A Vancouver Island man faces a $5,100 fine and a two-year hunting ban after he illegally killed an elk near Chemainus.
Kyle Watson-Harley pleaded guilty to killing wildlife not in open season, the BC Conservation Officer Service said Wednesday.
The killing occurred in the Copper Canyon area in 2019. The BCCOS says it received a tip about the incident, which helped lead conservation officers to the dead elk.
Meat from the poached Roosevelt Elk was seized and donated to the Stz’uminus First Nation, north of Ladysmith.
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The conservation service says there is never an open season for hunting Roosevelt Elk on Vancouver Island. However, there is a limited entry hunting lottery drawn every year.
The BCCOS says it hopes the conviction will “help deter others from similar activities,” since there are conservation concerns related to Roosevelt Elk on the Island.
It adds that most of the money from the fine will go towards the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.
As of 2017, the province estimated there were 5,500 Roosevelt Elk living in B.C.’s West Coast, most of which are located on Vancouver Island.
The BCCOS encourages anyone with wildlife concerns to contact the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
Adam Chan
