A King Township man and a Richmond Hill man pleaded guilty to night hunting offences and were fined a total of $6,000 under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

Steven Lazzaro pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting at night and using a light at night to hunt and was fined $2,500 for each count.

Theofanis Goboitsios pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting at night and was fined $1,000. The court heard that on December 14, 2012, conservation officers found Lazzaro and Goboitsios in a large tree stand with flood lights shining over a bait pile on Lazzaro’s property. They had in their possession a loaded crossbow approximately one hour after the legal hunting time ended.

Justice of the Peace Abdul Malik heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Newmarket, on April 5, 2013.

The Ministry of Natural Resources reminds hunters that they may only hunt from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, with some exceptions for small game.

For further information on hunting regulations, please consult the 2012-2013 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).