Officials are reminding hunters they must have proper licences and tags and use the correct methods of harvest.
Steve Ouellet of Trout Creek, pleaded guilty to hunting moose without a licence and possessing unlawfully killed wildlife. He was fined $10,000 and is prohibited from hunting big game in Ontario for one year. The Air Saber used to illegally kill the moose was forfeited to the Crown.
Roch Michaud of North Bay pleaded guilty to possessing unlawfully killed wildlife and was fined $1,500.
Patrick Ouellet of Cache Bay pleaded guilty to possessing unlawfully killed wildlife and was fined $730.
The court heard that conservation officers received a tip that Steve Ouellet had illegally killed a moose in November 2023. The investigation led officers to his property where a search warrant was executed.
Along with tracking down the exact location of the kill site and seizing the weapon used to kill the moose, officers located moose meat, blood, hair, and the remains of the butchered moose.
Michaud later helped with the retrieval and processing of the meat. Patrick Ouellet assisted with processing and also possessed some of the meat.
During the investigation, conservation officers used the specialized services of both the ministry’s canine unit and a drone.
Justice of the Peace Madeleine Paul heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, North Bay, on June 27, 2024.
