Charges Laid Against Northern Outfitter

Charges Laid Against Northern Outfitter

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 at 13:43

The owner-operator of an outfitting camp near Cumberland House and four of his guides find themselves facing a total of 188 charges of hunting violations.

The charges stem from an investigation into allegations that out-of-town clients were allowed to shoot waterfowl over the limit and without cleanup at the Mistik Lodge outfitting camp.

The probe was performed jointly by Saskatchewan Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Saskatchewan Environment compliance officer Dave Harvey says the department had been hearing reports of wildlife violations near the camp for some time now, and as a result, had been observing activity in the region for the past year.

Four American hunters were also charged in the investigation, which Harvey says is a warning to other operators that migratory birds will be protected.

Harvey says more hunting infractions have been reported in Saskatchewan over the past few months and separate investigations are ongoing.

The investigation that resulted in the arrest of the 5 Mistik Lodge workers was apparently fuelled by complaints from some clients.