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Enforcement blitz leads to 200 charges and animal seizures

MNR News Release *********************** Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers laid over 200 charges and seized illegally hunted animals, including 23 moose during an enforcement blitz in the northeast The targeted area extended from th
Kate Adams
MNR News Release

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Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers laid over 200 charges and seized illegally hunted animals, including 23 moose during an enforcement blitz in the northeast

The targeted area extended from the Hudson Bay and James Bay coasts in the north, to the French and Mattawa rivers in the south, and from the Ontario-Quebec border in the east to Lake Superior and Manitouwadge in the west. Areas that provided data were Chapleau, Cochrane, Hearst, Kirkland Lake, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins and Wawa.

From October 11 to 25, 2009, conservation officers checked over 2,800 hunters and uncovered 409 violations leading to 217 charges and 192 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
• careless hunting.

Special emphasis was placed on regulations pertaining to safe hunting practices and regulations requiring hunters to 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 discharged firearms from a motor vehicle, which is a safety concern. Incidents of using a firearm at night were also reported from field officers.

For more information on hunting regulations, please consult the 2009 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).

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