Included below are two concluded court cases from the "online" officer's notebook. If you would like to read all the wildlife and fisheries investigations and the final outcome of the court cases be sure to pick up your Alberta Game Warden magazine at your favorite bookstore. Or better yet, purchase a yearly subscription so you won't miss an issue. |
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 The officer seized five cutthroat trout |
Who’s
watching?
Nordegg
District
On July 3, 2004 at 3:36 p.m., Douglas Miller of Rocky Mountain House, an adult female and a youth were observed fishing into the North Ram River, 20 kilometres downstream of a parking lot used for on-highway vehicles near Nordegg, Alberta. They had accessed the area using two off-highway vehicles. This river is designated as a catch and release drainage for cutthroat trout, the only sport fish species present. Catch and release signage is located throughout the drainage in prominent locations and information is also found in the Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations. |
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Officers
had
reason
to
speak
to
the
youth
the
previous
day
and
had
provided
him
with
information
about
the
catch
and
release
designation
of
this
drainage.
Officers
conducted
surveillance
of
the
area
as
Miller
returned
to
the
off-highway
vehicles
carrying
a
plastic
bag
and
a
firearm.
It
was
later
confirmed
that
the
bag
contained
three
cutthroat
trout.
Officers
watched
as
Miller
placed
the
firearm
into
a
gun
scabbard
located
on
one
of
the
off-highway
vehicles.
A
short
time
later,
the
female
returned
to
the
off-highway
vehicles
carrying
two
cutthroat
trout
on
a
forked
branch.
The
youth
then
returned
and
the
group
prepared
to
depart.
Miller
took
the
two
cutthroat
trout
the
female
had
brought
to
the
staging
area
and
placed
them
into
a
second
bag
along
with
the
bag
he
had
been
carrying.
He
then
placed
the
bags
into
a
cargo
box
on
one
of
the
off-highway
vehicles.
Officers
stopped
the
group
on
the
trail
approximately
two
kilometres
from
their
staging
area.
Officers
identified
themselves
and
asked
Miller
if
he
had
been
doing
any
fishing.
He
replied,
“...only
catch
and
release.”
The
off-highway
vehicle
containing
the
fish
was
placed
under
seizure
and
Miller
was
provided
his
Charter
rights.
He
also
provided
a
cautioned
written
statement
assuming
full
responsibility
for
possession
of
all
five
illegal
cutthroat
trout.
Officers
checked
the
firearm
in
the
scabbard
of
Miller’s
off-highway
vehicle
and
found
that
it
was
loaded.
The
fishing
equipment
used
in
the
offence
was
seized.
The
seized
off-highway
vehicle
was
released
back
to
Miller
and
they
departed.
Miller
was
charged
with
exceeding
the
possession
limit
for
fish
and
having
a
loaded
firearm
on
a
vehicle.
A
deterrent
penalty
of
$2,500
was
handed
down
along
with
a
one-year
licence
suspension.
Outfitter caught baiting: Vegreville District A
Lloydminster
man’s
illegal
activity
came
to
a
halt
after
Fish
and
Wildlife
officers
located
a
client
hunting
over
a
pile
of
bait.
On
Mar.
1,
2005
Lloyd
A.
McMahon,
54,
of
Lloydminster,
Saskatchewan
was
convicted
on
the
charge
of
setting
out
prohibited
items
(bait)
as
specified
to
hunt
big
game.
As
a
result,
McMahon
was
handed
a
$12,500
fine
and
a
seized
hunting
stand
was
ordered
forfeited
to
the
Crown.
This
judgement
arose
as
a
result
of
trial
on
Jan.
18,
2005.
On
Nov.
24,
2003
Vegreville
and
Vermillion
Fish
and
Wildlife
officers
were
working
in
an
area
southeast
of
Two
Hills.
A
foot
patrol
into
property
in
the
area
found
a
non-resident
alien
hunter
that
was
hunting
white-tailed
deer
from
a
stand.
The
stand
was
overlooking
a
pile
of
bait
found
about
150
metres
away.
The
bait
consisted
of
oats
and
peas
recently
placed
there
that
would
naturally
attract
deer.
The
property
the
non-alien
resident
was
hunting
on
was
native
bush
and
parkland
with
no
areas
broken
up
for
cropland
or
pasture.
The
stand
and
bait
was
located
in
a
dried
up
slough
bottom.
A
trail
had
been
cleared
through
the
bush
from
the
main
access
road
to
get
to
the
slough
and
stand.
The
trail
that
provided
access
to
this
location
was
beyond
a
locked
gate
and
was
also
posted
to
keep
people
out.
The
client
provided
his
co-operation
by
advising,
in
a
statement,
his
activity
and
knowledge
of
the
bait
and
licensing
arrangements
to
hunt
deer
in
Alberta.
Further
investigation
revealed
that
the
property
was
owned
by
McMahon
and
that
his
company
had
contracted
the
hunt
with
the
non-resident
alien.
A
search
warrant
was
executed
on
the
property
the
following
day.
The
stand
was
dismantled,
seized
and
ordered
forfeited.
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