Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development is advising that outfitting licences of two resource tourism operators have been cancelled following a lengthy investigation led by the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service along with Canadian and American wildlife investigators.
On Sept. 27, 2019, a black bear hunter from Iowa was returning home from his hunt with an outfitter from Grandview. At the Pembina port of entry, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector found the hunter to be in possession of two raw black bear hides. One hide had a game tag and the other did not. Both hides were seized and the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service was notified.
The discovery led to a joint investigation between the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Environment and Climate Change Canada Enforcement Branch. The investigation uncovered numerous violations under the Wildlife Act (Manitoba), the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (Canada), and the Lacey Act (U.S.) between 2012 and 2021 by two Manitoba outfitters, their clients and a Manitoba taxidermist.
This joint investigation, called Operation Crossing Line, focused on two outfitting companies. Officers discovered that a number of American hunters using these outfitters harvested black bears in the wrong Game Hunting Area (GHA). In addition, officers determined that on five occasions, clients of the two outfitters illegally hunted a second bear.
On Aug. 19, 2020, an American client of the outfitter was convicted of a violation under the Lacey Act for importing an illegally killed black bear. The two black bears were forfeited. He received a $7,500 fine and one year of unsupervised probation.
On Jan. 21, 2022, an American client of the outfitter who obtained a second licence under a false name in 2019 and exported the bear to the U.S. was convicted under the Lacey Act. He abandoned the second bear and received a $5,000 fine and one year of unsupervised probation.
On April 1, 2022, a taxidermist was convicted under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act of providing a false and misleading statement regarding the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permits. The taxidermist received a $730 fine.
On Aug. 25, 2022, the owner of Royal Elk Outfitting was convicted under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act for furnishing false or misleading information related to the CITES permit. He received a $5,000 fine and forfeited a harvested black bear.
On Dec. 14, 2022, the owner of Royal Elk Outfitting pleaded guilty to 15 counts of violating the Wildlife Act and received a $10,000 fine. On the same day, the owner of South Park Outfitters pleaded guilty to 11 counts of violating the Wildlife Act and received a $2,000 fine.
Following the conclusion of the court cases, the Department of Natural Resources and Northern Development cancelled the Resource Tourism Operators licence for Royal Elk Outfitting and South Park Outfitters, located in the Grandview area.
The Manitoba government is committed to protecting the province’s wildlife and abundant natural resources. Anyone with information on illegal activity is asked to call a local Natural Resources and Northern Development office or the Turn in Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-782-0076.
