September 19, 2017
From Matt Hermiz, BashoreBoadcasting.ca
Taking aim at the wrong type of bird resulted in more than $1,500 in fines for a Grey County man.
Joe Stutzman of Chatsworth pleaded guilty in an Owen Sound court last Sept. 13 for hunting a migratory bird without a permit, and for discharging a firearm without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for people or property.
He was fined a total of $1,500 for offences under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and Migratory Birds Convention Act.
Also, he’s not allowed to hunt in Ontario for one year.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says in a release, Stutzman was hunting wild turkey in Chatsworth, when he shot and killed an American robin.
A conservation officer heard the gunshot and attended the site.
An investigation found that Stutzman shot the robin without a permit.
He was also found to have discharged his firearm in the direction of farming tractors, a ministry of enforcement truck and the roadway.
Justice of the Peace Holly Charyna heard the case.
“It is illegal to use and discharge a firearm without due care and attention for people and property,” explains a Ministry of Natural Resources release. “Hunters must always be certain of their intended target and beyond.”