Two hunters have been ordered to pay more than $14,000 in fines over the harvesting of two bighorn sheep on mining property in the Elk Valley.
Visiting hunters, Jarrett Alaric and Chyanne Lee Good, appeared in Fernie court on October 23 charged with historical hunting offences.
In October of 2016, a member of the public reported two hunters to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line.
Conservation officers responded to the call and discovered that a bighorn sheep had been shot on Teck Coal’s Line Creek property.
They found that at the end of September and beginning of October that year, two sheep were harvested from the mining property on separate occasions by the same individuals.
Alaric was found guilty on three counts: killing wildlife not within open season, unlawful possession of dead wildlife, and making a false statement on a report.
Alaric was fined $3500 for hunting in closed season, $2500 for unlawful possession of dead wildlife and $2500 for making a false statement on a report.
He was also ordered to pay a $100 fine for each count plus a victim surcharge of $15.
Of the total amount of $8845, $8500 was donated to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation fund.
The sheep that Alaric shot was seized by the Conservation Service, and his rifle was forfeited to the Crown.
Alaric received a three-year hunting prohibition.
Good was also found guilty of killing wildlife not within open season and the unlawful possession of dead wildlife.
She was slapped with a $3000 fine for the first charge and $2300 for the second.
Good was also fined $100 for each count plus a victim surcharge of $15, with her fines totalling $5530. Of this, $5300 was donated to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation fund.
Good’s rifle was also seized, as well as the sheep. She has been banned from hunting for two years.
Both hunters have been ordered to retake their Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education course following their prohibitions.
