B.C. hunters convicted by own photos, 13 years later

Gatehouse

Gatehouse

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Two B.C. sheep hunters have been convicted and fined for an illegal hunt in the Yukon almost 13 years ago.

Prosecutors used the men's own trophy photos from their 2002 hunt to convict them.

The sentencing on May 29 was based on a joint submission from prosecutors and defence, and an agreed statement of facts.

Court was told Scott Mackenzie, a B.C.-based big game outfitter and guide, chartered a plane in August 2002 to fly south out of Whitehorse to the west end of Bennett Lake, somewhere near the B.C./Yukon border.

Soon after Mackenzie and his client, Michael Makasoff, each killed a Dall sheep. For years, a photo of Mackenzie's trophy sheep was displayed in the cookshack at one of his B.C. hunting camps.
Makasoff sheep

Michael Makasoff with his trophy sheep. Court was told last week both men are 'embarrassed and remorseful' for their mistake in hunting on the Yukon side of the border with B.C. (Environment Canada)

That is until 2012, when someone recognized the kill site, and tipped authorities that it was not in B.C. but in the Yukon.

Investigators followed up with a helicopter trip to the site, and determined it was actually 14 kilometres inside the Yukon border.

Court was told last week both men are "embarrassed and remorseful" for their mistake.

Both must forfeit their sheep mounts and pay fines of $7,500 each
 
Gatehouse said:
Two B.C. sheep hunters have been convicted and fined for an illegal hunt in the Yukon almost 13 years ago.

Prosecutors used the men's own trophy photos from their 2002 hunt to convict them.

The sentencing on May 29 was based on a joint submission from prosecutors and defence, and an agreed statement of facts.

Court was told Scott Mackenzie, a B.C.-based big game outfitter and guide, chartered a plane in August 2002 to fly south out of Whitehorse to the west end of Bennett Lake, somewhere near the B.C./Yukon border.

Soon after Mackenzie and his client, Michael Makasoff, each killed a Dall sheep. For years, a photo of Mackenzie's trophy sheep was displayed in the cookshack at one of his B.C. hunting camps.
Makasoff sheep

Michael Makasoff with his trophy sheep. Court was told last week both men are 'embarrassed and remorseful' for their mistake in hunting on the Yukon side of the border with B.C. (Environment Canada)

That is until 2012, when someone recognized the kill site, and tipped authorities that it was not in B.C. but in the Yukon.

Investigators followed up with a helicopter trip to the site, and determined it was actually 14 kilometres inside the Yukon border.

Court was told last week both men are "embarrassed and remorseful" for their mistake.

Both must forfeit their sheep mounts and pay fines of $7,500 each
Click to expand...

No excusing poaching, but Holey Moley, someone is a busybody.
 
I wonder what the outfitters in the Yukon and Yukon's Wildlife branch would have ask for by way of penalty?
 
Gatehouse said:
Two B.C. sheep hunters have been convicted and fined for an illegal hunt in the Yukon almost 13 years ago.

Prosecutors used the men's own trophy photos from their 2002 hunt to convict them.

The sentencing on May 29 was based on a joint submission from prosecutors and defence, and an agreed statement of facts.

Court was told Scott Mackenzie, a B.C.-based big game outfitter and guide, chartered a plane in August 2002 to fly south out of Whitehorse to the west end of Bennett Lake, somewhere near the B.C./Yukon border.

Soon after Mackenzie and his client, Michael Makasoff, each killed a Dall sheep. For years, a photo of Mackenzie's trophy sheep was displayed in the cookshack at one of his B.C. hunting camps.
Makasoff sheep

Michael Makasoff with his trophy sheep. Court was told last week both men are 'embarrassed and remorseful' for their mistake in hunting on the Yukon side of the border with B.C. (Environment Canada)

That is until 2012, when someone recognized the kill site, and tipped authorities that it was not in B.C. but in the Yukon.

Investigators followed up with a helicopter trip to the site, and determined it was actually 14 kilometres inside the Yukon border.

Court was told last week both men are "embarrassed and remorseful" for their mistake.

Both must forfeit their sheep mounts and pay fines of $7,500 each
Click to expand...

14000 might just cover the cost of the helicopter to prove the location.
 
There isn't bigger issues to worry about?

14km or 14ft they don't care and what difference does it really make.

Kind of surprised those kind of resources where wasted.

They each took an animal which was their intention to do legally, not like they had trailer full of trophy animal heads just poached at night to sell for profit.
 
Me thinks there must be a little more to this story. I am 100% against any poaching and agree with prosecuting...but to be tipped off over a decade later in the middle of nowhere and put that kind of resources to the case......
Me thinks this is like getting capone on tax evasion. Surely there was a bigger issue and this is just what stuck or was the easiest way. Makes no sense, especially with everyone's budgets tight.
 
Seems quite a few think that crimes shouldn't be prosecuted if the investigation is costly or inconvenient. This is a pretty serious offense- a outfitter crosses into ANOTHER TERRITORY and he and his client shoot 2 animals. This seems to be happening often that outfitters are ignoring boundaries.
 
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av80r said:
Me thinks there must be a little more to this story. I am 100% against any poaching and agree with prosecuting...but to be tipped off over a decade later in the middle of nowhere and put that kind of resources to the case......
Me thinks this is like getting capone on tax evasion. Surely there was a bigger issue and this is just what stuck or was the easiest way. Makes no sense, especially with everyone's budgets tight.
Click to expand...

No doubt, someone talked out of turn. Reminds me of the story, years ago, of an American hunter and Alberta outfitter convicted of shooting a ram in Banff National Park. Introduced in the court case were videos the two took of the ram, before they shot him.

Grizz
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
There isn't bigger issues to worry about?

14km or 14ft they don't care and what difference does it really make.

Kind of surprised those kind of resources where wasted.

They each took an animal which was their intention to do legally, not like they had trailer full of trophy animal heads just poached at night to sell for profit.
Click to expand...

If they intended to be legal, they would have stayed in BC

:)
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
There isn't bigger issues to worry about?

14km or 14ft they don't care and what difference does it really make.

Kind of surprised those kind of resources where wasted.

They each took an animal which was their intention to do legally, not like they had trailer full of trophy animal heads just poached at night to sell for profit.
Click to expand...


I wonder what the real cost are in these prosecutions? I'm pretty dam sure that The wild sheep foundation could have put those funds to a lot better use than chasing down hunters, 13 years after the deed was done.

One thing that I have learned over the years, be very careful with your "pick-chaas" - some small minded twit will sit and study them for hours - and if jealous of your harvest, will bury you quicker than you can blink an eye!
 
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