THUNDER BAY – Seven Ontario men have been fined a total of $19,250 for moose hunting offences.
Michael Glofcheskie of Barry’s Bay pleaded guilty and was fined $3,000 for hunting moose without a licence, $1,500 for attaching a calf game seal to a cow moose, $1,000 for possessing illegally killed wildlife and $1,000 for making a false statement to a conservation officer. Glofcheskie also received a one-year hunting suspension.
Patrick Kuiack of Barry’s Bay pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for failing to leave his game seal attached to a moose while it was in transport, $1,000 for possessing illegally killed wildlife and $1,000 for making a false statement to a conservation officer.
Richard Strack of Barry’s Bay pleaded guilty and was fined $1,500 for using a void game seal and $1,000 for possessing illegally killed wildlife.
Garry Chapeskie, Kevin Chapeskie and Robert Cybulski, all of Barry’s Bay, pleaded guilty and were each fined $1,000 for possessing illegally killed wildlife and $750 for making a false statement to a conservation officer.
Vincent Strack of Sault Ste. Marie pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for possessing illegally killed wildlife and $1,000 for making a false statement to a conservation officer.
Court heard that on October 24, 2016, the men were hunting as a party and had a licence to hunt one cow moose. Kevin Chapeskie harvested a cow moose. A short time later, Glofcheskie shot a second cow moose. The hunters used the valid game seal to transport one cow moose to their camp. They then reused the game seal to transport the second moose. On October 25, 2016, members of the hunting group were contacted by a conservation officer on Brule Creek Road, west of Thunder Bay. The hunters told the officer they were transporting a calf moose. It was determined that the animal was a cow moose. An investigation determined that members of the hunting group were trying to conceal the fact that they had harvested two cow moose and reused a game seal. Both moose were seized and forfeited to the Crown.
Justice of the Peace Denette Maslach heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Thunder Bay, on April 5, 2017.
For further information on hunting regulations, please consult the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary available at ontario.ca/hunting.
To report a natural resources violation, call the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 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).
