A report through the Alberta Report a Poacher Line has led to a man pleading guilty to a charge under the Petty Trespass Act.
John Wesley Witzell appeared via telephone in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, February 18. He was charged with hunting without a license, discharging a firearm from a road, and entering on land without permission under the Petty Trespass Act. He pleaded guilty to the former charge.
The court heard how on November 20, 2021 Fish and Wildlife Officer Joa Markotic received a report from the Alberta Report a Poacher Line. A hunter near Three Hills, Alberta heard shots fired and observed a Nissan Frontier, with two men. Mr. Witzell was standing on the road near the vehicle. The accused was seen by the complainant to be walking towards the same property the complainant was hunting on. The complainant knew Mr. Witzell did not have permission to hunt on the property, as it was his grandmother’s property.
The crown and duty counsel John Goetz suggested a fine of $1,020 including the victim service charge. He was given until May 31, 2022 to pay. The remaining changes were withdrawn.
