Outfitter fined for unauthorized hunting
A B.C. man who works in the Yukon as an outfitter was fined $11,500 last week for violations of the territory’s Wildlife Act.
By Rhiannon Russell on April 15, 2015
A B.C. man who works in the Yukon as an outfitter was fined $11,500 last week for violations of the territory’s Wildlife Act.
James “Mac” Watson pleaded guilty April 7 to hunting when not permitted and providing a guide for a big-game hunt when not authorized to do so.
The offences took place during two sheep hunts in mid-August 2014 near Primrose Mountain, which is in the territory’s game management zone 7-23.
The hunts saw two sheep harvested by non-residents.
Watson, a 32-year-old resident of Fort St. John, was not allowed to provide outfitted hunts in the zone until Aug. 31. He told the court he’d confused the area with zone 7-25, in which he was permitted to hunt.
Ryan Hennings, Environment Yukon’s manager of enforcement and compliance, said conservation officers (COs) were alerted to the breaches when Watson handed in the forms outfitters must submit after a hunt.
“This particular area is a very important subzone to resident sheep hunters, so to avoid conflict between resident sheep hunters and the outfitters, we restrict the outfitter from hunting in that zone until Sept. 1,” Hennings said.
When approached by COs, “Watson stepped forward and was accountable. He told the court he made a mistake.”
Justice of the Peace Sharman Morrison-Harvey accepted a joint submission from Crown and defence lawyers, and took into account the fact that Watson entered the guilty pleas at his first court appearance.
He was ordered to pay $5,000 per charge to the Yukon’s Turn in Poachers (TIPP) fund, plus a $1,500 surcharge.
The penalty could have been much higher, said Hennings.
Under wildlife legislation, fines for these offences can be up to $100,000.
“These are very serious charges because there’s a commercial aspect to this,” he said.
Outfitters charge tens of thousands of dollars to take non-residents on hunting trips.
The public may report Wildlife Act and Environment Act violations confidentially to the TIPP line at 1-800-661-0525 or w w w .env.gov.yk.ca/tipp.
http://w w w .whitehorsestar.com/News/outfitter-fined-for-unauthorized-hunting
from what i remember one of the an ex-eminent member of here went to hunt with him ....
A B.C. man who works in the Yukon as an outfitter was fined $11,500 last week for violations of the territory’s Wildlife Act.
By Rhiannon Russell on April 15, 2015
A B.C. man who works in the Yukon as an outfitter was fined $11,500 last week for violations of the territory’s Wildlife Act.
James “Mac” Watson pleaded guilty April 7 to hunting when not permitted and providing a guide for a big-game hunt when not authorized to do so.
The offences took place during two sheep hunts in mid-August 2014 near Primrose Mountain, which is in the territory’s game management zone 7-23.
The hunts saw two sheep harvested by non-residents.
Watson, a 32-year-old resident of Fort St. John, was not allowed to provide outfitted hunts in the zone until Aug. 31. He told the court he’d confused the area with zone 7-25, in which he was permitted to hunt.
Ryan Hennings, Environment Yukon’s manager of enforcement and compliance, said conservation officers (COs) were alerted to the breaches when Watson handed in the forms outfitters must submit after a hunt.
“This particular area is a very important subzone to resident sheep hunters, so to avoid conflict between resident sheep hunters and the outfitters, we restrict the outfitter from hunting in that zone until Sept. 1,” Hennings said.
When approached by COs, “Watson stepped forward and was accountable. He told the court he made a mistake.”
Justice of the Peace Sharman Morrison-Harvey accepted a joint submission from Crown and defence lawyers, and took into account the fact that Watson entered the guilty pleas at his first court appearance.
He was ordered to pay $5,000 per charge to the Yukon’s Turn in Poachers (TIPP) fund, plus a $1,500 surcharge.
The penalty could have been much higher, said Hennings.
Under wildlife legislation, fines for these offences can be up to $100,000.
“These are very serious charges because there’s a commercial aspect to this,” he said.
Outfitters charge tens of thousands of dollars to take non-residents on hunting trips.
The public may report Wildlife Act and Environment Act violations confidentially to the TIPP line at 1-800-661-0525 or w w w .env.gov.yk.ca/tipp.
http://w w w .whitehorsestar.com/News/outfitter-fined-for-unauthorized-hunting
from what i remember one of the an ex-eminent member of here went to hunt with him ....
