Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation investigating shooting of livestock

Saskatchewan has been experiencing an upward trend in the criminal shooting of livestock this year.

Due to an abundance of reported incidents, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) and Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association have partnered with Sasktip to “turn in poachers” and provide a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to a conviction of anyone found illegally shooting livestock.

According to a media release, SWF president Clark Schultz said: “This type of behaviour is condemned by the law-abiding hunting and firearm communities. These people are criminals.”

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association president Kelcy Elford added: “It is not uncommon for some animals to be injured in hunting season, but these cases seem to be blatantly criminal in nature versus an accidental shooting.”

In an interview with paNOW, SWF executive director Darrell Crabbe said he would like there to be more focus on the issue around the province.

“We hope the individuals that are perpetrating these actions get caught and have the full weight of the law come against them, and we can make an example of these types of individuals,” Crabbe said.

Crabbe added these incidents are likely not being done by licensed hunters and are not hunting accidents. The SWF believes the shootings are targeted and done intentionally by non-licensed hunters.

Crabbe said it is unfortunate hunters who apply themselves to rules and regulations are painted with the same brush.

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association general manager Chad MacPherson told paNOW most of the reports are coming from southeast Saskatchewan.

Despite a majority of cases taking place in the southeast, paNOW was able to speak with Dwayne Degenhardt, a farmer from Goodsoil, who found a calf dead in his field on Oct. 25.

“I went out first thing in the morning, and I noticed her laying along the fence and thought it seemed a little out of the ordinary,” Degenhardt said. “You could basically follow the blood trail. You could see she kind of walked back and forth a bit and bled out.

“We ended up skinning the head just to make sure, and yep, there was a bullet in it.”

He also said there has been lots of non-local traffic in the area recently. A few days prior to the incident with his calf, a buck was shot in one of his neighbours’ fields. The head was taken from the buck, with the body left in the field full of cows.

Degenhardt said he called the RCMP the day of the incident. He said the investigation is ongoing, but it will be difficult to come to a result due to a lack of evidence.

Call the Turn in Poachers line toll-free at 1-800-667-7561 if you have any information that could lead to the prosecution of an individual illegally shooting domestic livestock.

By Dawson Thompson, paNOW