8 people plead guilty to more than a dozen charges of illegal cougar, Canada lynx hunting

Eight people have pleaded guilty to more than a dozen illegal hunting offences following a provincial investigation into illegal cougar and Canada lynx hunts across Alberta that began two years ago.

8 people plead guilty to more than a dozen charges of illegal cougar, Canada lynx hunting Provincial investigation resulted in $135,500 in fines and a combined 18.5 years of hunting prohibitions Eight people have pleaded guilty to more than a dozen illegal hunting offences following a provincial investigation into illegal cougar and Canada lynx hunts across Alberta that began two years ago. The convictions amounted to 13 offences under the Wildlife Act, resulting in $135,500 in fines and a combined 18.5 years of hunting prohibitions and related court orders, according to a government news release on Tuesday.

"Most of the offences involved illegal hunts of cougars and Canada lynx across Alberta," the release said. "Common offences included hunting cougars after the season had closed, possessing illegally harvested wildlife, using prohibited electronic calling devices during hunts and hunting without valid licences." Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES) began investigating an illegal, closed-season hunt in January 2024.

Investigators confirmed a resident hunter, participating in a guided hunt, had killed a male cougar after the hunting season had closed. For holders of a resident cougar licence, fall hunting season typically begins in late August and runs until the end of December, according to My Wild Alberta. The winter season begins Dec. 1 and lasts until March 31 for resident and non-resident cougar licence holders.

Lynx are classified as furbearers, and therefore fall under trapping rather than hunting regulations. Trapping season for Canada lynx in Alberta runs from October to March, according to provincial regulations. As the investigation continued, fish and wildlife officers found evidence of 11 illegal guided hunts across the province, with eight involving non-resident hunters and three involving Alberta residents.

Search warrants executed in Alberta and British Columbia resulted in the seizure of 11 cougar skins and skulls, and five Canadian lynx skins, the release said. As a result, six Alberta residents pleaded guilty to a variety of illegal hunting charges, while two non-residents from the U.S. also pleaded guilty. "Illegal hunting undermines wildlife conservation and management efforts in Alberta," officials said in the release.

"It can contribute to overharvesting, negatively affect wildlife populations and reduce hunting opportunities for law-abiding hunters through quotas and shorter hunting seasons."