Alberta Fish and Wildlife is investigating the discovery of nearly 100 dead geese.
The birds were discovered Tuesday afternoon, approximately 18 kilometres north of the town of Taber, Alta.
A local-area farmer discovered the geese partially covered in snow, along Township Road 112 and Range Road 161.
A Fish and Wildlife officer attended the scene and discovered 85 Canada geese and five snow geese.
Some meat was taken from 24 of the birds, while the rest were left untouched.
“It is a very significant number of birds that we’re looking at here,” Alberta Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Brendan Cox said. “It’s not necessarily uncommon to find shot and left game species, especially at this time of year. But the large number of birds that we’re dealing with here makes it particularly concerning.”
Twyla Valgardson said her husband Wayne was driving through their property near Taber on Wednesday when he noticed some dead birds scattered in the snow. She says when he investigated further, he realized there were likely several dozen.
When he called provincial wardens they told him there had been a report about dead birds the day before, but the person hadn’t said how many there were.
“We have a lot of good hunters in the area. A lot of people ask permission. My husband hunts, my whole family hunts, and all of our family is totally appalled by it,” Valgardson said.
“So hunters, I don’t think would do that. Not a sensible hunter, anyhow.”
Valgdarson said her husband also found more geese further away that had been taken away by coyotes. Combined with the ones that he and the warden had placed in a pile, she said there were easily 100 dead birds.
She said she believes the birds were killed somewhere else and dumped on their property, and said the snow that covered them appeared to have been kicked there.
Neighbours told her they had heard a lot of gunshots in the last while, but it’s hunting season, so she said it’s hard to know if any of it was connected with the dumped geese.
“It’s sad. It’s disheartening to think of so much waste,” Valgardson said.
It is an offence, under the Wildlife Act, to abandon edible flesh of game species. The maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and/or one year in jail.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800 or on the website.
With files from The Canadian Press.