Manitoba Sustainable Development is providing numerous updates to enforcement activities that began as investigations dating back to 2015.
Deer Shot Inside Winnipeg City Limits
A Winnipeg man has pleaded guilty to killing a deer inside the City of Winnipeg. In 2015, conservation officers investigated a tip that a deer had been shot in an empty lot on Paul Blvd. Investigators found drag marks and signs that an animal had been killed in the area. They gathered evidence, became aware of a possible suspect and found social media posts that included the suspect posing with a deer. Officers executed a search warrant at a residence near Oak Bluff and collected samples of meat, antler and hide for DNA testing and comparison to the samples collected on Paul Blvd. On Jan. 4, 2018, Tyler Moody of Winnipeg pleaded guilty to hunting in a dangerous manner and hunting in a prohibited area. Moody received a total of $6,200 in fines and restitution and was suspended from holding a hunting licence for 18 months.
Illegal Hunting at Night in Area with Moose Closure
Two men were charged and convicted of hunting at night in an area (Game Hunting Area 26) closed to moose hunting. In October 2015, a late-night aerial surveillance operation spotted a truck driving slowly along PTH 304 shining a light along the side of the road and moving back and forth along the highway within an area that was closed to moose hunting. Officers on the ground intercepted the vehicle and found two men in the truck along with two rifles and two lights on the floor of the back seat.
On Aug. 8, 2018, Dale Joseph Hardisty and David James Moneyas of Hollow Water First Nation pleaded guilty to hunting at night with lights and hunting from a road at night. They received fines totaling $1,600 and the vehicle, a 2014 Nissan Titan truck, all firearms, ammunition, hunting equipment and spotlights were forfeited to the Crown.
The Moose Conservation Closure in this area came into effect in 2010 with the co-operation of three local Indigenous communities after aerial surveys from 2000 to 2010 showed the moose population had dropped from more than 2,300 to just over 800. Hunting, along with wolf predation and diseases related to the presence of whitetail deer, were among the contributors to population decline.
Illegal Hunting on Private Land
Three men have been convicted of hunting on private land without permission, following a complaint in November 2017. The complainant believed two moose had been taken on private land southwest of Sinclair and, when officers investigated, they found hunters had started to field dress an adult female moose and a female calf but abandoned the animals in the field before conservation officers arrived. Evidence at the scene and witness statements led to a group of three suspects.
On March 23, 2018, Chris Kelly of Lester Beach, Mike Harris of Belair and Jon Spence of Scanterbury entered guilty pleas to charges of hunting wildlife on private land without permission and possessing illegally taken wildlife. The group received a total of $9,090 in fines and restitution. Kelly and Harris also received one year hunting licence suspensions. The moose carcasses were donated to a local Indigenous community.
Moose Decoy Operation in Closed Hunting Area
Two men have been convicted of hunting illegally after they shot at a moose decoy in an area that was closed to moose hunting in October 2017. As part of ongoing enforcement operations, a moose decoy was set up on PTH 77 near National Mills. With officers in position to monitor the decoy, a truck passed but quickly stopped on the highway. The truck turned around and slowly moved back towards the decoy. Once it neared the decoy, officers saw a rifle barrel come out of the rear passenger window. A shot was fired and the vehicle immediately drove away, but was quickly stopped by conservation officers.
On Jan. 17, 2018, Morgan Lambert of Moose Lake pleaded guilty to hunting moose in a conservation closure and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. He was ordered to pay $2,642 in fines and a rifle was forfeited to the Crown. On Apr. 17, 2018, Lawrence Knight of Moose Lake was found guilty of hunting moose in a conservation closure and hunting from a provincial highway and was ordered to pay $1,856 in fines.
Anyone with information about illegal activities is asked to call their local Sustainable Development office or the Turn in Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-782-0076.
