THUNDER BAY – Three Minnesota residents have been fined a total of $6,000 for trapping violations.
Jason Dalaska of Dodge Center, Jacob Sorensen of Mantorville, and Andrew Wendt of Byron each pleaded guilty and were fined $1,000 for trapping without a licence and $1,000 for unlawfully possessing body-gripping traps.
Court heard that on February 10, 2018, a Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conservation officer on patrol discovered numerous traps and snares set along a portage trail between two lakes. Further investigation, with the assistance of a Minnesota conservation officer, determined that the traps and snares were set collectively by Dalaska, Sorensen, and Wendt, none of whom were licensed to trap fur-bearing mammals in Ontario.
Justice of the Peace John Guthrie heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Thunder Bay, on May 16, 2018.
The ministry reminds the public that it is illegal to trap fur-bearing mammals or possess body-gripping traps without a license.
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). And visit Ontario.ca/mnrftips to view an interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. You may be able to provide information that will help solve a case.
