2 hunters fined $8,400 for out-of-season moose kill

Two men have been fined in relation to an out-of-season moose kill in the Langham area, west of Saskatoon, in 2014.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Environment the men were charged with unlawful hunting and the fines were recently imposed at Provincial Court in Saskatoon, following guilty pleas.

The penalties in this case will help deter others.- Ken Aube

One man, 35, was fined $5,600 and handed a four-year hunting licence suspension. A second man, 57, was fined $2,800 and given a one-year hunting suspension.

Officials said a third person was involved by helping to move the animal. That person went through an alternative measures program and, through that, donated a total of $1,000 to two charities.

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"Respect for the province's hunting laws is an important component of effective wildlife management," Ken Aube, the chief of enforcement and investigations for the ministry, said in that statement released Thursday. "There wasn't a moose season in that area at the time of the offence, nor did the hunters have a required draw moose licence for this zone."

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The ministry noted the case began after someone made a call to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) line in November of 2014.

Conservation officers from Saskatoon and North Battleford investigated the call and found a vehicle in the reported area, near Langham, Sask., towing a trailer with an untagged bull moose in it.

Seized meat donated to food bank

The officers also found the kill site to confirm there was no open season for moose at that time.

"The assistance of the public is invaluable as we work to protect and preserve Saskatchewan's natural resources," Aube added. "I'm confident that the penalties in this case will help deter others from this illegal type of activity."

The moose was seized and the meat was donated to the Saskatoon Food Bank under the Hunt for Hunger program.

• EXTERNAL LINK: Sasktip - Turn in Poachers