By Doyle Potenteau Global News
Posted June 22, 2024 2:01 pm
Updated June 22, 2024 6:29 pm
1 min read
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A 10-year ban on guiding, plus $22,000 in fines, were the penalties handed to one man in B.C. court this week.
The Conservation Officer Service posted on social media that Richard Todd Bunnage pled guilty in Cranbrook, B.C., on Tuesday to three Wildlife Act offences.
The guilty pleas included guiding outside his territory and two counts of making a false statement.
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Court records show that Bunnage was initially charged with 13 offences ranging between September 2019 and May 2021, with all but one occurring in 2019.
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“During the investigation that took place between 2019 and 2021, Conservation Officers in the Fort Nelson area determined that Bunnage guided several non-resident hunters in areas outside the territory he was authorized to guide in,” said the COS.
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“Further, Bunnage falsely recorded the management unit where clients had harvested two moose and two black bears on required guide declarations.”
The COS said the court issued Bunnage a fine of $12,000, with another $10,000 to be paid to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.
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“Bunnage is also prohibited from being a guide outfitter or assistant guide in B.C. for a period of 10 years,” said the COS, adding the man was also charged in 2018 for guiding outside his territory and providing a false statement.
After a lengthy investigation that included DNA samples and assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the COS says Bunnage pled guilty to those charges in May 2022.
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“During these hunts, a moose and black bear were illegally harvested,” said the COS, adding that Bunnage was fined $9,200 under the Wildlife Act.
Global News has reached out to the Conservation Officer Service for more information.
Global News also wrote a story in 2018 about an Alberta outfitting company being fined $79,000 in 2018.
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OK, thank you again for sharing these horrid stories ofanimal cruelty, lack of compassion, and ignorance by humans.In this case, the “guide” knowingly deceived and lied to makemoney and do what he wanted to do. If he instead led to the death of two human animals, that would have been taken more seriously. Once again, the fines these criminals receive are way too small. The goal should be to seriously discourage others from committing similar crimes!. How much money did he make off the innocent live of animals???. His fine should have been $50,000 to make up for the selfishness he exhibited. He would have continued to do what he was doing if he had not been caught. He is arrogant. THAT says it all. Require that he pay for a years’ worth of psychological counselling, because he gets pleasure from the pain of the innocent. Make sure he is not beating or abusing his wife and children as well,….
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