Two Vernon hunters received a combined $13,000 in fines after poaching three moose in the Kelowna area.
According to a social media post by the Conservation Officer Service (COS), witnesses saw the two men hunting for moose in a wilderness area northwest of Kelowna in November 2019.
“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 that were killed all required a Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) authorization to be harvested. Neither of the hunters had such authorization.
The men retrieved only one of the moose, leaving the other two behind.
One of the hunters pleaded guilty to two counts of hunting without Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) authorization and one count of failing to remove edible portions of meat, according to the post. The man received a $7,500 penalty and a three-year hunting ban, according to the COS.
The second hunter was found guilty in court of two counts of hunting without LEH authorization and one count of failing to remove edible portions of meat. He was slapped with a $5,500 penalty and a two-year hunting ban.
Both men will also have to retake the hunter education program (CORE) and are barred from accompanying other hunters or joining a hunting camp.
“Poaching is a reckless activity with a blatant disregard for wildlife. The Conservation Officer Service hopes these fines will help deter others from this unlawful activity.”
Hunting violations can be reported to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
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