Man barred from hunting 1 year after trying to shoot squirrel, hitting town hall instead
The man was fined $3,000 after striking the town hall in St. Helens, north of Goderich
A man who tried to shoot a squirrel in his Huron County yard and ended up almost striking a person has been barred from hunting for one year and ordered to pay a fine.
The man, from St. Helens, about 30 kilometres north of Goderich, was ordered to pay $3,000 and must complete remedial training before getting another hunting licence, officials from the province's Ministry of Natural Resources wrote in a statement.
The incident happened on June 5 in the township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh. The bullet ended up hitting the town hall, officials said.
"An investigation completed in conjunction with local OPP determined that [the man] had discharged a .22-calibre rifle at a squirrel in his yard, shooting in the direction of the main intersection of Belfast Road and St. Helens Line. The bullet passed within feet of the township employee before striking the building," officials said.
The man pleaded guilty to careless hunting. The case was heard in the Ontario Court of Justice in Goderich.