ELKFORD — The СÀ¶ÊÓƵ Conservation Officer Service says a man has been fined $10,000 and banned from hunting for 15 years for illegally killing a grizzly bear near Elkford, СÀ¶ÊÓƵ
The service says in a social media post that a decision from a provincial court judge in Fernie, СÀ¶ÊÓƵ, this week also ordered the man's rifle be forfeited.Â
It says officers launched an investigation in the spring of 2020 after receiving a tip from the public about a man hunting bears using bait near the community of Elkford.Â
The service says the investigation took a year, but in 2021 conservation officers apprehended the man shooting a decoy black bear at the site where bait had been placed.Â
The investigation also found the man shot and killed a grizzly bear at the bait site and harvested parts from the animal.
The province imposed a ban on hunting grizzly bears in 2017, and the service says evidence gathered during the investigation led to a successful conviction of killing wildlife when it is not open season.Â
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2024.Â
The Canadian Press