Northern Ont. hunter fined, suspended for abandoned moose

Conservation officer Ron Arnold talks about a northern Ontario man who pleaded guilty to illegally killing and abandoning a moose in Sargeant Township.

A Sturgeon Falls man has been fined and handed a hunting suspension after pleading guilty to illegally killing and abandoning a moose in northern Ontario.

Robert Thibeault was fined $500 for hunting big game without a licence and an additional $4,000 for unlawfully abandoning wildlife. He also received a three-year hunting licence suspension.

The charges stem from an October 2023 incident in Sargeant Township near the Ontario-Quebec border. Conservation officers responded to a tip submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources TIPS line and found a shot and abandoned cow moose.

The Ontario Court of Justice heard how a lengthy investigation involving the ministry’s canine unit, multiple interviews, and the execution of a search warrant at Thibeault’s residence was carried out following the tip.

“The investigation led Thibeault to confessing of shooting and abandoning the cow moose,” the ministry said in a court bulletin.

Justice of the Peace Estelle Bérubé presided over the case, which was heard in Cochrane on March 4.

In the bulletin, ministry officials said, “The Ontario government is safeguarding moose populations by ensuring hunters follow the rules when hunting.”

To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.

For more information about unsolved cases, click here.