Lengthy hunting ban, hefty fines for B.C. men who killed pregnant deer

(File photo)

Three B.C. men who illegally killed wildlife – including a doe pregnant with twin fawns – have been banned from hunting for 10 years each and ordered to pay a combined $18,000 in fines, according to officials.

The B.C. Conservation Officers Service shared an update on the case on social media Thursday, following sentencing in Kamloops.

Kyaw Aue Thah, Boe Boe Gyi, and Ywa Baw Mu, who are all from the Lower Mainland, were charged under the Wildlife Act in a case that dates back to May of 2020 when they went hunting at night using spotlights in the Darfield area, according to the service.

"Two deer were shot, including one that was later discovered to be pregnant with twin fawns. There was no open season for deer at the time. Several grouse and a marmot were also shot. One of the men clubbed the wounded marmot to death," the social media post says, adding that the three men were stopped by officers conducting compliance checks at the time and had their firearms seized.

Thah was fined $8,000 and ordered to forfeit his rifle and spotlight, while Gyi and Mu were fined $5,000 each. The decade-long ban they were handed also prohibits them from being "in the accompaniment of any hunter," the service says.

The BCCOS does not indicate exactly which violations the men were found to have committed, however "spotlighting" is illegal as is hunting deer outside of open season.

The "majority" of the financial penalty will be paid to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

"The (BCCOS) hopes this significant penalty will help deter others from similar activities," the post says.

A fourth person is wanted on a warrant in the case, the service says. That person is not named.