Photo by J. Garay

This four-year-old grizzly bear was illegally killed and dumped down an embankment in Elkford last month. Hunting clubs have raised a $2,500 reward for information leading to the poacher’s conviction. Conservation officers released a photo of the dead animal in the hope it would shock someone into coming forward.

A $2,500 reward has been offered by local hunting clubs to anyone who gives information leading to the conviction of a poacher who shot and dumped a grizzly bear near Elkford.

Fernie Road and Gun Club, Sparwood Fish and Wildlife Assocation, Elkford Rod and Gun Club, Lake Windermere District Rod and Gun Club and the East Kootenay Wildlife Association have each guaranteed a $500 reward in the hope it will bring forward new information on the illegal kill last month.

The four-year-old male grizzly was shot twice, in the paw and spine, then dumped down an embankment at the CNI Road near Greenhills Mine, Elkford around Oct. 1-3 this year.

Its carcass was discovered several days later after a driver saw the blood on the road and went to investigate.

Nobody else has yet come forward with information on the illegal killing.

Fernie Road and Gun Club president Kevin Marasco said he and the rest of the local hunting community had been “sickened” by the act.

“I can’t believe anybody who has information on this would let it go. When I talk to anyone in the club they say person who did this isn’t a hunter – they are an outright poacher.

“At first I thought maybe someone had made a mistake, but after all the publicity saying that the Conservation Officers understand mistakes do happen and they haven’t come forward, I think it is somebody that shot it for fun.

“It just blows me away that people would shoot a grizzly bear for nothing and dump it down a bank.

“I go out to hunt for meat and it just kills me even to see people who don’t take all their meat out of their animals. To kill for sports, I don’t agree with it and it just sickens me.”

Marasco added that he feels that illegally hunting a grizzly bear is the worst infraction of the wildlife laws.

“We are doing so much work on conservation of wildlife – this kind of thing goes against all that.

“If anybody in our club is convicted of any wildlife infractions they are thrown out – that has been in the club constitution for years. We don’t want any of that in our club.”

Conservation Officer Joe Garay is investigating the grizzly death and welcomed news of the reward.

He added that investigating officers can nominate witnesses for a further reward of up to $2,000 from the B.C. Wildlife Federation following a successful conviction, meaning the reward could rise to up to $4,500.

“I think it is a great gesture on their part – hopefully it will encourage somebody to come forward with the information on who may have shot and dumped that grizzly.

“What the clubs are doing shows that the regular hunters are concerned about this kind of thing – unfortunately it is just a few rotten apples that can spoil it for everyone.”

Garay said somebody may have driven past the poacher as they pushed the carcass down the embankment on around Thursday Oct. 1- Saturday Oct. 3.

“They may have seen a vehicle parked there and assumed people were berry picking.

“We have up to two years to prosecute somebody so even if it takes time for the information to come out we can still take action.

“They might brag about it, or if there was two of them they might fall out and one of them will get excited about the money and come forward with information about what happened. We have to cross our fingers and hope for that.”

• If you have information on the grizzly poaching or any other wildlife offence call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277

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