Conservation officers are asking for the public’s assistance after a moose was found shot, butchered and abandoned north of Sault Ste. Marie, the second such incident of illegal wasting in northern Ontario in recent weeks. On Sept. 29, the Ministry of Natural Resources discovered an adult moose killed and dumped in Gaudette Township. Officials say the incident is similar to another case observed near Timmins just one day later. “Behaviour like this is unacceptable, and it is only contributing to declining moose populations in our region,” said MNR conservation officer Marty Ellis. Evidence points to pickup truck used in dumping According to the ministry, officers discovered the skinned and quartered moose on the north side of Leonard Lake Road, near kilometre 2, hidden behind some tall grass. “We discovered that tire tracks were coming from the Leonard Lake Road. They stopped. They backed into the grass along the bush line and dumped the quarter moose out of the back of their full-size pickup truck,” said Ellis. The conservation officer described the state of the animal, noting it appeared ready for processing. “This moose had been shot, hung. The hide was removed. They quartered it,” said Ellis. “It was ready to go to the butcher shop and for whatever reason, this individual or individuals, decided to dump it into the bush for it to rot.” Potential impact on legal hunting Ministry officials said that the illegal killing and wasting of game animals has consequences that extend beyond the single act, potentially affecting law-abiding hunters across the province. “What this is doing is taking breeding animals out of the healthy moose population we have, and it’s in turn, going to potentially reduce the number of tags we’re allowed to issue to legal, upstanding hunters in Ontario moving forward,” said Ellis. The ministry says the parties responsible may be fined up to $10,000 and could face hunting bans in Ontario. Conservation officers are looking for information to assist with their investigation –specifically, they are seeking information from anyone who was in the Gaudette area in late September that may have witnessed the moose kill or dumping. They are also asking individuals with dash-cam footage from that period, or those who have trail cameras in the area, to come forward. “We’re looking for somebody driving a full-size pickup truck in that area of Searchmont and north of Searchmont on the 28th and 29th,” said Ellis. To report a natural resource problem or provide information about this or other unsolved cases, call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667, contact your local ministry office, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously. For more information about unsolved cases, click here. RELATED STORIES:
