A trio of Central Okanagan men were fined a combined $11,000 this week for two separate poaching incidents in which four moose were shot and killed.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) says the three, all from Lake Country, engaged in what’s commonly known as ‘party hunting.’
According to the COS, one man illegally shot and killed two bull moose near Vernon in November 2017, and used his friend’s species tag to try and cover it up.
The COS said the man received $3,500 in fines for exceeding his bag limit and using another person’s tag. The man’s friend received a $2,000 fine.
Then, in a separate case in Revelstoke in 2019, the same man poached another two bull moose, again using another friend’s species tag to hide the kills.
The COS said he was fined an additional $3,500, while that friend was fined $2,000.
“The man who killed all four moose is also banned from hunting for two years, while the other two men received one-year hunting prohibitions,” said the COS.
“All three have to retake the hunter education program (CORE), cannot accompany anyone hunting or be in a hunting camp.”
The COS added “poaching is a reckless activity with a blatant disregard for public safety and wildlife. The Conservation Officer Service hopes these fines will help deter others from this unlawful activity.”