Three Lower Mainland men have received a combined $18,000 penalty and 30-year hunting ban in connection with unlawfully killing wildlife near Kamloops.
The BC Conservation Officer Service reported on April 18 that the three men were sentenced in Kamloops provincial court for violations under the Wildlife Act. A fourth man has also been accused in connection with the incident, and is wanted on a warrant.
The incident dates back to May 2020, when the men took part in a hunting excursion in the area of Darfield, south of Little Fort. They used spotlights so that they could hunt at night, a practice commonly known as “pit lamping”.
The Conservation Officer service has described pit lamping as “the common term to refer to the nighttime shooting of wildlife, such as deer, while they are blinded by vehicle headlights or a spotlight.”
Hunting at night is a violation of the Wildlife Act, which states that “The prohibited hours for hunting wildlife are from one hour after sunset on any day until one hour before sunrise of the day following.”
During the excursion, two deer were shot, including one that was later discovered to be pregnant with twin fawns. There was no open season for deer at the time. Several grouse and a marmot were also shot, and one of the men clubbed the wounded marmot to death.
The men were subsequently stopped by a Conservation Officer who was conducting hunting compliance checks in the area. The wildlife and the men’s firearms were seized as evidence.
One man received an $8,000 penalty and his rifle and spotlights were forfeited. The two other men who appeared in court each received a $5,000 penalty. All three men were also banned from hunting for 10 years, and they are not allowed to be in the company of any other hunter.
The majority of the penalty will go to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), a non-profit charitable foundation that acts as Trustee of the Habitat Conservation Trust. HCTF came into existence because its major contributors (hunters, anglers, trappers, and guide-outfitters) were willing to pay for conservation work above and beyond that expected by government for basic management of wildlife and fish resources.
HCTF funds a wide variety of “on the ground” conservation work, including projects that restore, maintain, or enhance native freshwater fish and wildlife populations and habitats; information, education, and stewardship projects that enhance users’ enjoyment of fish, wildlife, and habitats or that foster human attitudes and behaviours favourable to management and conservation; and projects that acquire land or interests in land to secure the value of these areas for conservation purposes.
The Conservation Officer Service hopes that the significant penalties handed down in the April 18 decision will help deter other people from engaging in similar activities.