B.C. bow hunter who mistakenly killed a grizzly ordered to pay $8K fine

Thomas D'Arcy McGee

Thomas D'Arcy McGee

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The grizzly, seen here, had previously been successfully moved out of an urban area of Powell River. Geoff Allan / BC Conservation Officer Service

B.C. bow hunter who mistakenly killed a grizzly ordered to pay $8K fine


Global News
By Simon Little
Digital Reporter CKNW
March 16, 2018 4:05 pm

A B.C. man is on the hook for $8,001 after mistakenly killing a grizzly bear while hunting for black bears.

Martin Chalupiak was bow hunting near Powell Lake when he fatally shot the bear in September, 2016, said Powell River Conservation Officer Andrew Anaka.

READ MORE: NDP bans grizzly bear hunt in B.C. effective immediately

“Evidence presented in the case indicated he observed the bear for up to 15 minutes from only 20 metres away when he shot it with a bow and arrow mistaking it for a black bear,” he said.

On Thursday, he was handed a $1 fine and has been ordered to pay another $8,000 to the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund after admitting in court that he had killed the grizzly during a closed season.

He was also handed 12 months probation and a ban on hunting in B.C. until he takes a hunting education program and pays his fines.

“Hunters are expected to know the difference between black bears and grizzly bears when they’re out hunting,” Anaka said. “There’s training available to do that, and the cost of making an error is significant.”

The grizzly, a sow, was known to the Conservation Officer Service (COS), and had been successfully relocated from an urban location in Powell River to the Humphrey Channel in 2010.

Anaka said her death will be a blow to the region’s grizzly stock. There are only about 115 of the bears living in her population unit, which spans an area of 110,000 square kilometres.

“This grizzly bear was of particular value to her species and to the people of British Columbia. She was reproductive age, with the potential to raise several litters of cubs and contriubte to the population of grizzly bears in Powell River,” Anaka said.

READ MORE: Poll suggests majority of British Columbians support complete ban on grizzly bear hunt

Late last year, the B.C. NDP government completely banned grizzly hunting in the province, expanding on a previous trophy hunting ban which had allowed people to kill the bears for meat.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations has estimated there are 15,000 grizzly bears in B.C., and that about 250 are killed each year.

-With files from Estefania Duran
 
Yeah no excuse for that mistake I think. Don't really have a problem with the outcome, what is kind of annoying is the drivel about damaging such a fragile population. What a crock.
 
It doesn't say how he was caught, did he self report or did they have to hunt him down? I think the judge thought it was a mistake because of the $1 fine.
 
100% at fault. Same goes for someone shooting a Mule Deer when hunting Whitetails. If you can't differentiate the animals you are hunting, you shouldn't hunt them. Especially within bow range. Same goes for that person's archery abilities, if you can't shoot a bow at 30yds than you shouldn't even be making 20yds shots on live animals.

He observed the bear for 15 min at 20 yds, if you can't differentiate a colourphase black bear from a grizzly you should either: a) pass that bear or b) not hunt black bears in an area where there are grizzlies until you are confident enough to identify both animals.
 
Had a guy near Rocky Mountain House complain to F&W about a grizzly that was being obnoxious. No Grizzlies around here , just shoot him, they said. He did and guess what ? :) of course this was a few years back and things have changed.

Grizz
 
S1de8urnz said:
"admitting in court that he had killed the grizzly during a closed season"

So it was poached?
Click to expand...

Grizzly is closed. Black bear isn't.

Without having seen the bear, from the same vantage as the hunter, I will refrain from crapping all over him. Too easy to do so, when you are dealing with info after the fact.

I wonder if this was one of those self reported events that they ask you to do in the hunting regs. If so, an $8K touch and year long ban, makes a strong statement in favor of walking away quietly and 'never being there'.

Re: Deer ID, I have several around here that would confound those who are so quick to poo-poo the skills of the guys out there. Been a couple WT bucks that have been spreading it around in the Mulie doe population. Got a couple that look a lot like a Mulie, until they run and pop a flag up, and a couple more that look like WT until they stot across the hills with their tails down.

