The three men responsible for a YouTube video in which they were seen shooting ducks out of season pleaded guilty in a Saskatchewan court yesterday.
David Fraser, James Fraser and Jeremy Rowlands were charged with violating several federal and provincial wildlife protection laws: Hunting migratory birds out of season, using a rifle to hunt migratory birds, careless discharge of a firearm and allowing edible game to be wasted.
A judge ordered the men to turn over their rifles and slapped them with fines — the Frasers must pay $5,000 each and Rowlands must pay $6,000.
“It was gratifying to see the hunting community and everyone else jump on board and use the tips program,” said Darrell Crabbe, executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.
Crabbe said that it is a rare occurrence in Saskatchewan, and that if it happened anywhere else people would still be disappointed.
Carl Wagner, an avid hunter, created the Facebook group Get the Poacher last week to help find those responsible, and he spoke with Metro about the arrest and charges.
“I think it’s awesome,” he said. “I’m glad it didn’t take that long for them to get caught.”
