Roch Leduc says he has been hunting for 40 years including the past 20 in the North Bay area but he has never seen what he has been finding in the woods near Redbridge the past few months.
The North Bay native who frequents one area of crown land, says he has found at least three dead deer that have been illegally snared and killed.
"Basically, once the deer season was over, the gun season was over in mid-November, that is when they came in to put snares and whatever, and other traps," Leduc says about the culprits.
"I had kept bow hunting because I did not have a doe tag. You could see the snare from the road so that is when I walked in and I called the authorities."
Leduc contacted the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) who sent out an officer to meet him.
"The snare is right in the middle of a deer runway so the officer said he would check it out and did measurements of the height of the snare," said Leduc.
"A couple of weeks later I am still hunting until the end of December, I saw from the road there was something in the snare, it was a fawn so I called them again."
Leduc does not understand what these trappers are trying to do. He believes the traps are not set up properly to snare other animals like wolves.
"Why would they snare in the deer runway," questions Leduc.
"If they are baiting wolves they are not doing it the right way. They are not keeping the meat, they are just catching the deer, putting it in the bush, animals are eating them and putting a new snare right in its spot."
During Christmas holidays, Leduc says he could not get in contact with anyone at the local MNRF so he wrote a letter to the MNRF.
According to the MNRF regulations, "it is contrary to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 to trap an animal, except a rabbit or a red squirrel, using a suspended snare unless a snare lock or other device is used in such a manner that the noose is prevented from expanding or the snare is a relaxing cable restraint (RCR) that complies with rules and specifications described for RCRs."
Leduc says the MNRF officer claimed to have spoken to two individuals who set up the snares.
According to Leduc, the MNRF told him they did not charge them but told them to remove the illegal snares.
It does not seem like the warning worked.
"I was out for a ride again this week, I had not been out there for a month, and the snare was back up. Same place and it is basically a cemetary back there."
Leduc says he is frustrated with the MNRF.
"I am not getting anywhere with the MNRF and that is why I called you. I just keep getting excuse after excuse and it just keeps happening," Leduc told BayToday.
"The worst thing is the suffering of the animal and the wasted meat and us honest hunters trying to get a tag to shoot a deer and you can't because these people are decimating the deer population in our area."
Leduc is worried that this may not be the only spot for illegal snares.
"This is just one area, there could be another two, or three or four areas that I don't know about," he wonders.
BayToday reached out to the Ministry and they provided a brief statement:
"The MNRF is aware of this matter and is currently investigating. As there is an active investigation underway it would be inappropriate to provide any further comment at this time."
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