KENORA – An American resident has been fined $4,000 for hunting offences under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Steven Evonsion, of East Hartland, Connecticut, pleaded guilty and was fined $3,000 for firing a high-powered rifle without due care and attention to people or property. He also pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for discharging a firearm from a vehicle. Additionally, he received a two-year hunting suspension and will be required to take the Ontario Hunter Education Course before he can purchase a hunting licence in Ontario again.
The Court in Kenora before Justice of the Peace Roger McCraw heard that on October 30, 2017, conservation officers had placed a white-tailed deer decoy on the Tri-Lake road located in the Nestor Falls area, in response to public complaints about unsafe hunting in that area. Evonsion was travelling in a vehicle when he saw the deer decoy. He fired four shots at the decoy down the road where he could not see oncoming traffic. The first two shots were taken from the vehicle while the second two shots were taken while he was standing on the road.
The case was heard in the Ontario Court of Justice, Kenora, on March 6, 2018.
The ministry reminds the public that it is illegal and unsafe to shoot from, down or across a public road and to discharge a firearm from a vehicle.
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).
