Photo courtesy of policecanada.ca
Tens of thousands of dollars in fines have been levied following a two-and-a-half-year investigation into illegal outfitting activities near the community of Hazlet, just northwest of Swift Current.
Four North Battleford area men have been fined a total of more than $71,000, and have had a number of restrictions placed on them.
The investigation involved forensics, conservation and law enforcement agencies from several Saskatchewan communities, as well as wildlife officials and witnesses from Wisconsin.
In November of 2016, 59-year-old Charles Meechance pleaded guilty to unlawfully acting as a guide, illegal hunting and providing false information. He was fined $11,000.
The other three accused went to trial in May and were found guilty on similar charges. Thirty-seven-year-old Gerald Meechance was fined $33,800, 43-year-old Neal Meechance was fined $15,820 and 47-year-old Steven Pritchard was fined $10,920.
A number of hunting restrictions were also placed on the men for a period of five years, including that their hunting must be restricted to First Nations land.