Grunter
01-05-2006, 11:15 AM
Last Updated Jan 4 2006 04:14 PM CST
CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html)A Saskatchewan judge has upheld an illegal deer-hunting conviction against a man who insists he was trying to shoot a coyote – and not a fake deer.
Leonard M. Winter was charged with violating the Wildlife Act and found guilty following an incident in the Bethune area. He appealed the conviction.
According to court documents, wildlife officers operating in the area on Dec. 4, 2004 set up a "controlled wildlife model" – a mule deer decoy that came complete with actual deer hide and antlers.
The idea was to catch people inclined to hunt out of season.
A vehicle drove up, someone got out, pointed a gun at the decoy and fired a shot.
Winter was charged.
At trial, Winter, an experienced hunter, said he was aiming at a coyote which was in the same area.
He also said he would never jeopardize his hunting privileges by shooting game out of season. He said he and his friend were looking for whitetail deer, which were in season, and not mule deer, which were not.
There was no sign the decoy deer was hit. Winter said he was a pretty good shot and if he was aiming for the decoy, he would not have missed.
In his Dec. 16 decision on Winter's appeal, Queen's Bench Justice Ross Wimmer said Winter might have been given the benefit of the doubt, but he couldn't fault the original judge who found him guilty.
He dismissed the appeal.
CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html)A Saskatchewan judge has upheld an illegal deer-hunting conviction against a man who insists he was trying to shoot a coyote – and not a fake deer.
Leonard M. Winter was charged with violating the Wildlife Act and found guilty following an incident in the Bethune area. He appealed the conviction.
According to court documents, wildlife officers operating in the area on Dec. 4, 2004 set up a "controlled wildlife model" – a mule deer decoy that came complete with actual deer hide and antlers.
The idea was to catch people inclined to hunt out of season.
A vehicle drove up, someone got out, pointed a gun at the decoy and fired a shot.
Winter was charged.
At trial, Winter, an experienced hunter, said he was aiming at a coyote which was in the same area.
He also said he would never jeopardize his hunting privileges by shooting game out of season. He said he and his friend were looking for whitetail deer, which were in season, and not mule deer, which were not.
There was no sign the decoy deer was hit. Winter said he was a pretty good shot and if he was aiming for the decoy, he would not have missed.
In his Dec. 16 decision on Winter's appeal, Queen's Bench Justice Ross Wimmer said Winter might have been given the benefit of the doubt, but he couldn't fault the original judge who found him guilty.
He dismissed the appeal.