A man and his nephew have been fined $7,500 and prohibited from hunting for two years after pleading guilty to killing two moose in 2018 with someone else’s licence as well as various other offences.

The situation came to light in 2018 when 100 Mile House conservation officers checked with the local butcher shops to see how many harvested moose had been dropped off for cutting and wrapping since the Limited Entry season had opened up on Sept. 10. During one of the inspections, it was determined a moose had come in on Sept. 12, and another was on its way.

Concerned that the first moose didn’t have the proper evidence of sex attached to the carcass, the conservation officer intercepted the hunting party — a father, son and nephew — as they brought in the second moose, and conducted a compliance check. The second moose also did not have any sex attached.

The father initially said “he was hunting with his wife and they shot two moose on the powerline off the 802 Road near Valentine Lake.” He said the first moose was killed by his wife and produced her cancelled moose species licence. He then showed his own cancelled moose species licence for the second moose they were dropping off.

According to the conservation officer, the man said he shot the moose once through the chest and his wife shot a second moose three times. She went home after harvesting her moose, which he brought in to the butcher’s right away.

However, the conservation officer noticed the moose hanging in the shop only had one bullet wound, not three. In a subsequent interview, the father said his nephew had killed both moose on the same day. As he and his wife were the only ones with a Limited Entry Draw and species tag for moose, they decided to illegally use the wife’s licence and LEH draw.

Both moose were seized as well as one firearm in the hunting party’s vehicle. Another four other firearms found left unsecured, unlocked and in a loaded state in a nylon tent in the party’s hunting site in provincial recreation campsite, were also seized for Federal Firearm Storage violations.

The hunters admitted to using more than just one firearm, and to the father shooting at both moose. In the end, five firearms, two bull moose, and two moose species licences were seized. A report to Crown counsel was submitted with 12 counts against the three men.

In late 2020, a guilty plea was entered by the father and nephew. The father was convicted of ‘using another’s licence’ and ‘continuing to hunt after taking moose bag limit,’ while the nephew was convicted of ‘using another’s licence’ and ‘hunting without an LEH authorization. Of the total combined fines of $7,500, $5,700 went to the BC Habitat Conservation Trust Fund – Region 5 Moose Enhancement.

The moose were forfeited to the Crown and donated to the local food bank and families in need.

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