 respectively for an incident that occurred on Sept. 22, 2009.

According to testimony heard on Oct. 4 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Kenora, at about 8:30 p.m. on the night in question, the two men encountered a bull moose on Deer Lake Road.  Philip Mineault stopped the truck the two men were driving in and Norman Mineault got out and shot the moose, which was running away from the two would-be hunters.

The legal hunting period for the day had closed about 45 minutes earlier.

A witness, approaching in another car, saw Norman Mineault shoot the wounded animal a second time, and reported the incident to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The Mineaults, as status First Nation members, are entitled to certain exemptions under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, but when hunting must do so in a safe manner.

Night hunting is illegal in Ontario, and hunters are reminded they may only hunt starting half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. 

Philip Mineault was also banned from hunting for one year.