Ontario Protects Moose from Illegal Hunting

Table of Contents

1. Content
2. Related Topics

The Ontario government is safeguarding moose populations by ensuring hunters take the time to identify their target before shooting.

John Poleschuk of Thunder Bay pleaded guilty to hunting bull moose without a licence, knowingly making a false statement to a conservation officer and being party to the offence of unlawfully invalidating a tag with respect to an animal killed by another person and was fined $7,250.

Joshua Stevenson of Napanee pleaded guilty to unlawfully invalidating a tag with respect to an animal killed by another person and for possessing illegally killed wildlife and was fined $2,500.

The court heard that on October 16, 2023 a conservation officer was conducting moose hunting enforcement in the Pakashkan Lake area and determined that Poleschuk had shot at a moose just prior to the end of legal hunting hours but was unable to locate the moose. Poleschuk was licensed to hunt cow moose in Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 15B at the time of the hunt. On the morning of October 17, 2023, Poleschuk located the moose he shot and determined he had shot a bull moose, which he was unlicensed to hunt. Rather than reporting the mistake to a conservation officer, Poleschuk sought out another hunter, Joshua Stevenson, and had Stevenson invalidate his WMU 15B bull moose tag on the animal to conceal the illegal harvest. Poleschuk then contacted the investigating officer and falsely informed the officer he had been unable to locate the moose. Further investigation revealed Poleschuk and Stevenson had not been party hunting in accordance with the regulations. The moose was seized.

Justice of the Peace Bernard Caron heard the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice, Thunder Bay, on April 3, 2024.

To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll free at 1-877-847-7667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/mnrtips.

Related Topics