The Ministry of Natural Resources said on Dec. 12 that four people from southern Ontario have been fined a total of $10,500 for moose hunting violations in Highlands East.
They said Jason Atherton of St. Catharines pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting a cow moose without a licence and unlawfully using a moose tag issued to someone else.
He was fined $4,500 and received a oneyear hunting licence suspension.
Jeffery Atherton of Dundas, Joseph Burton of Ramara, and Mark Thompson of Orillia each pleaded guilty to unlawfully transporting wildlife. All three were fined $2,000 each.
The Ontario Court of Justice heard that, on Oct. 23, 2024, conservation officers conducted an inspection at a moose hunting camp on Hadlington Road in Monmouth Township and determined that Jason Atherton had shot an adult cow moose the day before and used another group member’s tag. That group member was not present or actively participating in the hunt on that date and the group failed to meet the proper requirements of party hunting.
Jeffery Atherton, Burton and Thompson loaded the moose the following morning and transported it to a location in the Hamilton area where they skinned and prepared the moose for butchering. The moose was later seized by MNR officials as part of the investigation.
Justice of the Peace Jack Le Blanc heard the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice, Lindsay, on Aug. 12, 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 1-877-8477667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/mnrtips.
