MANITOULIN—The number of charges laid by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) continued the recent trend of increasing during this year’s annual rifle deer hunt on Manitoulin Island.
“Conservation officers issued 56 charges during the one-week Manitoulin Island deer gun hunt,” said Tawny Godin, an MNRF conservation officer (CO).” Some of the most common non-compliance issues that officers encountered were failing to invalidate a tag immediately after a kill and hunting big game without a licence.”
During the 2023 Manitoulin deer gun hunt, a total of 53 charges were laid, a significant increase over the 2022 total of 28 charges.
“Conservation officers seized 17 deer during the Manitoulin deer gun hunt,” said CO Godin. “Deer were donated locally to Indigenous community programs.”
Ms. Godin explained that 23 conservation officers, “attended Manitoulin Island this year to assist in the deer hunt. This year COs contacted 730 hunters during the hunt.”
“It was a good harvest this year,” said Ms. Godin. “It was nice to see families and friends enjoying the outdoors while hunting. More detailed harvest numbers will be collected through the mandatory deer hunting surveys. Conservation officers are reminding hunters to ensure they take the time at the end of the season to fill out their harvest reports.”
Ms. Godin added that during the hunt MNR, “Conservation officers along with members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the members of the Ministry of Transportation conducted a road check to enforce public safety and natural resource legislation.”
