Two Okanagan men who poached three moose were fined a combined $13,000, says the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
No names were released by the Conservation Officer Service (COS), but they did say the two men were from Vernon and the incident took place nearly three years ago.
“In November 2019, witnesses observed two men hunting for moose in a wilderness area northwest of Kelowna,” said the COS.
“A group of antlered moose was eventually spotted in a recently logged area. Both men fired numerous shots at the moose, killing three. The moose killed all required (Limited Entry Hunting) authorization to be harvested.”
The COS said the men retrieved only one of the moose and left the other two behind.
One man pled guilty to two counts of hunting without Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) authorization and one count of failing to remove edible portions of the moose. He was fined $7,500 and handed a three-year hunting ban.
The COS said the second man was convicted on two counts of hunting without LEH authorization and one count of failing to remove edible portions of the moose. He was fined $5,500 and handed a two-year hunting ban.
The COS said both men will have to retake the hunter education program and cannot accompany anyone hunting or be in a hunting camp. The fines will go toward the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.
“Poaching is a reckless activity with a blatant disregard for wildlife,” said the COS, which hopes the fines will deter others from poaching.