Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
In a social media post Friday, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service shared details of an investigation that began in 2020, after the agency got a tip from the public about a man who was using bait to hunt bears in the Elkford area.
BCCOS said their investigation took a full year, but they apprehended Guofeng Li in June 2021 after he was caught shooting a decoy black bear near the bait. Through their investigation, officers determined Li shot and killed a grizzly at that same site and harvested parts from the bear.
"Evidence collected during the year-long investigation, combined with information gathered from search warrants executed on Li's truck and cell phone, resulted in a successful conviction of killing wildlife not within open season," the post shared by BCCOS said. "There is no open season for grizzly bears in the province of British Columbia."
Grizzly hunting was completely banned in the province in December 2017.
Li was sentenced in provincial court this week for a Wildlife Act offence. He was fined $10,000 and banned from hunting for 15 years. He also had to forfeit his rifle, BCCOS said.
Most of Li's fine will go to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation to support wildlife habitats in the Elk Valley.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.