SUDBURY -- A Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) investigation has resulted in three men from southern Ontario being fined a total of $10,000 for moose hunting violations in the north from two years ago.

Three men were moose hunting in the Silver Dollar area in northwestern Ontario, more than 150 km east of Dryden, on Oct. 17, 2018.

MNRF said during the hunt, one of the men, from New Lowell, Ont., drove a moose calf from the forest into the ditch of Highway 599, where another man, from Kilworthy, Ont., shot it twice, down and across the highway.

The group only had a valid tag for a cow and calf season was not open at the time, so after the men discovered the mistake, they abandoned it.

"While driving home the next day, the men deposited the rifle in a lake along the route in an effort to obstruct the investigation," the MNRF said in a news release Friday.

The case against the man from New Lowell was heard in Barrie on Jan. 24. He was fined $750 for making a false statement to a conservation officer.

However, following a court hearing Nov. 24 in Bracebridge, the other two men have had their hunting licenses suspended for a year, but can take the Ontario Hunter Education Course to apply for another one.

The man from Kilworthy was fined $5,250:

  • $1,500 for discharging a firearm down a road
  • $1,000 for shooting a calf during the closed season
  • $1,000 for abandoning the calf
  • $1,000 for obstruction
  • $750 for making a false statement to a conservation officer

The third man, from Toronto, was fined $4,000:

  • $1,500 for discharging a firearm down a road
  • $1,000 for shooting a calf during the closed season
  • $1,500 for making a false statement to a conservation officer twice

The MNRF reminds hunters that shooting across a road is both dangerous and illegal.

MNRF conservation officers continue to patrol during the current COVID-19 pandemic and said that by respecting seasons, sanctuaries, bag and possession limits we can help ensure our natural resources stay healthy.

To report a natural resource violation or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll free at 1-877-847-7667 or contact your local ministry office. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/mnrftips.