Northeast Enforcement Blitz Leads to Charges and Animal Seizures
Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers laid almost 300 charges and seized illegally harvested animals, including 44 moose, during a northeast enforcement blitz.
From October 10 to 23, 2010, conservation officers checked more than 6,500 hunters and uncovered 520 violations leading to 291 charges and 229 warnings. The blitz coincided with the opening of the regular gun season for moose in much of the northeast region.
Charges were laid for a range of offences, including:
- having loaded firearms in vehicles and boats
- unlawful possession of firearms at night
- hunting without a licence
- trespassing to hunt
- hunting without validation tags and unlawful hunting of moose, and
- careless hunting.
Special emphasis was placed on regulations pertaining to safe hunting practices, including the requirement that hunters wear hunter orange. Some hunters were found wearing an inadequate amount of orange or none at all. In addition, hunters were found to have loaded firearms in motor vehicles or to have discharged firearms in or across roadways, which is a safety concern. Incidents of using a firearm at night were also reported.
For more information on hunting regulations, please consult the 2010 Hunting Regulations Summary available from licence issuers, ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres and on the ministry’s website at ontario.ca/hunting.
To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (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).
Ken Ukrainetz, Hearst District, 705-372-2220
