The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry would like to remind hunters that it is illegal to reuse tags and hunt without a licence.
On September 7, 2019, the MNRF TIPS line received information regarding a group of bear hunters off the Tilton Lake Road in Sudbury.
Conservation officers responded and stopped a vehicle leaving the area with a freshly killed bear.
An investigation determined that the day before, Ronald Hicks of St. Mary’s harvested a bear while party hunting with Ryan Hicks of Granton. Ronald had previously used his bear tag during the spring bear hunt and was hunting under the other man’s tag. Following the harvest of the bear, the men decided not to tag it so that Ryan could continue to hunt the following day. The next day Ryan Hicks returned to bear hunt, harvested a bear and used his tag at that time.
On November 8, 2019, both men pleaded guilty to a number of charges under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act in Sudbury Provincial Offences Court, before Justice of the Peace Monique Seguin.
Ronald Hicks was fined $1,500 for failing to invalidate the tag after harvest and $200 for failing to carry documentation while hunting. The tags that hunters receive with their licences must be marked with the date and time that the animal was harvested. This prevents the tags from being re-used and provides conservation officers with information about when the animal was taken.
Ryan Hicks was fined $500 for failing to invalidate the tag after harvest and $1,000 for hunting bear without a licence.
Both men are suspended from hunting bears for one year.
Ministry conservation officers work tirelessly to help make sure we can all enjoy Ontario’s natural resources in a safe and respectful manner.
This case is a result of the public’s help. 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
