Alberta guide fined in connection to illegal harvest of moose and black bear in BC

An Alberta man who is no stranger to Wildlife Act penalties has been handed another significant fine, this time in British Columbia.

Richard Todd Bunnage pleaded guilty to his involvement in the illegal guiding operations of Tenaka River Guide Service in Northern BC.

According to the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS), Bunnage guided a party of non-resident hunters in several locations outside the designated guide territory near Fort Nelson in September 2018.

“During these hunts, a moose and black bear were illegally harvested,” the BCCOS noted.

The investigation into the wrongdoings began after a local pilot discovered a moose carcass along the Muskwa River.

“A ‘trophy photo’ circulating on social media appeared to show a moose killed in the same area,” said the BCCOS.

“The pilot, suspecting the area was outside guiding territory, later flew back and retrieved what was left of the moose carcass – a leg.”

He promptly delivered the leg to the BCCOS and the suspected hunter was soon identified and tracked down at his home in Utah.

“With the assistance of officers from Utah Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, a DNA sample was taken from the moose carcass in his possession,” the BCCOS explained.

“It matched a sample from remains at the BC scene. Officers later learned a black bear had also been illegally harvested during the same excursion.”

Bunnage recently pleaded guilty to making a false statement and being a party to an offence by a guide outfitter in an area outside of authorization.

The majority of the $9,200 fine will go to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, while Bunnage is prohibited from hunting and acting as a guide in BC.

The incident happened just two months after Bunnage was fined $36,000 in Red Deer provincial court for hunting out of season and without a licence.

According to the Red Deer Advocate, he and his former hunting company were convicted of eight Wildfire Act charges for incidents that took place in 2015.

At that time, the Crown was seeking a larger fine and 15-year-old prohibition because Bunnage was already banned from personal recreational hunting after Wildlife Act convictions in 2014.

The judge in that case called Bunnage a very poor ambassador for Canada and Alberta.