Ontario Trio Fined $11,000 for illegal Moose Hunt from Boat in No-Hunting Zone

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Three individuals hailing from Northern Ontario are confronting severe punitive actions having admitted to unlawfully hunting moose from a watercraft during the previous autumn, an incident that took place in an area where they were forbidden to hunt.

Eric Plouffe, a resident of Red Lake, and Dylan Auger of Dryden, were legally permitted to hunt a bull in Wildlife Management Unit 2. However, they proceeded to hunt a moose near Alford Lake in Wildlife Management Unit 3 dated October 9, 2022. This detail was released to the public by the province itself.


According to the jurisdictional authority for the management of natural resources and forestry in Ontario, the moose was slain from a motorboat.

In his criminal proceedings, Plouffe was found to be hunting moose unlawfully and unlawfully firing a firearm from a water vessel, to which he pleaded guilty. His punishment was a fine equating to $5,000, and an additional prohibition of acquiring, applying, or being in possession of a hunting license for a single year.

Auger, too, admitted his guilt of unlawfully hunting moose and invalidating a tag unlawfully in an animal that was not identical as specified, which resulted in a fine of $4,000 in total.

A third individual involved was Robert Plouffe from Hearst, Ontario. Without possessing a hunting license, he too took part in the illegal hunt, admitted his guilt, and was fined $2,000.

Justice of Peace Pat Clysdale-Cornell, who carried out the hearing remotely from Kenora, adjudicated over the case on August 23.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) in Ontario defended its severe actions against hunting violations, stating that the government of Ontario is protecting the moose population and ensuring safe hunting practices.

Ontario’s governing body has called the public to report any issues related to natural resources. They have reached out to citizens to provide information on unresolved cases, through their toll-free TIPS line. To preserve anonymity, the public can also reach out to Crime Stoppers.

For further details about unresolved cases, it is advised to visit the Ministry’s website.