SD&G – Three men from SD&G have been fined for their involvement in a scheme to cover up the illegal killing of a female moose near two hunting camps in 2013.
A Brockville man, considered to be the mastermind behind the plan, was fined a total of $2,000 for illegally shooting and keeping a female moose during a hunting trip three years ago, north of North Bay.
David Bodhaine pleaded guilty in court and was fined $1,000 for unlawful hunting and $1,000 for unlawful possession.
His hunting licence was also suspended for two years.
Court heard Bodhaine was part of a group at the Ten Penny Hunt Camp at Rabbit Lake near Temagami in October 2013 when he shot and killed a cow moose, for which he didn’t have a tag.
Through a scheme, a native at a neighbouring camp (Sand Dam Hunt Camp), Brian Kitchen, was asked to claim the moose under his aboriginal rights, which he did.
Others were fined for being a party to the plan in some form or another, as the moose was dressed out and then transported to an area, southeast of North Bay (Corbeil).
The deed was discovered when a conservation officer did a routine check.
Here’s how the balance of fines were handed out:
- Brian Kitchen of Corbeil – fined $1,500 for unlawful possession and not permitted to hunt with non-Indigenous people for two years
- Robert Constante of Brampton – fined $1,000 for unlawful possession and providing false information
- Randy Bouchard of Ingleside – fined $500 for unlawful possession
- Roger Crites of Ingleside – fined $500 for unlawful possession
- Nathan St. Louis of Cornwall – fined $250 for unlawful possession
- John Bos of Astorville – fined $500 for unlawful possession
- Doug Coughlin of Oro Station – fined $500 for unlawful possession
- Bradley Fleming of Brampton – fined $500 for unlawful possession
- William Taylor of Codrington – fined $500 for unlawful possession
The fines total $7,750.