A Sturgeon Falls man has been fined a total of $4,000 for hunting offences under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

Eric Giroux pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm across a highway and trespassing for the purpose of hunting. He was fined $2,000 for each offence. He also received a two-year hunting suspension.

Court heard that on November 2, 2015, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry received a report that a man had shot a deer from across Highway 539, north of Sturgeon Falls. A ministry conservation officer and the canine unit attended the scene. Their investigation determined that Giroux was traveling on Highway 539 when he saw a deer on private property, alongside the highway. He parked on the highway’s shoulder and shot across the highway at the deer. He did not have permission to hunt on the private property.

Justice of the Peace Monique Mechefske heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Sturgeon Falls, on September 18, 2017.

For further information on hunting regulations, please consult the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary available at ontario.ca/hunting.

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).