Two men from Leamington plead guilty in court following unsafe hunting practices.
On October 16, 2022, conservation officers conducted a deer decoy operation in Nestor Falls. Approximately 30 minutes before legal hunting time, a vehicle stopped, and the two men exited the car and shot at the decoy seven times using high-powered rifles.
After the shooting had stopped, the one man placed his loaded firearm back into the vehicle. Through investigation, it was revealed that the same man had harvested an antlerless deer in 2021 in the Nestor Falls area using an improper tag.
The one man pleaded guilty in court for hunting at night, careless hunting, having a loaded firearm in a vehicle, and hunting big game without a licence. As a result, he was fined $10,000 and received a two-year hunting suspension.
The second man also pleaded guilty to hunting at night and careless hunting. As a result, he was fined $7,500 and received a two-year hunting suspension.
Both men are now required to complete the Ontario Hunter Education Course again before being able to purchase another hunting licence.
The Ontario government is safeguarding people from unsafe hunting practices by ensuring people follow the regulations pertaining to road and night hunting.