An RCMP corporal based out of Terrace was fined $5,000 in Yukon territorial court March 3 for three hunting-related offences.
Cpl. Brent Pearson, a regional general investigations officer who reports to the North District RCMP detachment in Prince George, was moose hunting with his brother, Whitehorse resident Ward Pearson, and nephew, Michael Pearson in September 2011 when the offences occurred.
Brent had a permit to hunt on the trip with Ward acting as a special guide.
The special guiding permits are used by Yukon residents to take out-of-territory relatives and friends on hunting trips.
The court was told as the hunting party was travelling down a river they saw a moose.
Michael, on his first hunt, was supposed to take the shot but became worried about missing or wounding the moose.
Brent shot the moose, but instead of fixing his hunting seal to the moose, they used Michael’s seal.
After the trip, Brent did not report his moose and did not pay the $150 harvest fee required for out-of-territory hunters.
He also put false information on the permit he got to ship the antlers to his home in B.C.
Judge Peter Chisholm said as an RCMP officer, Pearson should have known the importance of not falsifying documents.
The judge said it’s also confusing to him that Brent did not report the moose kill since the only apparent benefit to him was not paying the harvest fee.
Chisholm fined Brent Pearson $5,000 and banned him from hunting, or accompanying hunters, in the Yukon for five years. He also has to return the antlers. Ward Pearson was fined $1,000 and Michael Pearson, $500.
