3 fined for shooting moose decoy

Three United States residents have been fined a total of $10,000 for shooting at a moose decoy from a motorboat.
Geary Padden and Timothy Peterson of Duluth, Minnesota, and Christopher Freeman of Proctor, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting moose under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. Each received a two-year hunting suspension in addition to the fines.
The court heard that in 2008, Red Lake District conservation officers launched an investigation after receiving complaints of possible aircraft hunting. During the fall hunt of 2009, officers conducted surveillance in the area and observed activity supporting the complaints.
On October 8, 2010, conservation officers set up a moose decoy on Copper Lake, located 160 kilometres north of Red Lake. Over the course of several days, the officers observed aircraft flying the area. The day after the aircraft was spotted, a boat from a nearby hunting camp arrived. The officers watched Padden drive the boat toward the moose decoy while Peterson stood in the middle of the boat and shot twice. Freeman took two additional shots from the bow of the moving boat. Once the trio realized the moose was a decoy, they attempted to leave the area but were arrested by the conservation officers.
Justice of the Peace Roger C. McCraw heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Red Lake, on May 10, 2011.

The ministry reminds the public that it is illegal to have a loaded firearm in or on, or discharge a firearm from, an aircraft, vehicle or motorboat. Aircraft may not be used at all while hunting.
For further information on hunting regulations, please consult the 2010-2011 Hunting Regulations Summary, available at ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres, from licence issuers and at ontario.ca/hunting.

To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (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).