GERALDTON – Shane Druer of Oro-Medonte pleaded guilty to and was fined $3,000 for using a firearm carelessly to hunt, $1,000 for unlawfully hunting a moose without a licence, as well as being suspended from hunting in Ontario for five years.
Court heard that on October 13, 2019, Druer was hunting moose on Goldfield Road south of Geraldton when he harvested a bull moose. Druer had mistaken it for a cow moose, which his hunting party was licensed to hunt.
Upon realizing the mistake, a member of Druer’s hunt party contacted the MNR TIPS Line to report the wrongly shot moose. Conservation officers along with canine services unit investigated and discovered that Druer spotted the moose from an elevated view off the Goldfield Road. In haste, he fired two shots at the moose at long range, across a forest access road actively being used by other hunters and the forest industry at that time.
Justice of the Peace Denette Ellard heard the case from the Geraldton Ontario Court of Justice on October 6, 2021.
Conservation officers remind everyone that by respecting seasons, sanctuaries, bag and possession limits, we all help ensure our natural resources stay healthy. To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll free at 1-877-847-7667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/mnrftips.