Campbell River man nailed for illegal moose

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/news/210474091.html


I will bet the hefty fine was more for lying to the COs, rather than taking a 3 pt.

[r106]

He was going to report it in the morning? So why break the antler off?

Everyone makes mistakes, this goes to show you shouldn't try and cover it up. I bet if he did call it in and owned up to the mistake, it would have been a slap on the wrist. Good to see the money going to conservation

[One Shot]

He should have had a least a 5 year prohibition for hunting. 1 year is not a deterent enough to stop the SOBs. Should have lost the vehicle he used as well.

[Mr. Dean]

Sounds like coming up w/ the 3k will take some effort...


IMO the guy seriously screwed himself by not being truthful out of the gates.
If he were going to self report, why all the BS when the CO's came to him and saved him a trip to town?

If the story is accurate, I call BS.

[rcar]

I have my doubts about the hunter planning on self reporting the mistake too, based on the broken antler. Also if the hunter has such a financial crisis why go all the way to Ft. St John? Gas and ferry alone for that hunt is over $1000. Stay on the island and hunt deer for next to free. He is also really lucky he didn't have to appear in Provincial court in Ft. St John.

I also agree with One Shot on the 5 year hunting ban. Hope the moose went to a needy group of families in the area.

[jhausner]

Firstly if accurate (which sounds like he is playing blame game) anyone that admit to shooting at something after being "urged to" by someone else, shouldn't have a firearms license let alone be aloud to hunt. Absolutely nobody but YOU should decide when to pull the trigger at what. I've only once had a friend I was hunting with a number of years ago "urge" me to shoot at something and I explained quite clearly that they had better STFU and never comment with opinion on when or on what I should pull the trigger of my rifle on. That said, I would have increased the time denied from hunting simply because of all the lies and cover up. The fine given circumstances seems reasonable to me. $3000 to someone in his position is like $15-20,000 for most of us.

[steel_ram]

He could afford to go hunting a long way from home.

[quadrakid]

He made a mistake and then tried to cover up his mistake.Not the right thing to do but who knows for sure how you would react until your in that position. This is assuming he believed the moose to be a two point.I,m quite sure that amongst the thousands of members of this site hundreds have broken game laws,some by accident some intentionally.I don,t know the fellow in question.

[Chopper]

I believe he probably accidentally shot an illegal bull ... I also believe he was not going to report the animal , In his eyes he probably thought it was an honest mistake and figured he'd put it in the freezer. Its not like this guy was lamping or poaching protected animals or a species that is a low odds LEH. I think the penalty is pleanty enough for a young moose. Good job by the conservation officers and good job by the courts. It sounds like the issue has been handled very well by the system ... I think that will teach him

[bccanadian]

Firstly if accurate (which sounds like he is playing blame game) anyone that admit to shooting at something after being "urged to" by someone else, shouldn't have a firearms license let alone be aloud to hunt. Absolutely nobody but YOU should decide when to pull the trigger at what. I've only once had a friend I was hunting with a number of years ago "urge" me to shoot at something and I explained quite clearly that they had better STFU and never comment with opinion on when or on what I should pull the trigger of my rifle on. That said, I would have increased the time denied from hunting simply because of all the lies and cover up. The fine given circumstances seems reasonable to me. $3000 to someone in his position is like $15-20,000 for most of us.


My brother is on disability. He barely brings in enough money to cover his half of the mortgage. $3000. would DEFINITELY be difficult to raise on disability income.

[mr7mm]

i just read this, lets face it mistakes are going to happen, but that does not excuse him for his actions !!! well 3grand is maybe not enough of a fine he could afford to hunt up fsj long ways from home. i was raised to be straight up be acccountable for your actions and what was wrong from calling the conservation officer at 2am he should not have touched that moose and let the co make that decision if that was the case he would have not have had to call at 2am . clearly there is some bs here let alone breaking a antler off.. i personally think he should have had the book tossed at him. its guys like this who give us a bad name

[416]

He made a mistake and then tried to cover up his mistake.Not the right thing to do but who knows for sure how you would react until your in that position. This is assuming he believed the moose to be a two point.I,m quite sure that amongst the thousands of members of this site hundreds have broken game laws,some by accident some intentionally.I don,t know the fellow in question.

Wrong form...nobody like that here, just ask!:)

[The Silent Stalker]

He should have had a least a 5 year prohibition for hunting. 1 year is not a deterent enough to stop the SOBs. Should have lost the vehicle he used as well.

I think this would have been a better sentence, and more of a deterrent for other SOBs.

[Mr. Dean]

I think this would have been a better sentence, and more of a deterrent for other SOBs.

I'm of the camp where *bans* mean little. Case in point, it's already a *ban* to lie to a CO, cheat, steal and/or break an antler off.
Pocket books is where it's at. :wink:

IMO 3K isn't nothing to sniff at - If I were hit with an unsuspected bill for that amount, it would cause some serious grief around here with 2 wages under one roof.

