Ontario is cracking down on unsafe and illegal hunting.

The Ministry of Natural Resources announced that a Lakefield man pleaded guilty to carelessly shooting a gun while hunting and trespassing on Crown Land

The man received $5,500 in fines and a five-year licence suspension. He must also complete a hunter education course.

According to MNR, a Peterborough court heard that an altercation took place between the man and another group of hunters on October 1st. He then fired a 12-gauge shotgun across a pond, hitting one hunter and damaging the group’s decoys. He also claimed to be on private property, when he was, in fact, on Crown land.

MNR says if you experience a similar problem while you’re hunting, you can report it to the Ministry’s TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 or report it online to ontario.ca/mnrftips.

You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.