Moose Riders- CHARGED

[BCWF]

CHARGED

In June 2015 the COS received a public complaint relating to a video posted on social media of a male jumping from a boat onto the back of a moose. The COS identified the lake in the video as, Tuchodi Lakes near the town of Fort Nelson, BC.

As a result of the year-long COS investigation, a Report to Crown Counsel was submitted recommending charges against 2 males from Fort St. John. The two suspects have now been charged with 3 counts under The Wildlife Act for the following:

• S 27(3) harass wildlife with the use of a boat;
• S 29 attempt to capture wildlife; and
• S 30 hunt big game that is swimming.

A First appearance date was set for August 08, 2016 at 14:00 in Fort Nelson Provincial Court.

Environmental Violations can be reported 24/7 to the COS hotline
1-877-952-7277 (RAPP).

[Spy]

Great news :-)

[kevan]

Great news X 2 , hope they throw the book at them !!

[elkhunterette]

Good!!!!!!

[wideopenthrottle]

S 29 attempt to capture wildlife; and
• S 30 hunt big game that is swimming.
I predict that these two charges won't stick so it is only harassing wildlife and they will get very little punishment for that I fear..."judge we were a little too drunk trying to impress the girls we are really really sorry....."....." well fella's I used to hunt moose and I know how hard it is to impress ladies these days with competition from all the other you tube yahoos so 50 hours of community service sounds about right"

[RiverOtter]

$1000 fine and 1 year hunting ban is my guess, but I'd not be surprised if it's less......:x

Still glad they were caught though and hopefully it makes future moose cowboys think twice.

[wideopenthrottle]

$1000 fine and 1 year hunting ban is my guess, but I'd not be surprised if it's less......:x

Still glad they were caught though and hopefully it makes future moose cowboys think twice.

yes...your guess is prolly closer than mine

[fuzzybiscuit]

Looked like a fun time... Drink some beer...ride a Moose...seriously though...

I doubt the Moose thought twice about it after the dude got off...

Do I think it is harassment of wildlife...sure. Do I think that they should be charged...sure. Do I think the book should be thrown at them...nope.

I just hope there wasn't a ton of resources spent on locating and charging them because in the end it was a pretty minor offence in my mind...

[fuzzybiscuit]

$1000 fine and 1 year hunting ban is my guess, but I'd not be surprised if it's less......:x


Who is to say that they are hunters? Lots of people who aren't hunters do stupid stuff too...

[hparrott]

Who is to say that they are hunters? Lots of people who aren't hunters do stupid stuff too...

Ya you are right. If you get caught poaching fish a CO could seize your boat. Although unlikely, it would be nice if they could seize the boat they used to commit these infractions because that would be a wake up call and it would hit them in pocket and probably carry some meaning along with it, especially if a hunting ban is meaningless to them if they are non hunters....

[Good2bCanadian]

Glad to see this.

Now let's go after all the real reasons why the moose pops are depleting.
That would be some good CO work.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

S 29 attempt to capture wildlife; and
• S 30 hunt big game that is swimming.
I predict that these two charges won't stick so it is only harassing wildlife and they will get very little punishment for that I fear..."judge we were a little too drunk trying to impress the girls we are really really sorry....."....." well fella's I used to hunt moose and I know how hard it is to impress ladies these days with competition from all the other you tube yahoos so 50 hours of community service sounds about right"

i agree. Bet those charges will be tossed.

Giving them hem a one year hunting license suspension(as RO mentioned) relies on them actually be hunters. This may or may not be the case.

[RiverOtter]

Who is to say that they are hunters? Lots of people who aren't hunters do stupid stuff too...
True, but they'll still impose the no hunting ban. Makes it seem more serious to the non hunting public, like losing a drivers license or something.

I've pondered your first post, regarding what their intentions may have been, and came up with this.

Assuming some beers were involved and they had a moment of poor judgement, fair enough. Would it hold water in a court of law?...No, but I could understand they made a mistake; I've found a "good" idea or two at the bottom of a box of beer myself on occasion(As have most here, guaranteed). The difference, IMO, is you feel like a piece of shit for being an idiot the next day, you don't run to social media to enshrine the video of your stupidity. Does it suck for these guys getting charged and having to go to court? For sure. Can the CO's simply turn a blind eye because it costs money to investigate? Not too likely, especially when most of their case was built by the offenders via video.

Secondly, I don't believe the moose was "traumatized" as in having nightmares caused by the event, but that doesn't mean her health wasn't seriously compromised. She would have considered that event "life and death" and would have pushed herself to exhaustion, making her a much easier target for the next wolf or bear that came long. Prolly not what the joy riders were intending, but a very plausible possibility, none the less.

Lastly, do we know if these guys came forward themselves? I know the COs were asking for help when I first seen the video, but never heard anything more till now. If they hunkered down and someone else turned them in, that also goes against their character and won't help them in court.

No, I don't think the book should be thrown at them, but they've dug themselves much deeper than a warning by infuriating the general public.

