Under the cloak of darkness, some time between 7 p.m. on June 6 and 9 a.m. on June 7, someone on the Hurley River Forest Service Road illegally shot a bull moose and then left it to die.
"It seems like such a waste," said Sgt. Bob Butcher with the Conservation Officer Service (COS), Fraser River Zone. "It's a big, magnificent animal and there's not an overabundance of them in that area."
While the COS had several calls on June 7 to report the dead animal—estimated to be about 450 kilograms—on the side of the road, officers are hoping that someone might come forward with a tip on the identity of the poacher.
"Because of how isolated the area is, we're almost dependent on someone knowing something or hearing something," Butcher said. "Somebody who's that irresponsible to do something like that, they might ... talk about it."
The maximum penalty for a first-time poaching offense under the Wildlife Act is two years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000, he added.
Pemberton Wildlife Association president Allen McEwan and a team of volunteers travelled to the area on Sunday, June 14, to help move the animal carcass off the road. Because of its size, it took winches and ATVs to move it.
"We took the appropriate tools and were able to move it off the road and out of sight," McEwan said. "There's two reasons for that: One was to be respectful. Secondly, and equally important, we didn't want to end up with another incident there where a bear was attracted to the carcass and was hit by a vehicle."
Moose conservation has been an issue in Pemberton "since I was born," he added. "Our club has been fighting to save these poor moose since we were formed in 1962."
To that end, it was heartbreaking to see the animal needlessly and illegally shot.
"We all felt sick when we heard the news," he said. "It just shows a complete lack of respect for wildlife and the law. It's just despicable."
To that end, the organization has decided to offer a $1,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in the case. Anyone with information can call McEwan at 604-894-6063 or email president@pembertonwildlifeassociation.com.
While McEwan can only speculate as to why someone would shoot an animal then leave its carcass behind, he suspects it could be the pull of social media.
"What I believe is happening is some of this is being driven by people's addiction to social media," he said. "The new trophy hunter is the one that gets the picture and drives away."
The incident sheds light on the need to have a conservation officer stationed in Pemberton, he added.
"We did have one for 10 years between '74 and '84, but we lost our conservation officer in '84 and never got him or her back. I'm not a big fan of the centralized enforcement program ... It's inefficient as far as field work goes."
Furthermore, he said he'd like to see B.C.'s Wildlife Act updated and have special days set aside in court for wildlife infractions.
"The wildlife laws are hopelessly outdated," he said. "In my view, the fines and penalties for this type of violation are a slap on the wrist. Until there's a proper deterrent, we're not going to see a change in behaviour."
To report any information about the moose poaching anonymously, call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).