[HarryToolips]

Firstly if accurate (which sounds like he is playing blame game) anyone that admit to shooting at something after being "urged to" by someone else, shouldn't have a firearms license let alone be aloud to hunt. Absolutely nobody but YOU should decide when to pull the trigger at what. I've only once had a friend I was hunting with a number of years ago "urge" me to shoot at something and I explained quite clearly that they had better STFU and never comment with opinion on when or on what I should pull the trigger of my rifle on. That said, I would have increased the time denied from hunting simply because of all the lies and cover up. The fine given circumstances seems reasonable to me. $3000 to someone in his position is like $15-20,000 for most of us.
Exactly...when in any kind of doubt, dont shoot

[Jelvis]

The guy is so broke he can't hardly afford gas, he makes an honest mistake and everyone wants to can the guy.
So now they fine the poor guy and his ol lady with a 3000 dollar fine? C'mon man?!
Stupid for an honest mistake, everyone deserves up to a third chance in Canada.
Jel .. Just the fax mam ..

[lightmag]

nope different guy, im the guy who helped bust in your link guy. He was a wealthy buisnisman from FST john! plead guilty right off , as he took off when we confronted him, he paniced big time!! he got fines and 5 year hunting ban, he didnt lose his hunting gear. we got the moose as my partner is a single father of 3 teenage boys and qualified as a needy family.

[rcar]

The guy is so broke he can't hardly afford gas, he makes an honest mistake and everyone wants to can the guy.
So now they fine the poor guy and his ol lady with a 3000 dollar fine? C'mon man?!
Stupid for an honest mistake, everyone deserves up to a third chance in Canada.
Jel .. Just the fax mam ..

Really Jelly? If he is so broke he can't afford gas, why did he drop a grand on the ferry and gas to hunt in Ft. St. John? Honest mistake? Why did he snap off an antler then? I don't buy it.

[Jelvis]

This is a big problem with spike/fork bull moose in BC, all over people say they find dead three points and even bigger bulls.
You hear it every year. Why? Some say they phone the CO and say Hey, sorry but I blew it, and take their lumps and others who try to cover up the mistake and in doing so make more bigger mistakes.
Think and count way b4 you take a shot at a two point in spike/fork cus sometimes the third point hides behind the horn.
It can happen honestly, and then if you do this mistake, it's your decision how far you want to imagine which way yer going.
Call a CO if you do make a very honest mistake, you will, then it will play out better for your conscience. imho.
.. Trust our B.C. Conservation Officers to use the right method of penalization .. they are very well trained in B.C.
Jel .. Take a long, close look first of all and make as sure as you can b4 squeezing off .. imho .. be as perfect as possible

[steel_ram]

String the dude up, not only for not being more careful identifying his game but more so for deliberately trying to cover it up. Make others afraid to even think about pulling the same gig.

[Fred1]

How many "calves" get shot each year because they are two young cows hanging out? Quite a few Ill wager. Every year I see cow remains during calf season. Maybe its time to change our regs and leave our immature moose population alone..?

[Jelvis]

Cow/Calf leh is the way to go for this in my opinion, every one has an opinion mine is if a hunter shoots either he or she can be confident to shoot if there are no antlers.
If it's just calf or cow it makes it hard for inexperienced hunters of cows bulls or calfs moose to feel confident.
Spike/fork gos should be cut and added to leh, then the government can control the population numbers without mistakes happening as often. imho
Lot's of different ways to look at it, but I'll let the Bio's and C.O.s do their jobs better than we could.
Jel .. High five for the pro staff in the Conservation of B.C.

[Fred1]

Cow/Calf leh is the way to go for this in my opinion, every one has an opinion mine is if a hunter shoots either he or she can be confident to shoot if there are no antlers.
If it's just calf or cow it makes it hard for inexperienced hunters of cows bulls or calfs moose to feel confident.
Spike/fork gos should be cut and added to leh, then the government can control the population numbers without mistakes happening as often. imho
Lot's of different ways to look at it, but I'll let the Bio's and C.O.s do their jobs better than we could.
Jel .. High five for the pro staff in the Conservation of B.C.
Agreed!! :)

[Speratus]

Poor morals and ethics lead to fewer hunting opportunities... sad but we're still seeing this kinda stuff.

[Jelvis]

It's a thought process a hunter goes through when he or she sees a moose, is that a legal moose for my leh tag?
Now it's observation for horn and size for what ever tag you have. Any bull moose, cow/calf, cow or calf, spike/fork?
You need to identify the animal to correctly fit your valid moose leh tag.
How many points, cow or calf, spike/fork? Or five palm or three palm.
You need to know all the regs and the mu, as well as the valid tag you hold. The MU boundaries and the window of time.
Now if your 100 % positive of the animal and you got the valid tag, you can take a perfect shot.
.. Know your shot back ground for safety as well behind the moose .. It's only fun when everything is done legally ..
Jel .. May you always recognize the animal 100 % or let it walk ..

[Wild one]

Personally I doubt he shot it by mistake and is most likely BSing after being caught.

I have heard about breaking off a tine to make moose a 2 pt since I was a kid. Even had a few old timmers explain how they carry a file to make it look good and work dirt along with stain to finish it off. Completely wrong but this is how some bend the rules and some look at it as no big deal since it was close enough.

Myself I would rather see more any bull LEH than the 2 pt season do to the yearly shot and left to rot mistakes along with guys like this clown.

[islander7mm]

"The woman made me do it!"
That excuse is as old as time. :)