Three London-area men have been fined $3,600 and received hunting bans for illegal bear hunting offences.

Andrew McCallum of Dutton pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for trespassing for the purpose of hunting and $200 for possessing two slot-sized walleye.

Michael Paton of Rodney pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for possessing an illegally killed black bear and $200 for making a false statement in his mandatory 2014 black bear hunt questionnaire.

Marc Blais of Wallacetown pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for trespassing for the purpose of hunting and $200 for failing to submit his mandatory 2014 black bear hunt questionnaire.

All three men are banned for one year from hunting bear in Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 40 where the offences occurred.

Court heard that in September 2014, conservation officers conducted an investigation after forestry staff from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry located bear baits and off-road vehicle tracks behind a locked gate on the Red Squirrel forest access road north of Temagami. The investigation revealed that McCallum and Blais had used ramps to get their off-road vehicle over the gate, an area where motorized vehicle use was prohibited, to access McCallum’s remote camp and place bear baits in the area. All three men subsequently hunted bear using the baits, and Blais harvested a bear.

Officers also discovered the carcasses of the two illegal walleye at one of the bait sites. Further investigation determined that Blais had not submitted his 2014 bear hunt questionnaire, while Paton had failed to report his hunting activity in WMU 40.

Justice of the Peace Eileen Walker heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Haileybury, on June 23, 2016.

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).