Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services recently concluded an investigation with the help of members of the public who called officers to report illegal hunting activity

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services recently concluded an investigation with the help of members of the public who called officers to report illegal hunting activity.

On Oct. 10, 2020, the Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend, two witnesses positioned on a hillside near Standard, Alberta were looking for mule deer through a spotting scope. From this vantage point, they noticed a black pickup truck travelling slowly along Highway 840. The truck stopped abruptly on the highway, and the passenger and the driver got out of the vehicle and started shooting at pheasants. The two individuals proceeded to trespass on foot onto the wheat field to continue after the birds and started shooting again once they’ve reached a treed section in the property. The driver then came back for the vehicle, and he and his passenger continued to drive around the entire field and onto an adjacent canola field looking for birds. A fish and wildlife officer arrived at the scene at this point and apprehended the two men while they were still poaching.

The witnesses called Fish and Wildlife Enforcement shortly after they saw the men shooting from the highway. They stayed on the phone with the officer so they can direct him to where he needed to go once he arrived. They also took photos of the infractions through their spotting scope which aided in getting a conviction of these subjects.

On Dec. 9, Joseph C Puentes and Paul Rafael Puentes plead guilty to hunting pheasants during the closed season, trespassing, and unauthorized hunting on occupied land. They were each given $3,000 in fines and their recreation hunting privileges were suspended for 2 years.

A separate pheasants licence, in addition to a game bird license, is required to hunt pheasants during the hunting season. It is also an offence to access property without the owner’s permission. Landowners do not need to post signboards or give oral/written notice to prohibit entry onto their land.

Anyone who witnesses, or has information on, any illegal or suspicious hunting or fishing activity or serious public land abuse is encouraged to call the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800 or submitting a report online at https://www.alberta.ca/report-poacher.aspx. As seen in this investigation, the Report A Poacher program is a way for the public to help us protect our natural environment.