Two Williams Lake men received fines and hunting prohibitions after shooting at a decoy deer set out on private property by the Conservation Officer Service in November of 2022, and being in possessing of a mule deer.
Darcy John William, 31, and Matthew Leon Marianne, 32, pleaded guilty to hunting without consideration for the lives and safety of others and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
The COS set out the details of the offences in a news release issued April 9.
On Nov. 6, 2022, Williams Lake conservation officers conducted a decoy hunting operation on private property west of Williams Lake in response to public concerns of illegal hunting and trespassing. As a result of the operation, the two men were arrested after shooting the decoy from a maintained roadway and from inside the vehicle.
“After being arrested, a mule deer was found in the back of the suspects’ vehicle that they had already killed that morning. Using forensic DNA analysis, conservation officers were able to link that deer to a kill site located on private property nearby,” noted the COS.
On Feb. 14, 2024, Marianne pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined a total of $3000 plus a $450 victim surcharge fee. Additionally, Marianne has been prohibited from hunting anywhere in B.C. for three years unless being directly supervised and in the presence of an approved individual.
Marianne has a previous conviction of hunting wildlife out of season in November of 2018 in West Kelowna.
On March 20, 2024, William pleaded guilty to hunting without consideration for the lives and safety of others, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and to possessing a firearm while prohibited. William has been issued a six-month conditional sentence and has also been fined a total of $3000 plus a $450 victim surcharge fee. Additionally. William has also been suspended from hunting for three years outside of traditional territory and the firearms prohibition order has been extended to lifetime.
One firearm seized during the investigation has been forfeited.
READ MORE: B.C. COS investigating illegal cow, calf moose hunt east of Williams Lake