Three Thunder Bay men and a Toronto resident were collectively fined $8,000 after a cow moose was shot and killed “without following party hunting rules” about two years ago.
A provincial investigation determined that Toronto resident Carlos DeSousa shot the moose without a licence in late October of 2023 during a hunting trip in provincial wildlife management unit 15B, north of Thunder Bay
On Oct. 17, 2023, a provincial news release said, DeSousa and Thunder Bay residents Calvin Fors, Larry Moore and Ben Nurmela were stopped by conservation officers regarding a cow moose on Highway 11-17 near Kakabeka Falls.
Officers confirmed through an investigation “one of the hunters lacked immediate and reliable communication with the other hunters when the moose was harvested,” the news release said.
DeSousa was fined $5,000, the release said. Fors and Moore were fined $1,500 and $1,000 respectively for possessing illegally killed wildlife, while Nurmela was fined $500 for “unlawfully invalidating a tag on a killed animal,” the news release said.
All four accused pleaded guilty to their offences earlier this year in Thunder Bay court.
Suspected wildlife violations can be reported to a dedicated tips line by calling 1-877-847-7667.
