An Amherstburg man has a hefty fine to pay after pleading guilty to hunting without a license.
Last April, William Gatto was stopped by a conservation officer conducting enforcement during a turkey hunt in Elgin County.
The officer said he spotted Gatto walking out of a field with two other hunters with a loaded rifle.
Asked if he had a hunting license, he told the officer he had one for hunting coyotes but had forgotten it in his vehicle. He also didn't have his firearm license on him.
However, the officer investigated and found out Gatto's hunting license was actually suspended.
A judge in St. Thomas fined him $6,500, prohibited him from possessing hunting equipment or being in the presence of hunters, and suspended his hunting license for five years. He's also on probation for two years.
He will have to complete the Ontario Hunter Education Course before re-applying for his license.
Conservation officers remind everyone to make sure they have the proper licenses on them when they go hunting, and to respect seasons, sanctuaries, and bagging limits.
