A Report a Poacher tip has led to a Linden man pleading guilty to charges of hunting without a license under the Fish and Wildlife Act.
The accused, William Clare of Linden, appeared via telephone in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, March 18 facing charges stemming from a November 2021 incident.
The court heard how on November 20, 2021, Drumheller Fish and Wildlife Officer Joa Markotic received a report of two men trespassing while hunting in the area of Linden and Three Hills.
Two men in a black Nisson Frontier were spotted shooting from the road toward a herd of mule deer. The tipster heard a total of four gunshots and reported seeing several mule deer running following the shots; an older male was seen walking onto a property adjacent to the road, belonging to the tipster’s grandmother.
Officer Markotic ran the license plate of the Frontier and discovered Mr. Clare was the registered owner of the vehicle.
He indicated to Officer Markotic a total of three shots were fired from the middle of the road into a group of mule deer from a .308 Winchester rifle, which he presented to Officer Markotic, and a single shot was fired at an antlered mule deer.
The casings matching the rifle were recovered from the area Mr. Clare indicated.
During his appearance, the court heard how Mr. Clare was new to hunting and had a tag for whitetail deer. He took a shot at the mule deer on behalf of his hunting partner, the older gentleman at the scene, and was unaware this was against the law.
The Honourable Judge J. Shriar noted, whether new to hunting or not, it was Mr. Clare’s responsibility to educate himself.
Mr. Clare’s guilty plea to hunting without a license was accepted. The Crown sought a fine of $900 and withdrew all other charges.
