PHONE / TEXT (867) 689-4570
Common offences against Yukon wildlife:
- hunting out of season
- hunting a protected species
- hunting animals of a protected sex (usually female)
- obtaining a Yukon resident hunting license despite not being a Yukon resident
- making a false statement on a hunting license application or harvest report
- making false or misleading statements to law enforcement
- transporting wildlife without the necessary permit
- wasting edible meat
- hunting too close to a residence
Grab interest
Conservation Officers (“COs”) employed by the Government of Yukon enforce Yukon’s wildlife laws. Yukon’s laws give COs vast powers to investigate wildlife offences, which include but are not limited to:
- Powers to stop vehicles or persons carrying a pack;
- Powers to search property, including vehicles and buildings;
- Powers to ask questions about hunting (with a corresponding duty on the suspect to answer the questions)
COs also have access to powerful forensic tools that they deploy to:
- Test the DNA of seized animal parts to confirm its species and sex
- Test seized firearms and other equipment
- Determine the precise locations of harvest sites
Some provinces and territories in Canada have agreements with Yukon to share hunting application data to determine where a suspect has previously declared themselves to be a resident.
Yukon COs are also trained and experienced in deploying a range of psychological techniques and tactics to induce people suspected of wildlife offences to give legally damaging statements to the CO. They may downplay the seriousness of the situation and mislead you about their true objectives (which the law allows them to do). If you have not yet been charged and COs are contacting you and asking you for details about your hunting or possession of wildlife, you are in immediate danger of incriminating yourself and you need legal advice from a lawyer before speaking with the COs.
If you have been charged with a hunting offence or other offence involving wildlife, you may need a lawyer with experience defending those charges.
Consequences
To preserve Yukon’s wildlife, the law provides for a very broad menu of sentencing options, including:
- Jail (reserved for the most serious and unrepentant repeat offenders)
- Fines with maximums in the $50,000 range for individuals
- Hunting bans; (no maximum length of hunting suspension is provided for)
- Mandatory hunter training before a hunting suspension is lifted
- Donations to Yukon’s anti-poaching fund
Another practical negative consequence of being found guilty of a Yukon wildlife/ hunting offence is that the details of the offence will likely be published in Yukon media, leading to stigma and embarrassment of being branded a “poacher”.
Why Work With Us
Straight Talk. Strategic Action.
Luke Faught is a Yukon criminal defence lawyer based out of Whitehorse, operating under the business name - Whitehorse Law. His approach to defending his clients follows a straightforward philosophy: Your rights are not optional.
Luke has the skills, education and experience to give you a powerful legal defence. Let him put them to work for you.
Phone / Text: (867) 689-4570
Email: luke@whitehorselaw.ca
