Loon Lake man fined $6,300, handed five-year hunting suspension for selling antlers
Ministry says man was using treaty rights to hunt, which means it was illegal for him to sell parts or meat
A 36-year-old man was given two fines totalling $6,300 and a five-year hunting suspension for selling conservation officers in Saskatchewan 21 sets of antlers.
The charges were laid in September after a lengthy investigation by the Ministry of Environment. The man recently pleaded guilty to the charges in Loon Lake Provincial Court, according to the ministry.
The ministry was first alerted in 2017 to posts on Facebook about moose meat for sale.
In a news release, the ministry said the man was contacted and warned about the post and told why it was illegal to sell the meat.
Further monitoring of his social media turned up posts about antlers for sale. A conservation officer purchased five sets of moose antlers and four sets of white-tailed deer antlers from the man in late 2017.
Conservation officers purchased an additional 10 sets of white-tailed deer antlers and two sets of elk antlers from the same man in Oct. 2018. The ministry said it spent $340 in total for all of the antlers.
The ministry confirmed the man was using his treaty right to hunt and said case law dictated that everything harvested for sustenance could not be sold, including antlers.
Antlers from big game harvested in Saskatchewan can be sold without a permit, however the animal must have been taken with a valid hunting licence and the tag has to accompany the antlers.