$11,000 in fines for illegal moose kills

[MichelD]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/moose-hunters-fined-1.5980947


Three men have been fined a total $11,000 for illegally killing four moose in two separate incidents in B.C.'s southern Interior and attempting to cover their tracks by exchanging hunting tags.
Terry Knooihuizen is at the centre of both incidents, while two of his friends allowed him to use their hunting tags to cover it up.
In 2017, Knooihuizen shot and killed two moose near Vernon, according to provincial court documents. The court fined him $3,500 for exceeding his bag limit and using another person's tag. Another man, Tim McCool, was fined $2,000 for his part in the incident.
Two years later near Revelstoke, Knooihuizen again killed two bull moose. The court fined him another $3,500. A separate man, Christopher Gross, has been fined $2,000 for letting him use his tag.

[Bigdoggdon]

Article seems pretty light on the details. Is this one of those "Shared Hunt" situations? Wonder how they caught him - twice?

[3centsolution]

Second time should have been a lot heavier

[Hugh Mann]

Definitely light on the details.

My opinion on the subject is likely somewhat controversial. When hunting in a group with friends, what does it matter who shoots the animal as long as a valid tag is present? Far as I am concerned, that tag is a death warrant for one animal, so it shouldn't matter who drops it, as long as it can be properly tagged?

I'm not talking about shooting a moose and calling Jimmy to come in from his lazy boy in town to tag it, but if he's 30 feet away, doesn't have a clean shot and moving would spook the animal, or hell, even if he's in the next valley over and you have a method of communication. Sure, there's a danger of Jimmy also having shot something, but it's no different than a group or shared LEH with more people than tags.

Still, seeing as it is currently illegal, I'm also glad to see actual punishments being given for poaching, not just a slap on the wrist and a wave goodbye.

[steel_ram]

When hunting in a group with friends, what does it matter who shoots the animal as long as a valid tag is present? Far as I am concerned, that tag is a death warrant for one animal, so it shouldn't matter who drops it, as long as it can be properly tagged?

I'd disagree with that. So would the law. It matters.

[Island Idiots]

It is likely that allowing others to shoot an animal to fill your tag would impact the harvest ratio and hunter success rate ultimately resulting in lower tag numbers.

I would like to congratulate everyone involved in a successful prosecution in this case. This individual has no regard for conservation or the law. We need more of this kind of enforcement. IMO

[Surrey Boy]

Considering how arbitrary and inconsistent the law and its enforcement is, I don't know how anyone can sincerely support the Crown.

[tigrr]

Ya the details are a little fuzzy. Exceeding bag limit/poaching and then covering your tracks with one tag?

[Redthies]

Two separate convictions for the exact same violation should equal a lifetime hunting ban. That said, without lots more details, we are just armchair experts on the subject. Obviously it was clear enough for two convictions though.

[steel_ram]

It is likely that allowing others to shoot an animal to fill your tag would impact the harvest ratio and hunter success rate ultimately resulting in lower tag numbers.

. . . and shorter seasons for the rest of us.

[Linksman313]

Far as I am concerned, that tag is a death warrant for one animal, .

Never quite thought about it in that manner, but ok
regardless i am glad to see some justice (convictions)
Links
p.s. don't let the anti's get ahold of that statement

[triggerhappy]

Definitely light on the details.

My opinion on the subject is likely somewhat controversial. When hunting in a group with friends, what does it matter who shoots the animal as long as a valid tag is present? Far as I am concerned, that tag is a death warrant for one animal, so it shouldn't matter who drops it, as long as it can be properly tagged?

I'm not talking about shooting a moose and calling Jimmy to come in from his lazy boy in town to tag it, but if he's 30 feet away, doesn't have a clean shot and moving would spook the animal, or hell, even if he's in the next valley over and you have a method of communication. Sure, there's a danger of Jimmy also having shot something, but it's no different than a group or shared LEH with more people than tags.

Still, seeing as it is currently illegal, I'm also glad to see actual punishments being given for poaching, not just a slap on the wrist and a wave goodbye.
If doing this leads to more animals being taken, then it reduces opportunities for everyone else. If the 2 of you are standing next to each other and either person could have killed the animal, then you have a point, but it would still be illegal.

[Kill-da-wabbit]

Definitely light on the details.

My opinion on the subject is likely somewhat controversial. When hunting in a group with friends, what does it matter who shoots the animal as long as a valid tag is present? Far as I am concerned, that tag is a death warrant for one animal, so it shouldn't matter who drops it, as long as it can be properly tagged?

I'm not talking about shooting a moose and calling Jimmy to come in from his lazy boy in town to tag it, but if he's 30 feet away, doesn't have a clean shot and moving would spook the animal, or hell, even if he's in the next valley over and you have a method of communication. Sure, there's a danger of Jimmy also having shot something, but it's no different than a group or shared LEH with more people than tags.

Still, seeing as it is currently illegal, I'm also glad to see actual punishments being given for poaching, not just a slap on the wrist and a wave goodbye.

Unethical.
Unsportsman-like.
Illegal.

