Two men have been charged after a bull elk was shot out of season in St. Louis, Saskatchewan last February. Doug Carl Risling of Prince Albert, Alberta has since pleaded guilty to illegal hunting, unlawful possession of caribou antlers, illegal storage of a handgun and possession of a restricted handgun without a license.
Mr. Risling has been handed a $6,640 fine combined with a year of probation and is barred from hunting for two years.
His accomplice, the man who allowed the elk to be shot on his land, was also handed a $2,310 fine for unlawfully hunting elk and received a two-year hunting and trapping suspension.
As a group, we as hunters already come under enough scrutiny, without having to break any laws.
Enter poachers.
As the majority of us aim to share our passions for hunting and the great outdoors in an ethical fashion, there are always those who exist that continue to give our community a tarnished reputation. As someone who is tune to the happenings in the field and throughout the outdoor industry, stories such as this one are far too common.
While I hate to see articles such as this printed by myself and other respected publishers, I believe it is our duty to both expose these people as well as display our distaste. In doing so, as a group we solidify that we do not condone these actions, in fact, I believe many of us would agree the punishment does not very often fit the crime.
H/T: CBC
