An Angus man’s wallet is $2,000 lighter after a hunting violation.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says officers set up a turkey decoy operation on private property next to Lucky Road in Utterson in late April. The decoy was targeting both unsafe hunting practices and complaints about trespassing in that area.
After seeing it Joseph Beirness got out of his vehicle, went on to posted private property and shot once at the decoy. He pleaded guilty to trespassing to hunt earlier this month in a Bracebridge court. The MNRF is reminding people that you must get a property owner’s permission ahead of time to hunt on their land.
If you’d like to report something to the MNRF, you can call its tip line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time or get in touch with your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). There’s also a searchable, interactive map of unsolved cases at the ministry’s website, which your information may help close.