Released on June 7, 2017
Three Saskatchewan men were recently found guilty for poaching violations under The Wildlife Act and Regulations and were fined $14,700 in provincial court.In November 2015, Ministry of Environment conservation officers received a Turn In Poachers (TIP) call regarding an elk shot out of the hunting season on private land approximately eight kilometres outside of Kamsack. Investigating officers obtained ballistic and DNA evidence at the site.
A few days later, officers located a white-tailed deer kill site on private land about 10 kilometres from Kamsack.
While assisting the RCMP during the investigation, officers discovered the abandoned hind quarters of an elk left to waste at a vacated condo in Duck Mountain Provincial Park. DNA samples were taken and lab results determined they were from the elk shot on the initial TIP call.
This evidence led to convictions on a number of wildlife-related offences.
On May 17, 2017, Raymond Sparvier, age 36 of Melville, pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting a bull elk on private land without permission and unlawfully possessing wildlife. Sparvier was fined a total of $3,500.
Anyone exercising Treaty hunting rights must obtain landowner permission to hunt on private land or occupied Crown land.
The investigation revealed that Sparvier had hunted with two accomplices, who were convicted for the 2015 wildlife-related offences in October 2016.
Christopher Weisgerber, age 29 of Regina, was found guilty for unlawfully hunting white-tailed deer buck and unlawfully hunting a bull elk. He failed to appear in court and was convicted by the judge. Weisgerber received a $5,600 fine.
Clinton Durocher, age 26 of Regina, was found guilty of assisting, aiding or hunting with a First Nations person and being in possession of wildlife taken by a First Nations person.
Failing to appear for court, Durocher was convicted by the judge and fined $5,600. He also received a one-year hunting suspension.
If you suspect wildlife, fisheries, forestry or environmental violations, please call your local Ministry of Environment office, Saskatchewan’s toll-free Turn In Poachers line at 1-800-667-7561 or #5555 for Sasktel cellular subscribers, or report a violation online at www.saskatchewan.ca/tip. You may be eligible for cash rewards from the SaskTip Reward Program.
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For more information, contact:
Jamie Gibson
Environment
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3900
Email: jamie.gibson@gov.sk.ca