OVERLIMIT LOON LAKE AREA OUTFITTER FINED $57,920

A Loon Lake area outfitter was recently convicted of nine Wildlife Act offences for illegal white-tailed deer outfitting activities and fined a total of $57,920 at provincial court in Loon Lake.

A routine audit of 2001 and 2002 white-tailed deer licence sales by Saskatchewan Environment resulted in an investigation of the outfitter. Conservation officers discovered he had purchased seven white-tailed deer licences in excess of his allocation.

Conservation Officer Doug Lucyshyn feels the large fines levied by the court in this case are warranted. "Wildlife management is, of necessity, a co-operative effort among wildlife managers and subsistence hunters, sport hunters and outfitters," Lucyshyn said.

"Unscrupulous white-tailed deer outfitters who ignore their allocation levels can jeopardize the sustainability of the deer populations that everyone depends on."

Lucyshyn added that wildlife managers take into account the long-term health of the herd and the demands of all resource users on it when making outfitting allocations. A typical white-tailed deer outfitter can make $3,000 to $5,000 U.S. a week per hunter.

Lucyshyn encourages anyone who observes or suspects other fisheries, wildlife, forestry or environmental abuses to contact the nearest Saskatchewan Environment office or call the province's toll-free TIP line at 1-800-667-7561.

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For More Information, Contact:

Doug Lucyshyn Environment Saskatoon Phone: (306) 933-8377