Manitoba Conservation has released its Officer Service Enforcement Update, and there are a number of reports from the Parkland, including one from just a few weeks ago in Dauphin.
Social Media Posts Lead to $3000 in Fines for Dauphin Man
On January 18th, conservation officers executed a search warrant in Dauphin after investigating images that were posted to social media.
Then, on the 25th, officers charged a man from Dauphin for killing a buck white-tailed deer without a licence, possessing illegally taken wildlife, possessing wildlife without a valid tag attached, and failing to cut out the correct date of the killing from the game tag. His total fines and restitution were $3000.
Off-Duty Conservation Officer Comes Across Illegal Hunting near Renwer
On November 25th, an off-duty conservation officer from Swan River came across a parked vehicle on the side of the road near Renwer. Someone was in the box of the truck, and there were drag marks from the bush.
They called an on-duty officer, but the vehicle had left by the time they arrived. They followed the drag marks and found a large spray of blood and hair, which helped them determine where the bullet came from.
Officers found a single spent cartridge on the road about 75 meters away, and before long, were able to find the truck matching the off-duty officer's description. There was a white-tailed deer carcass in the box of the truck, which the passenger, from Grande Prairie Alberta, claimed ownership of.
They admitted to officers that they had shot the deer from the road, and officers seized the deer and rifle. The passenger was charged $486 for discharging a rifle from a municipal road and issued a $1,500 restitution notice for the white-tailed deer.
Swan River Conservation Officers Bust Illegal Night Hunters
On December 8th, officers got a tip about a possible night hunting violation. When an officer responded, they found a truck stuck in the snow, and passengers were trying to dig it out, while the driver had gone to look for help.
There weren't any immediate signs of hunting, so when the passengers got the truck unstuck, they left. Soon after, another officer searching the area on a snowmobile found a freshly killed elk buried in the snow on private land. There were footprints going from the area to where the truck was stuck.
Officers found the individuals from Pine Creek First Nation and issued tickets for hunting on private land without permission ($486) and possessing illegally taken wildlife ($1,296). A rifle was seized and a $2,500 restitution notice was also issued. The elk was donated to a local resident.
Officers Spot Infractions During Aircraft Patrols
Early in January, aircraft patrols were conducted by conservation officers from Dauphin, Swan River, Neepawa, and Shoal Lake in collaboration with the provincial wildlife health manager to detect illegal baiting, illegal feeding, or any attractants promoting nose-to-nose feeding within the tuberculosis/chronic wasting disease control zones.
Several locations were observed and officers followed up by confirming findings once on the ground. Landowners were notified of the attractants and removal/clean-up orders were issued.
