ATHABASCA – A pair of would-be poachers left Athabasca’s courthouse with a lighter wallet and an empty freezer after pleading guilty to hunting without a licence last year.
In the Athabasca Court of Justice Jan. 13, two men pleaded guilty to wildlife tickets for hunting without a licence as part of plea deals with the provincial Crown prosecutor, with varying fines for the level of their offence.
Kyle William Kiyan walked away with a $1,500 fine after he was caught hunting in a wildlife management unit (WMU) that he didn’t have a licence for. While Kiyan will not receive a licence prohibition, he did have to forfeit the mule deer he illegally shot. He faces 12 days custody if he cannot pay the fine, which he will have until March 10 to do.
Joshua Gordon Waller also pleaded guilty to hunting without a licence after he was found hunting white-tailed deer without a licence. Since he wasn’t successful, he only has to pay $800, which he offered to do the day of.
“This is a lot more expensive than getting a licence, isn’t it?” said Justice Jeffrey Champion. “I hope you learned your lesson.”
Waller will also maintain his ability to get a hunting licence, and faces six days in custody if he fails to pay his fine.
