An active investigation is underway into an alleged case of deer poaching on private property in Kelowna.
A Kelowna resident was shocked after being alerted to the images on his home surveillance in the Lakeshore Road area Wednesday.
“You can actually see in the video, he’s got a loaded arrow – that thing is ready to go,” the resident told Global News.
In the video, a man appears on the resident’s property in broad daylight, armed with a loaded crossbow, allegedly trying to track down a wounded deer.
“They’ve actually put a pile of food on a nearby road to attract the deer, in order to hunt them,” the resident said.
The video later showed the individual wasn’t alone either.
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The concern for another nearby resident, who also requested to remain anonymous, is the safety of his loved ones
“My grandkids play outside. Now granted, they’re maybe not right in the sight-line of where a hunter might be shooting but had they been outside they would have been in range of this crossbow”.
Officers with the BC Conservation Officer Service confirm a deer was found just metres from where that surveillance footage was taken.
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“We had an indication that a deer was arrowed. The following morning we attended and conducted an investigation which is ongoing right now,” said provincial conservation officer, Ed Seitz.
It is not deer hunting season in B.C. and permission is always required when hunting on private property.
But for Seitz, the bigger issue in this particular case is a blatant disregard for human life.
“The message we want to get out to the public is that we treat residential poaching very seriously. It’s not only harmful to wildlife but it also jeopardizes public safety so it’s something we really treat seriously and try and prevent from happening.”
While charges are likely to be laid in this case, it is still very much an active investigation and officials say it could be days if not weeks before we know what offences specifically could be in play.
Maximum penalties under the Wild Life Act in BC range from a $100,000 fine to one year in prison.
Although officials also say in this case, specifically, it is highly unlikely either of those will apply.
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