Manitoba conservation officers on the prowl for scofflaw hunters

Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development is continuing to enforce hunting regulations in moose conservation areas, the provincial organization said Friday.

A pair of hunters from Canupawkpa in southwestern Manitoba were charged late last year for illegal night hunting near Hartney, conservation officers said.

The bust happened when officers spotted a vehicle travelling on a provincial road, shining a spotlight into nearby fields. When they tried to stop the vehicle, it took off, which resulted in a charge under the Highway Traffic Act when the hunters were eventually identified — along with Wildlife Act fines.

Conservation officers have handed out more than $164,000 in fish and wildlife restitution orders since April of last year due to illegal hunting and fishing, including 20 tickets for night hunting without a permit or hunting in a moose conservation closure.

Anyone with information on illegal hunting activities is asked to call their local Manitoba Conservation and Climate office or the Turn In Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-782-0076.

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