[The Hermit]

I sure as hell hope they aren't hunters. Just another black mark on us all if they are hunters. And if for nothing else, I hope the judge slams them HARD!!

I agree with RiverOtter on this part of his post...


...

Secondly, I don't believe the moose was "traumatized" as in having nightmares caused by the event, but that doesn't mean her health wasn't seriously compromised. She would have considered that event "life and death" and would have pushed herself to exhaustion, making her a much easier target for the next wolf or bear that came long. Prolly not what the joy riders were intending, but a very plausible possibility, none the less.

[fuzzybiscuit]

True, but they'll still impose the no hunting ban. Makes it seem more serious to the non hunting public, like losing a drivers license or something.

If they are not hunters they will lose nothing and all it will do is serve to tie this stupid act to hunters. This had nothing to do with hunting but lots to do with people just being stupid.

[RiverOtter]

I'm on your side Fuzzy, I'm merely pointing out the likely outcome, based on previous experience.

[RiverOtter]

No doubt the jet boat enthusiasts aren't too pleased with the shenanigans of these idiots either.

[ruger#1]

I'm on your side Fuzzy, I'm merely pointing out the likely outcome, based on previous experience. They will just get a slap on the wrists. Got to love these papers. They are anti gun and anti hunting. They do like rainbows, And unicorns.

[newfie bullet]

I'm having a tough time on this one. Ya they are drunken louts and being stupid but....? How many of us have done stupid things as kids? Do frogs and straws rings any bells with folks? How about your first pellet gun and that unfortunate finch that landed on the fence post? I seen a video of a couple who let their dog loose in a room with two mirrors and the dog went nuts because he thought there were three other dog's so is that animal harrasment? How many of the millions of views of the video were laughing their ass off? We actually have Sbags driving around with illegal guns and shooting the shit out of things and they walk. Just my two cents but I think there is an outrage imbalance here.

[bearvalley]

If they are not hunters they will lose nothing and all it will do is serve to tie this stupid act to hunters. This had nothing to do with hunting but lots to do with people just being stupid.

This post pretty well says it.
This case is nothing more than wildlife harassment.
As for the moose being traumatized, yes I'm sure it was, for a short while, but no more than thousands of animals that are tranquillized or net gunned for wildlife studies or for transplant purposes.
My thoughts would be the moose ran out of the lake, walked into the timber and carried on with life.
The best to hope for is that the harassment charges stick and the incident gets out of the media.

[250 sav]

I'm having a tough time on this one. Ya they are drunken louts and being stupid but....? How many of us have done stupid things as kids? Do frogs and straws rings any bells with folks? How about your first pellet gun and that unfortunate finch that landed on the fence post? I seen a video of a couple who let their dog loose in a room with two mirrors and the dog went nuts because he thought there were three other dog's so is that animal harrasment? How many of the millions of views of the video were laughing their ass off? We actually have Sbags driving around with illegal guns and shooting the shit out of things and they walk. Just my two cents but I think there is an outrage imbalance here.
Similar to my thoughts

[RiverOtter]

I'm having a tough time on this one. Ya they are drunken louts and being stupid but....? How many of us have done stupid things as kids? Do frogs and straws rings any bells with folks? How about your first pellet gun and that unfortunate finch that landed on the fence post? I seen a video of a couple who let their dog loose in a room with two mirrors and the dog went nuts because he thought there were three other dog's so is that animal harrasment? How many of the millions of views of the video were laughing their ass off? We actually have Sbags driving around with illegal guns and shooting the shit out of things and they walk. Just my two cents but I think there is an outrage imbalance here.
Touched on that above. It's what they did when they sobered up that bothers me more and also the same reason they were caught......

[newfie bullet]

Touched on that above. It's what they did when they sobered up that bothers me more and also the same reason they were caught......

have never understood posting vids of .....well you know.

[Sitkaspruce]

S 29 attempt to capture wildlife; and
• S 30 hunt big game that is swimming.
I predict that these two charges won't stick so it is only harassing wildlife and they will get very little punishment for that I fear..."judge we were a little too drunk trying to impress the girls we are really really sorry....."....." well fella's I used to hunt moose and I know how hard it is to impress ladies these days with competition from all the other you tube yahoos so 50 hours of community service sounds about right"

There is a reason why they were charged with "Hunt Big Game That is Swimming"
There is a lot more to this story than just two F8cktards "riding" a moose........


True, but they'll still impose the no hunting ban. Makes it seem more serious to the non hunting public, like losing a drivers license or something.

I've pondered your first post, regarding what their intentions may have been, and came up with this.

Assuming some beers were involved and they had a moment of poor judgement, fair enough. Would it hold water in a court of law?...No, but I could understand they made a mistake; I've found a "good" idea or two at the bottom of a box of beer myself on occasion(As have most here, guaranteed). The difference, IMO, is you feel like a piece of shit for being an idiot the next day, you don't run to social media to enshrine the video of your stupidity. Does it suck for these guys getting charged and having to go to court? For sure. Can the CO's simply turn a blind eye because it costs money to investigate? Not too likely, especially when most of their case was built by the offenders via video.

