The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wants to remind trappers that use of illegal traps and baiting practices can cause unintended injury to some animals.
As a result of a tip from the public in March, Peterborough conservation officers and the ministry’s Canine Unit launched an investigation. They found a bait pile surrounded by suspended cable snares on a property in Havelock. The bait consisted of carcasses of white-tailed deer that were killed in vehicle collisions and were brought there by the property owner. During the investigation, a dog from the Canine Unit became entangled in one of the non-relaxing cable snares but was not injured.
On September 12, 2019 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough, Brandon Gatien of Havelock and Joshua Shannick of Hastings were fined a total of $3,000 by Justice of the Peace Jason Mariasine for trapping related offences under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Gatien pleaded guilty to unlawfully trapping a furbearing mammal without a licence and unlawfully keeping a white-tailed deer carcass without notifying MNRF of the acquisition. He was fined $1,000 for each offence.
Shannick, who had a trapping licence, pleaded guilty to using a non-relaxing cable restraint in an area of the province where it is prohibited to do so. He was fined $1,000 and the 10 cable snares he used, along with the pelt of a fox he had caught, were permanently forfeited to the Crown.
Ministry conservation officers work tirelessly to help make sure we can all enjoy Ontario’s natural resources in a safe and respectful manner. To report a natural resource violation, call the ministry TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free, or contact your local ministry office. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
We need your help to solve cases. Please visit ontario.ca/mnrftips to view an interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. You may have valuable information that can help.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
