Hunter who shot deer enroute to work fined
BRACEBRIDGE — An Utterson hunter fined $5,000 for a pair of gun violations, has also lost the right to hunt for two years.
Daniel Vandenboorn pleaded guilty and was fined $4,000 for carelessly using a firearm to hunt and $1,000 for hunting at night.
In addition to the fines, he is suspended from hunting for two years and must retake and successfully pass the hunter safety course before being able to apply for another hunting licence.
Bracebridge court heard that on November 13, 2017, conservation officers received a complaint from the public regarding possible unsafe hunting activities.
Their investigation found Vandenboorn had been driving to work very early that morning in the dark along Windermere Road, northwest of the town of Bracebridge.
After observing a buck and a doe in his headlights, he stopped, exited his vehicle, loaded his high-powered rifle and shot the buck twice while both he and the deer were on the roadway.
In the process of loading the deer into his truck, Vandenboorn accidentally left his deer seal at the site, which, along with forensic DNA analysis, assisted officers in the case. The deer was forfeited to the Crown.
Justice of the Peace Linda Kay heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Bracebridge, on June 6, 2018.
The public is reminded that it is unlawful to discharge a firearm down or across a roadway, or without reasonable consideration for people and property. It is also illegal to hunt for big game animals at night. Firearms must be unloaded and encased from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.
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). And visit Ontario.ca/mnrftips to view an interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. You may be able to provide information that will help solve a case.
