INTERPROVINCIAL COOPERATION LEADS TO CONVICTIONS
April 8, 2009
A Quebec man has been fined $1400 for a number of deer hunting offences.
Jean Mercier, 41, of St. Zotique, Quebec, has been fined $1400 for trespassing to hunt, failing to tag a deer, transporting illegally killed wildlife, possession of illegally killed wildlife, and exporting 2 deer without a permit. He has also been prohibited from hunting in Ontario for one year and all deer meat seized was forfeited.
Ontario Conservation Officers responded to a hunting complaint on November 5, 2008, in South Glengarry Township. The investigation revealed that Mercier had shot a deer near Glen Nevis and transported it to Quebec. Wildlife Officers with Environment Canada, Wildlife Enforcement Division were contacted to assist with the investigation. The latter conducted search warrants in Quebec and recovered blood, hair and deer meat from the suspect and from a butcher shop. Ontario officers located the kill site near Glen Nevis and collected DNA evidence. The investigation also revealed that Mercier was hunting in Ontario on December 1, 2008, and shot a second deer which was also taken to Quebec. The shooting of this deer was also illegal and Wildlife Officers with the Environment Canada, Wildlife Enforcement Division executed a second search warrant to recover that deer.
DNA evidence recovered from the hunting sites was matched to that recovered during the execution of the search warrants, which was crucial in obtaining convictions in this case.
Justice of the Peace Linda Leblanc heard the case on April 8, 2009, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall.
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