The MNRF says, in a news release today, that Paul Girard of Gravenhurst pleaded guilty to hunting turkey without a licence and was fined $2,000.
Girard also pleaded guilty to an additional count of hunting turkey without a licence, two counts of transporting illegally obtained wildlife and two counts of using a firearm to hunt turkey that is not permitted by regulations.
He received a suspended sentence. The firearm was seized and forfeited to the Crown.
The court heard that in May 2021, a conservation officer began the investigation after becoming aware that Girard harvested two wild turkeys in the Gravenhurst area without a licence.
The investigation found that Girard shot two turkeys in May of 2020 on a friend’s property. In addition to not having a licence for either bird, the investigation further revealed that Girard was using a shotgun not permitted by regulations.
Justice of the Peace William Turtle heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Bracebridge, on August 11.
The MNRF is reminding hunters that wild turkey hunting regulations such as firearms restrictions and the requirement for licences are in place to help sustain the wild turkey populations.
