U.S. man fined nearly $29K, gets 10-year Ontario hunting ban for illegal moose kill

U.S. man fined $28,750, received 10-year Ontario hunting ban after being found guilty of shooting moose from road, lacking cow tag and fleeing to Wisconsin.

An American man has been fined nearly $29,000 and handed a decade-long hunting ban after being found guilty of illegally killing a moose near Pickle Lake, Ont.

Larry Szura of New Auburn, Wis., was found guilty of discharging a firearm down the travelled portion of a roadway, hunting moose without a licence and possessing illegally killed wildlife. He was fined $28,750.

In addition to the financial penalty, he received a 10-year suspension of his Ontario hunting licence, effectively barring him from legally hunting anywhere in province for a full decade.

Moose carcass found along roadway

The Ontario Court of Justice heard that on Oct. 3, 2023, conservation officers located a cow moose carcass along Nort Road, north of Pickle Lake, with evidence suggesting it had been killed while standing on the roadway.

“An investigation determined Szura had unlawfully killed the moose on Sept. 29, 2023, by shooting down the travelled portion of the road with a high-powered rifle,” the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a recent court bulletin.

Ministry officials said Szura did not have a valid cow tag and subsequently travelled over 13 kilometres to his hunting partner, who was not aware Szura was out hunting, and convinced the tag holder to invalidate their tag on the unlawful harvest.

“Szura immediately left the area and returned to the United States the next morning,” the MNR wrote in the bulletin.

The case was heard Dec. 11, 2025, in Dryden before Justice of the Peace Pat Clysdale-Cornell.

Ministry highlights case online

Conservation officer Ron Arnold summarized the outcome in a social media video released alongside the court bulletin.

“A male individual from New Auburn, Wis., was found guilty of discharging a firearm down the traveled portion of a roadway, hunting moose without a license and possessing illegally killed wildlife. He was fined $28,750 and received a 10-year hunting license suspension,” he said.

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.

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