Huntsville Forester

MAGNETAWAN – Illegally harvesting a moose has cost three hunters $3,750 after sharing a game seal.

Justice of the Peace Pat Tennant sentenced David Andrus of Port Hope, Richard Kean of Orillia and Bradley Kean of Barrie in Parry Sound on March 27.

Court heard that Bradley was unable to use his bull moose tag during the 2011 moose hunt and gave his game seal to Richard, who took the seal to his hunt camp in Ferrie Township, north of Magnetawan.

Andrus, a member of the hunting party, shot and killed the bull moose and Bradley’s game seal was attached to it. The seal remained attached while the moose was transported to the butcher.

Andrus pleaded guilty to hunting moose without a licence and was fined $1,000.

Richard pleaded guilty to possessing a seal issued to another person, using a component of a licence issued to someone else, and possessing illegally killed wildlife. He received a fine of $2,000 and a one-year hunting suspension.

Bradley pleased guilty to enabling someone else to use a component of his licence and was fined $750.

According to Ministry of Natural Resources enforcement supervisor Paul Van Schyndel, this could have been avoided.

“There are ways in the system if you can’t make it up to the hunt, you can transfer, but it all has to be done before the actual hunting season starts,” he said. “You can legally transfer it or you can play this game and they played this game and got caught.”

Van Schyndel says the transfer must take place before the hunting season for the unit starts and can be done through any Service Ontario location that sells hunting and fishing licences. There is a form that must be completed by both parties.

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