A Pitt Meadows man has been fined $7,360 for killing two black bears on his property.
In December 2023, Christian Hall pleaded guilty in Port Coquitlam Provincial Court to one count of killing wildlife not during open season, and one count of attracting dangerous wildlife. Both are offences under the Wildlife Act.
The shootings happened days apart in May 2022. The BC Conservation Officer Service received a report of a dead black bear lying in a field in Pitt Meadows. A Conservation Officer investigated, and spoke to Hall, who admitted to shooting the bear in his yard. He also admitted to shooting a second black bear in his yard two days prior.
The CO found a large pile of waste honey boards and beehive debris on the man’s property, which was an attractant to bears.
On Friday, April 5, Hall received his sentence. Along with the fine, he is prohibited from hunting for one year, and must re-take the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) program, which is the province’s hunter safety and ethics course. From his total fine, $6,000 is to be paid to the Habitat Conservation Trust, a non-profit which funds conservation projects and does public education in B.C.
The Conservation Officer Service noted black bears are considered dangerous wildlife along with grizzly bears, coyotes, wolves, and cougars. Under the Wildlife Act, there is no open season within 100 meters of a residence, including a person’s own residence. Also, the act prohibits people from leaving an attractant on a property in a manner in which it could attract and be accessible to dangerous wildlife.
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