Poachers fined $14k for hunting bighorn sheep in B.C.

Two hunters have been fined more than $14,000 for poaching bighorn sheep in the East Kootenay after an investigation by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.

Jarrett Alaric and Chyanne Lee Good shot two Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep out in the Elk Valley in 2016.

They were near an active coal mine and it was out of season for hunting the animals.

Alaric and Good were charged with a series of offences and, between the two of them, have been ordered to pay $14,375 in fines.

Conservation officers said they've also had their hunting licenses and firearms taken away for a combined total of five years.

Both Rocky Mountain and California bighorns are considered vulnerable and "at risk" in B.C., which means they are likely to become either threatened or endangered without further protection.