MELFORT — A moose hunting video posted on social media got more than just views and likes as two Saskatchewan men were found guilty of several wildlife offences and fined a total of $6,220 in Melfort Provincial Court on May 13, 2024.
David Ostapiw of Prince Albert pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting, unlawfully possessing wildlife, failing to wear hunting colours, using another person's game seal and providing false information to an officer. He was fined $4,570.
Steven Ostapiw of Saskatoon pleaded guilty to allowing his game seal to be used by another person, providing false information to an officer and falsifying a hunter harvest survey. He was fined $1,650. Both men received one-year hunting suspensions.
In January 2023, a Greenwater conservation officer watched a YouTube video of a moose hunting trip that had taken place in the Hudson Bay area in November 2022. The initial investigation convinced officers that a large bull moose was harvested during the trip without a valid license and subsequently tagged using another person's game seal. Further investigation led officers to a residence near Prince Albert, and on March 9, 2023, officers executed a search warrant, collecting evidence that included a firearm, electronic media devices, moose meat and antlers.
A forensic analysis of the electronic devices led officers to the kill site. In May 2023, nearly six months after the moose was harvested, officers conducted an extensive search of the area and managed to locate expended rifle cartridge casings. The casings were a forensic match for the firearm used in the offence.
Saskatchewan's wildlife laws are in place to support conservation and to ensure that animals are taken responsibly and ethically. Conservation officers can use many different tools - including social media to advance an investigation and hold violators accountable.
If you suspect wildlife, fisheries, forestry or environmental violations, please call Saskatchewan's toll-free Turn In Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) line at 1-800-667-7561 or report violations online at . You may be eligible for cash rewards from the SaskTIP Reward Program, and you don't have to give your name.