Secondly, I don't believe the moose was "traumatized" as in having nightmares caused by the event, but that doesn't mean her health wasn't seriously compromised. She would have considered that event "life and death" and would have pushed herself to exhaustion, making her a much easier target for the next wolf or bear that came long. Prolly not what the joy riders were intending, but a very plausible possibility, none the less.

Lastly, do we know if these guys came forward themselves? I know the COs were asking for help when I first seen the video, but never heard anything more till now. If they hunkered down and someone else turned them in, that also goes against their character and won't help them in court.

No, I don't think the book should be thrown at them, but they've dug themselves much deeper than a warning by infuriating the general public.

There is more to this story that will come out in the trail, but lets just say that we have one less cow moose running around in the Tuchodi..........

Cheers

SS

[Gateholio]

Best punishment in my mind is social media. Get the video viral so everyone hates them. :)

[elknut]

Everybody seems to think that they might not be hunters...I tend to disagree..Not many guys going into Tuchodi lakes with a jet boat that aren't hunting...Green peacers are not animal harassers ..Neither are backcountry tourists..Well healed idiots are ..I also think that the Govt will push for a strong deterrent as the public does not tolerate this kind of behavior...Alcohol is not an excuse for animal abuse and I feel it won"t be tolerated...They better wish for a leniet judge cause they won't be smiling after ...

[takla1]

Am I the only one that feels that these dudes being charged is over kill assumeing no moose were actually hurt or died?As was mentioned earlier beer and testosterone has been responsible for far worse examples of stupidity.Moose are dam tough animals and probably didn't even feel them near.Now if they were chaseing them in the water with the jet boat and stressing them to the point whereby they were harmed that's another story.
There actually lucky they didn't get K+Oed by their trashing front legs..

takla

[TARCHER]

Am I the only one that feels that these dudes being charged is over kill assumeing no moose were actually hurt or died?As was mentioned earlier beer and testosterone has been responsible for far worse examples of stupidity.Moose are dam tough animals and probably didn't even feel them near.Now if they were chaseing them in the water with the jet boat and stressing them to the point whereby they were harmed that's another story.
There actually lucky they didn't get K+Oed by their trashing front legs..

takla What kind of behavior is that? are you kidding? Time to pay the consequences for poor behavior. Have respect for the animal

[takla1]

Nope,not kidding at all,my opinion

takla

[Mishka]

I'm glad to hear they are charged. They deserve whatever they get. Turds with that mentality are similar to the d**kheads that leave their garbage in the bush and throw beer cans out the window.

[ruger#1]

Am I the only one that feels that these dudes being charged is over kill assumeing no moose were actually hurt or died?As was mentioned earlier beer and testosterone has been responsible for far worse examples of stupidity.Moose are dam tough animals and probably didn't even feel them near.Now if they were chaseing them in the water with the jet boat and stressing them to the point whereby they were harmed that's another story.
There actually lucky they didn't get K+Oed by their trashing front legs..

takla He jumped off of a jet boat. Onto the mooses back.So at some point they were chasing the moose.we need the video posted here.

[takla1]

That would be akin to chaseing the moose down with a snowmobile then which would definitely stress the animal.Dont know if there are laws against that.Either way it was a bone headed idea for sure..

takla

[campking]

Am I the only one that feels that these dudes being charged is over kill assumeing no moose were actually hurt or died?As was mentioned earlier beer and testosterone has been responsible for far worse examples of stupidity.Moose are dam tough animals and probably didn't even feel them near.Now if they were chaseing them in the water with the jet boat and stressing them to the point whereby they were harmed that's another story.
There actually lucky they didn't get K+Oed by their trashing front legs..

takla Perhaps I am missing something as it sure looked like they were chasing that moose with their boat in order to catch up to it? As we live in a democracy everyone has a right to their opinion, myself I hope they get everything coming to them disgusts me to no end!

[Bag1]

The fact they might be hunters can be disproved by watching the vid again, in the very beginning you can clearly hear them debating whether its a moose or an elk,
whatever they get they deserve personally I hope they get hung , the animal was clearly terrified and they did nothing to avoid/rectify that fact other then to proceed chasing it down till the asstard jumped on its back and created more stress for the animal.

[ruger#1]

Here is the video.

https://youtu.be/p5wokQJxwhE

[Riverbc]

Drunk or sober, they broke the law. Glad they got caught and charged!

From the Wildlife Act

"harass" includes worry, exhaust, fatigue, annoy, plague, pester, tease or torment, but does not include the lawful hunting, trapping or capturing of wildlife;

From BC Hunting Regs

It is illegal to;

to use a power boat, aircraft, or motor vehicle or other mechanical device to herd or harass wildlife.

If it turns out these guys are hunters....another black mark for the antis to rally around.

[1/2 slam]

Hope they find the boat and seize it as well.