A falsely-advertised ‘bison hunt’ in the RM of Russell-Binscarth has led to the arrest of a Portage la Prairie man, Manitoba RCMP say.
Police were called Sunday afternoon by the owner of a pasture who said the locks on his gates had been removed and replaced with unfamiliar locks, and that six of the animals — well known as symbols of Manitoba — were missing.
With the help of trail cameras in the area, RCMP determined that four people drove in with a pickup truck and off-road vehicles, shot the bison, and removed them.
Police learned the next day that a social media post was falsely advertising a bison hunt at the farm, charging would-be hunters $1,000 per animal. The event was not sanctioned by the animals’ owners, who responded to the post and heard from three people who said they had taken part in the hunt — which they thought was legitimate. All three co-operated with police.
On Monday, a 52-year-old suspect turned himself in to RCMP. He faces charges of theft over $5,000 and mischief over $5,000, and will appear in court in Russell in January 2025.
Police continue to investigate and say more charges are likely.