(Re: “Poachers not getting message”, p. 17, Feb. 26 Mountain View Gazette)
When I was a field officer, I ran into similiar problems of too many violators, and poachers, and not enough penalty. Night hunting, hunt out of season, traffick in big game meat, hunt without a licence, wastage of edible meat and many other offences were rampant in the unpatrolled areas of southeastern Alberta.
The first lesson was to put the offenders into different categories based on the severity of the offence. I gradually started getting maximum fines and suspensions, but there was still illegal activity going on, just more covertly.
Finally a group of four poacher-traffickers were arrested. The courts definitely “played ball” in this matter. The perpertrators were given maximum fines and suspensions. What finally stopped “real” poaching in the area, however, and I don't mean shooting off roads, was the forfeiture of four rifles, a jeep, a half-ton truck and the issuance of Canada-wide arrest warrants. After this unprecedented case, with total penalties hovering around $119,000 in today's currency, I had difficulty buying another serious charge. As a final note: there were no RAP lines in those days (the 1980s).
There are books available in Sundre that outline how the courts dealt with these types of cases.
Murray Bates
Sundre
