An Alberta outfitter has been hit with $10,000 in fines after a Yukon court found him guilty of lying about his hunting licence in the Yukon, illegally harvesting a moose and transporting parts of it to Alberta.
Judge Herman J. Seidemann III found Blake Jordan Shmyr, 35, guilty Oct. 20 of two charges under the Yukon Wildlife Act and one charge under the federal Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act in relation to a fall 2015 moose hunt near the Pelly Mountains — namely, providing false information, hunting when not permitted to and of transporting animal parts from its province of origin to another in contravention of a local act or regulation.
Shmyr, who runs the outfitting service Big Tine Adventures, had pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
Seidemann III fined Shmyr $5,000 and $2,000 for the Wildlife Act violations and $3,000 for the federal violation. He must also forfeit the moose antlers seized by authorities and will be prohibited from obtaining another hunting licence in the Yukon for three years. As well, he must post a notice on his business’ Facebook page about the convictions from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, 2018.
This isn’t the first time Shmyr’s faced a heavy fine for illegal hunting and harvesting.
The Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune reported in December 2009 that Shmyr pleaded guilty to two charges under Alberta’s Fish and Wildlife Act for unlawful trafficking of big game antlers. He was fined a total of $15,000.
Contact Jackie Hong at jackie.hong@yukon-news.com