It's no surprise that many conservation officers are outdoor enthusiasts who like to hunt or fish and watch videos of others doing the same. A Saskatchewan conservation officer (CO) wasn't looking for Wildlife Act violations when he clicked on a YouTube video of a bull moose hunt in the Hudson Bay area. But the officer noticed possible hunting infractions.
The video set off a chain of events leading to physical evidence and a lengthy investigation resulting in a range of hunting violation charges and, ultimately, guilty pleas for two Saskatchewan brothers, David and Steven Ostapiw. They were fined $6,220 in total and banned from hunting for one year. A news release from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment says the brothers pleaded guilty and were fined at a May 13 appearance in Melfort provincial court.
It was happenstance the CO clicked on the video, but it was experience that kept the investigation going, said Ryan Reimer, inspector for the provincial Conservation Officer Service. "We're hunters and fishers ourselves," Reimer said. "A lot of times we will follow certain [social media] accounts and look at videos and it was an officer's keen eye in this instance that picked up a potential violation.
" Investigations launched by social media sleuthing isn't common, but is becoming more frequent, Reimer said. They're getting more tips from the public based on social media posts, he added. And hunters love to brag.
"Hunters are proud of what they shoot and in most of the ca.