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B.C. man fined $5,100 for 'unlawfully harvesting' Roosevelt elk

FILE: A Roosevelt elk is seen in an undated Shutterstock image. FILE: A Roosevelt elk is seen in an undated Shutterstock image.
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A resident of Vancouver Island has been handed a $5,100 fine and a two-year hunting ban for "unlawfully harvesting" a Roosevelt elk, according to conservation officers.

Kyle Watson-Harley received the penalties after pleading guilty to killing wildlife not in open season, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in a Facebook post.

"There is no open hunting season for Roosevelt elk on Vancouver Island, due to conservation concerns, however there is an annual (limited entry hunting) draw," the BCCOS added.

Watson-Harley was caught harvesting the elk in 2019 in the Copper Canyon area, near Chemainus. Authorities said the seized the elk meat was donated to the Stz'uminus First Nation, and that the majority of Watson-Harley's fine would be given to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

The BCCOS said it announced the hunter's conviction in the hopes it will "help deter others from similar activities."

Authorities urge anyone who spots illegal hunting – or any apparent violation of fisheries, wildlife or environmental protection laws – to report it to the government's Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277). 

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