PUBLICATION: The Leader-Post (Regina)
DATE: 2001.10.26
EDITION: FINAL
SECTION: Provincial
PAGE: A5
BYLINE: Pamela Cowan
SOURCE: The Leader-Post
Conservation officers are setting their sights outside Canada as they build a case against "hunters obsessed with hunting". Twice this fall, more than 1,000 waterfowl were dumped six miles apart south of Wadena. "We think these are hunters who just want to keep hunting," said Dave Harvey, director of enforcement with Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management.
"They get rid of their birds from their daily limit or two-day limit just so they don't have to stay within the limits when they go hunting. They're just hunters who are obsessed with hunting. They don't intend to use the meat so they just get rid of it."
There were 270 birds in one dumping and 770 in the second, Harvey said. The waterfowl mainly included snow geese, but Canada geese and ducks were found as well.
Wasting wildlife and exceeding the limit charges can be laid under the provincial Wildlife Act. The maximum fine for each charge is $100,000. Hunting limits of snow geese are 20 per day or 60 in possession and the pintail duck limit is three.
"The pintail is more at risk than other species," Harvey said. "Obviously, everyone thinks there are lots of snow geese and there are today, but if this type of activity continues, they won't be as prevalent as they are now."
If convicted, the hunters could also face an automatic hunting licence suspension for Saskatchewan under the provincial Wildlife Act. Additionally, charges for exceeding the limit could be laid under the federal Migratory Birds Act, which could result in a suspension from hunting across Canada.
It could be a month before charges are laid against "one good-sized group, over five," Harvey said.
"We are going to be relying on some help from our counterparts out-of-province to help us, but we know who they are," he said.
Bird dumping has happened before, but not on this scale, Harvey said.
"We appreciate all the help the public has given us," he said. "A lot of people are disgusted with this... People can call our tip number at 1-800-667-7561. We take all calls anonymously and it's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week."