Any of y'all out there seen or taken any of this "training" which is supposedly "available"? I have not seen it anywhere yet.

There was a Grizz hanging around our property for a while. PITA thing. Was shot by a poacher. One of 24 supposedly in this Unit. 23 after that!

"Save the bears! Collect the whole set!" :)
 
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There is a extensive video put out by Alaska F+G and Yukon F+G.. It's about regonizing bears in the field.. It is usually recomended that you watch before hunting grizzly's.
My thoughts.. He was never sure what it was... But shot anyways...
Either way bear is dead..
 
trevj said:
Grizzly is closed. Black bear isn't.

Without having seen the bear, from the same vantage as the hunter, I will refrain from crapping all over him. Too easy to do so, when you are dealing with info after the fact.

I wonder if this was one of those self reported events that they ask you to do in the hunting regs. If so, an $8K touch and year long ban, makes a strong statement in favor of walking away quietly and 'never being there'.

Re: Deer ID, I have several around here that would confound those who are so quick to poo-poo the skills of the guys out there. Been a couple WT bucks that have been spreading it around in the Mulie doe population. Got a couple that look a lot like a Mulie, until they run and pop a flag up, and a couple more that look like WT until they stot across the hills with their tails down.

Any of y'all out there seen or taken any of this "training" which is supposedly "available"? I have not seen it anywhere yet.

There was a Grizz hanging around our property for a while. PITA thing. Was shot by a poacher. One of 24 supposedly in this Unit. 23 after that!

"Save the bears! Collect the whole set!" :)
Click to expand...

IIRC, Geist wrote that even 7/8ths Muley hybrids cannot stot.
 
Mistaken identity ends grizzly’s life

Powell River bowhunter receives stiff sentence for killing important bear
David Brindle / Powell River Peak
MARCH 16, 2018 03:16 PM

Powell River bowhunter Martin Chalupiak was sentenced in Powell River Provincial Court on March 14 for killing a grizzly bear while hunting black bear with a bow and arrow in September 2016.

Chalupiak pleaded guilty and was handed a $1 fine. He was also ordered to donate $8,000 to a conservation fund and complete a hunter-training course for killing the female grizzly near Fiddlehead Farm north of Powell River.

There is no hunting season for grizzly bears anywhere in the vast Powell River backcountry.

It was “a very bad case of mistaken identity,” according to BC Conservation Officer Service officer Andrew Anaka. Chalupiak has 16 years of experience as a hunter, he added.

“[Chalupiak] couldn't tell the difference between a grizzly bear and a black bear,” said Anaka, “even though he killed this bear after watching it for 15 minutes at under 20 yards.”

Anaka said it was a particularly harsh sentence considering the early guilty plea, remorse and Chalupiak’s limited ability to pay.

The bear was the same young female successfully relocated to Homfray Channel by conservation officers from the area around Timberlane Park in 2010.

Losing the bear is very disappointing and will impact the grizzly bear population that covers 110,000 square kilometres around Powell River, according to Anaka.

“She was successfully reintegrated into the population; she'd had cubs and contributed to the population” said Anaka. “There are only about 116 grizzly bears in this population unit. There are not many grizzly bears so in that time period she had contributed to the population. She was a very important, very valuable bear.”

Anaka added that he thinks judge Kimberley Arthur-Leung took the impact of the bear’s loss into consideration when she rendered her sentence.

Conservation Officer Service launched its investigation after the hunter brought the ear tags to BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations office in Powell River to enquire if the bear’s meat was edible.

“We were forwarded those ear-tag numbers,” said Anaka, “and very quickly understood those ear tags belonged to that grizzly bear.”

In addition to the fine and donation to Habitat Conservation Trust Fund for use in conservation in the Powell River area, Chalupiak’s penalties include 12 months of conditional probation. He was also ordered to take the Conservation Outdoor Recreation Education program and is banned from hunting in BC until it is completed and the donation has been made.
 
Sounds like he really didn't know. No attempt at covering it up an he gets 8 Grand. Seems harsh in light of the slap on the wrist criminals get.
 
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