The Ontario government is safeguarding deer populations by ensuring hunters use valid tags and comply with provincial hunting regulations.
John Bak of Durham pleaded guilty to unlawfully claiming to have killed a deer which was killed by another hunter and to providing a false statement to a conservation officer. Bak received a fine of $2,500 and is suspended from hunting antler-less deer for two years.
Doug Bell of Durham pleaded guilty to hunting deer without a licence, hunting deer with a center-fire rifle in an archery and muzzleloading guns only season and gun hunting without the proper firearms licensing accreditation. Bell received a fine of $6,000 and is suspended from hunting antler-less deer for two years.
The court heard that on December 4, 2024, a conservation officer working in the Municipality of West Grey contacted Bak and Bell exiting a rural property. Through the investigation that followed, it was determined Bak and Bell had enacted a premeditated plan to falsely represent their hunting activity. Bak was found in possession of a muzzleloading firearm and claimed that he had just shot an antler-less deer. Bell denied hunting, or possessing any firearms, and produced an antlered only deer tag.
Upon attending the kill site of an antler-less deer, the conservation officer discovered a loaded centerfire rifle in a hunting blind nearby. It was determined that Bell had killed the deer with the center-fire rifle. Bell was not licensed to hunt antler-less deer or possess firearms.
After killing the deer, Bell contacted Bak to attend and assist with covering up the illegal hunt. Bak attended the kill site, in possession of his muzzleloading firearm, planning to invalidate his antler-less deer tag and falsely claimed to have killed the deer. Bak had not been participating in the hunt at the time of the kill.
Justice of the Peace Gordon Chaput and Justice of the Peace Moira J. Callahan heard the cases separately in the Ontario Court of Justice, Owen Sound, on February 3 and March 24, 2025.
To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll free at 1-877-847-7667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/mnrtips.
