ATHABASCA — A local hunting guide was fined more than $9,000 and received a three-year hunting suspension last week after pleading guilty to six charges under Alberta's Wildlife Act.
In Athabasca Provincial Court March 15, Judge Clifton Purvis handed down the decision to Emerson M. Rose, who left a moose to die after it had been shot, and allowed a non-resident hunter to use his gun to shoot a mule deer in November 2018.
Crown prosecutor Jeffery Morrison told court that a Nov. 18, 2018 complaint was received by Fish and Wildlife reporting a moose had been illegally shot. Upon investigation it was discovered the antler-less moose had been left to die from its injuries when “Rose directed the party to abandon the moose in order not to attract any further attention to the area” and had been scavenged by other wildlife.
In the course of the investigation, it was also determined that Rose allowed an unlicenced, non-resident of Canada to use his gun to shoot a mule deer and had “orchestrated the use of (an) antlered moose tag by a non-resident alien hunter” and filed a false activity report for that season.
Rose’s lawyer Warren Smith told the judge the crimes were not reflective of his client's usual behaviour, noting he is a member of Safari Club International, is involved with Ducks Unlimited, and mentors students "to share the outdoors with these young people.”
“I would describe this as a somewhat misguided attempt, certainly with respect to the deer, to share a hunting experience,” Smith said, noting his client is remorseful.
Judge Purvis accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence, and sentenced Rose to a $3,000 fine and a one-year hunting prohibition for using the licence of another person; $1,000 for hunting without the proper licence; $4,000 and a consecutive one-year hunting prohibition for abandoning the moose and allowing the meat to become inedible for human consumption; $750 for allowing a hunting licence to be carried or used by another person, plus another one-year consecutive hunting prohibition; and $500 for filing a false report, for a total of $9,250 in fines and a three-year hunting prohibition.
Three other charges were withdrawn.
Smith informed the court his client did not need time to pay and Judge Purvis gave him until 4 p.m. that day to verify he paid the fines or face 35 days in jail.
