Cottage country crackdown: MNRF stages enforcement blitz near Norland in City of Kawartha Lakes
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.c...kawartha-lakes
[COLOR=#333333]NORLAND - People were giving the thumbs up to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry this week.
[COLOR=#333333]MNRF enforcement held a blitz for 36 hours starting Sunday after 4 p.m. on Highway 35 just north of Norland in the City of Kawartha Lakes and wrapping up at approximately 4 a.m. Tuesday.
[COLOR=#333333]Conservation Officer Jay Downey said the road check focused primarily on moose hunters travelling back from their hunting camps in the Minden and Bancroft areas.
[COLOR=#333333]They were also checking on anglers.
[COLOR=#333333]Officers were looking for various infractions, including a lack of proper tags, licences, limit, storage of firearms and more.
[COLOR=#333333]From the start, conservation officers received a positive response from the public, with at least one person giving the thumbs up as they went through, Downey said. "For the most part 95% of the people and we're getting a lot of positive feedback."
[COLOR=#333333]Downey said a lot of people will see the MNRF and know they are around which is a good thing for the people who try to cheat the system.
[COLOR=#333333]A number of people also stopped by the checkpoint to give information to officers about suspicious activity.
[COLOR=#333333]Alfred Vanderwall from Newmarket was at his cottage just on the other side of the road watching conservation officers check vehicles.
[COLOR=#333333]"I think it's a good thing," he said. "It's something that has to be done and it has to be controlled. People have to know you can't get away with illegal hunting or fishing."
[COLOR=#333333]Over the course of the first evening a number of tickets and charges were handed out for illegal storage of a firearm and crossbow and one person was charged with impaired driving, was arrested and had his vehicle towed from the scene after an OPP officer joined in checking vehicles.
[COLOR=#333333]Numerous drivers throughout the evening failed to stop even though officers were holding a stop sign, were wearing reflective gear and had two vehicles with emergency lights activated.
[COLOR=#333333]One woman said her dog distracted her, while along slammed on the brakes and skidded right past the officers.
[COLOR=#333333]Charles Mclean was on his way back from hunt camp in Haliburton where he was for the weekend and had no problem with the blitz.
[COLOR=#333333]"It's a good idea and keeps everybody honest," said Mclean.
[COLOR=#333333]"That way our natural resources aren't being taken by people that shouldn't be. I think it's a great idea."
[COLOR=#333333]Mclean said it was very well-organized with people who were being checked advised to enter the parking lot at the Ward Memorial Park.
[COLOR=#333333]There was no waiting, so there are no issues because people want to get home from the weekend. "It's not like you have to sit for hours to get through a checkpoint," Mclean said. "You pull in, there is no waiting. If this had happened years ago we probably would have had a lot more fish and game to hunt. It keeps everybody honest."
