A Kenora, Ontario, man has been fined $3,500 and banned from hunting in the province for three years for shooting a fake moose.
Conservation officers placed the decoy on the side of the road, after the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry received reports of shots being fired from roads north of Dryden. Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s illegal to discharge a firearm on or across a public roadway in Ontario.
According to reports, the man saw the decoy on the side of the road, exited his vehicle, and proceeded to shoot at the fake moose while standing on the road. He pleaded guilty to careless discharge of a firearm in provincial court last week.
This isn’t the first time roadside decoys have been used to nab irresponsible hunters—wildlife officials in the U.S. have been using them to catch poachers for decades, handing out countless citations in the process.
In fact, a robotic deer decoy in Georgia had to be replaced after it was shot more than 1,000 times.
In addition to paying the fine and being suspended from hunting, the Kenora man will be required to take the Ontario Hunter Education Course before he’s able to renew his hunting licence.
Related Story How many moose are hiding in the woods?
Related Story Parks Canada warns public not to let moose lick cars