A Fort St. James man has been fined $3,000 and placed on a nine-month probation order for hunting at night.
In September 2021, Conservation Officers (COS) and RCMP responded to a Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) complaint about night hunting in progress along Necoslie Forest Service Road, near Fort St. James. Officers located the suspect and vehicle in question.
The investigation revealed that a moose had been shot from the road, with the vehicle's headlights used to illuminate the animal in the dark. The moose was seized by COS and distributed to members of the Nak’azdli First Nation.
Francois Prince pleaded guilty in Fort St. James provincial court this week to hunting with an illumination device, a violation of the Wildlife Act, COS said in a Dec. 11 statement.
The penalty, which directs all but $1 of the fine to the Habitat Conservation and Trust Foundation, also includes a probation order requiring Prince to give a school presentation on safe hunting practices, with a focus on the dangers of night hunting.
“We’d like to thank the public for their prompt report to the RAPP line, which allowed officers to respond immediately,” said COS Sgt. Stuart Bates. “We hope this sentence will deter others from similar illegal activity.”
Violations can be reported to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
