Kootenay man fined $15,000 for killing grizzly cub and sow

A man who shot and killed a grizzly bear sow and cub in the East Kootenay region – before taking the heads, paws and burying the carcasses – has been fined $15,152 and is not allowed to hunt for a decade.

At a courthouse in Fernie, Dax McHarg plead guilty to killing a grizzly sow and cub out of season, unlawful possession of dead wildlife, failing to report the accidental killing of wildlife and mischief under $5,000, according to a B.C. Conservation Officer Service media release.

An investigation was launched in October 2021 because a wildlife scientist, who was in a remote location near Elkford, found a severed grizzly bear GPS collar and four tagged grizzly bear ear tips.

“Conservation officers tracked down the last known location of the grizzly bear to a residence,” conservation said in the release.

The investigation determined that McHarg, a resident of Elk Valley, shot a grizzly bear sow and cub on his property. The bears were reported to have been eating free range chickens that were not secured. The carcasses were buried on his property.

In addition to the fine and hunting ban, McHarg also forfeited his firearm, will have to retake a hunter education course and perform 100 hours of community service.

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation will receive the majority of the fine.

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