(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH, ON) On Sunday May 05, 2013, the Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was contacted by a turkey hunter who reported losing his shotgun along the edge of a roadway west of Listowel.
Investigation revealed that around 8 a.m. the hunter walked out of the bush and leaned his shotgun against his pickup while loading his hunting equipment into the truck. He drove the truck away leaving the gun behind. The truck had been parked on the east shoulder of Road 172 south of Perth Line 86 south of a bridge. A few hours passed before the hunter realized he was missing his shotgun. The area where the gun was lost was searched by the hunter as well as by police with negative results.
The shotgun is described as a Remington 870, 12 gauge pump action shotgun with a camouflaged coloured stock.
Anyone having knowledge of the whereabouts of this shotgun is urged to contact the Perth County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), and you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
This incident serves as a good reminder for hunters to take that extra care and attention when handling firearms. They need to keep guns and ammunition separate and locked in a secure location when not in use. In addition they need to know that it is illegal to shoot from a vehicle or carry a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle. It is also an offence to possess a loaded firearm within 8 metres of the travelled portion of a road (or roadside fence-line where one exists) at any time, and a firearm is not to be discharged from across a right of way for the passage of vehicular traffic at any time.
