RED LAKE – Two Michigan men have been fined a total of $1,500 for bear hunting offences.
Philip Graver of Mackinaw City pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for hunting black bear without a licence.
Gerald Krueger of Carp Lake pleaded guilty and was fined $500 for attaching his seal to a black bear killed by another person.
Court heard that on September 21, 2016, conservation officers were conducting an aerial patrol in a remote area northwest of Red Lake. During a routine inspection of an outpost camp, it was determined that Graver had shot a black bear without a valid non-resident black bear hunting licence. Further investigation determined that Krueger, who was licensed to hunt black bears, unlawfully attached his seal to the bear that had been shot illegally. The black bear was seized and permanently forfeited to the Crown.
Justice of the Peace Daisy Hoppe heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Red Lake on January 25, 2017.
The ministry reminds the public that in order to party hunt lawfully for a particular species of game, every member of the party must be licensed to hunt that species.
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).