Pair of Ontario Men Fined for Illegal Deer Hunting Scheme

In a quiet rural corner of West Grey, Ontario, two men from Durham found themselves in legal trouble after orchestrating a deceptive hunting scheme that ultimately backfired on the would-be poachers. 

On December 4th of last year, a conservation officer encountered the pair exiting a rural property, uncovering a plot to conceal an illegal deer hunt. The encounter began when one man, armed with a muzzleloading firearm, claimed he had just shot an antlerless deer and presented a valid antlerless deer tag. The officer, acting on a hunch, then asked the men to take him to the deceased animal where the officer later discovered a loaded centerfire rifle hidden inside a hunting blind. After applying some pressure, the men later admitted that the man who claimed to have not been hunting actually killed the deer with the rifle. 

The investigation went on to reveal that the man who killed the deer was unlicensed to hunt antlerless deer or possess firearms. In an attempt to cover their tracks, the unlicensed hunter contacted his accomplice to misrepresent the kill to the conservation officer. This premeditated deception unraveled under scrutiny, leading to charges for both individuals.

The case reached its conclusion in the Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound, where the men pleaded guilty on February 3 and March 24, 2025 in two separate hearings. As a result of the incident, the first man, who attempted to cover up the kill for his friend, is facing a $2,500 fine and is suspended from hunting for two years. 

The second man, who killed the deer without a license, pleaded guilty to hunting deer without a license, hunting deer with a centerfire rifle in an archery or muzzleloading only season and gun hunting without the proper firearms licensing accreditation. He was hit with $6,000 worth of fines and is also suspended from hunting for an additional two years.

The Province of Ontario publicized the case on July 4th as part of its broader campaign to deter illegal hunting practices.