For the most part, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said recently, hunters in the northeast are following all the rules.
Conservation officers checked moose and deer hunters in two separate two-week periods during October and November, in enforcement blitzes extending from the Ontario-Quebec border in the east to Sault Ste. Marie in the west. Officers were checking for compliance with regulations, in particular those designed to ensure safe hunting, during moose and deer hunting seasons.
Officers checked approximately 2,400 moose hunters and 542 deer hunters. A total of 185 warnings were issued and 162 charges were laid for offences, including: failure to wear hunter orange; carrying loaded firearms in vehicles and vessels; failing to wear a helmet while on an all-terrain vehicle; hunting without the appropriate licence; possessing unencased firearms at night; failing to stop for a conservation officer; trespassing to hunt; failing to attach a game seal to deer; and, liquor-related violations.
If you've got questions about hunting regulations in Ontario, the province has answers. You can find the Hunting Regulations Summary here. www.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).