[Slinky Pickle]

Here's more info on the case...

https://www.saobserver.net/news/three-okanagan-men-fined-11k-total-for-poaching-moose-in-vernon-revelstoke/

[LBM]

Good to see they were caught but feel a bigger ban should have been applied. Spike fork should be shut down as well or some changes to it.

[S.W.A.T.]

Pretty lite fines after seeing what the fishermen got

[BCbillies]

A 5+ year ban would have been better. You need a pretty solid case to get a conviction. For every conviction assume 9 other infractions that they got away with.

[Imdone]

They . The courts , NEVER make big examples of idiots like this.

Throw the book at them, use monies for conservation .

POS !

[walks with deer]

Discarded antlers doubt any of them where real immys what a goof assed poacher..finea too low.

[.264winmag]

Can’t do the time don’t do the crime, although time in this case is FA. Still just a case of wrong ethnic background imo, just like the recent convictions handed down for salmon poaching in Nootka sound. Till the ‘privileged’ nets are curtailed it is a moot point. Jmo

[quadrakid]

Definitely light on the details.

My opinion on the subject is likely somewhat controversial. When hunting in a group with friends, what does it matter who shoots the animal as long as a valid tag is present? Far as I am concerned, that tag is a death warrant for one animal, so it shouldn't matter who drops it, as long as it can be properly tagged?

I'm not talking about shooting a moose and calling Jimmy to come in from his lazy boy in town to tag it, but if he's 30 feet away, doesn't have a clean shot and moving would spook the animal, or hell, even if he's in the next valley over and you have a method of communication. Sure, there's a danger of Jimmy also having shot something, but it's no different than a group or shared LEH with more people than tags.

Still, seeing as it is currently illegal, I'm also glad to see actual punishments being given for poaching, not just a slap on the wrist and a wave goodbye.


That tag is not a death warrant for an animal. It allows a person to legally hunt ,it is no guarantee of an animal. Many tags go unfilled.

[jac]

The penalty was not near enough.

In my opinion a tag is a opportunity to hunt a species, it’s definitely not a death warrant.

[hawk-i]

I really have a hard time feeling like these fines (or game laws) mean anything when another race of people can go to the same area and shoot everything including cows and calves 24/7/365...but thats JMHO :(

[KodiakHntr]

It's kind of depressing to see how this stuff has "progressed" over time.

Couple guys I used to know back in Cherryville smoked a couple of bull moose before there was season there, maybe 25 years ago?. They ended up doing jail time for it. Started out as weekends but then they opted to just serve the full sentences all at once. Missing a few months of work would add up to way more than what this guy got for killing twice as many moose.

[180grainer]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/moose-hunters-fined-1.5980947


Three men have been fined a total $11,000 for illegally killing four moose in two separate incidents in B.C.'s southern Interior and attempting to cover their tracks by exchanging hunting tags.
Terry Knooihuizen is at the centre of both incidents, while two of his friends allowed him to use their hunting tags to cover it up.
In 2017, Knooihuizen shot and killed two moose near Vernon, according to provincial court documents. The court fined him $3,500 for exceeding his bag limit and using another person's tag. Another man, Tim McCool, was fined $2,000 for his part in the incident.
Two years later near Revelstoke, Knooihuizen again killed two bull moose. The court fined him another $3,500. A separate man, Christopher Gross, has been fined $2,000 for letting him use his tag.


After reading that article, it should have been life time loss of his hunting privileges, $11,000.00 per moose shot, and two months in prison. He's a repeat offender because he's never dealt with appropriately by the courts.

[chinook150]

Definitely light on the details.

My opinion on the subject is likely somewhat controversial. When hunting in a group with friends, what does it matter who shoots the animal as long as a valid tag is present? Far as I am concerned, that tag is a death warrant for one animal, so it shouldn't matter who drops it, as long as it can be properly tagged?

I'm not talking about shooting a moose and calling Jimmy to come in from his lazy boy in town to tag it, but if he's 30 feet away, doesn't have a clean shot and moving would spook the animal, or hell, even if he's in the next valley over and you have a method of communication. Sure, there's a danger of Jimmy also having shot something, but it's no different than a group or shared LEH with more people than tags.

Still, seeing as it is currently illegal, I'm also glad to see actual punishments being given for poaching, not just a slap on the wrist and a wave goodbye.

Definitely controversial but 100% agree

[elker]

They were not charged with perjury or obstruction of justices. It tells that they were straightforward and told the truth from the beginning.
yes, they broke the law, but what they did were not that far below the average hunters
have you ever let your wife, children shoot a bird while they don’t have a hunting licence?

[Ohwildwon]

What are there names?

[MichelD]

What are there names?

They are named here:

https://www.saobserver.net/news/three-okanagan-men-fined-11k-total-for-poaching-moose-in-vernon-revelstoke/

[quadrakid]

This idea that an LEH tag is a death warrant is the reason the game laws get broken. We all know that plenty of moose get shot in shared hunts by the same hunter. That is poaching.
The mentality behind that behaviour is that because the group has more tags they are owed that many moose,they have a right to fill all the tags. Happens all to often.

[lwing]

Don’t know how anyone could let someone fill there tag,,