The B.C. Supreme Court has upheld the sentence and fine for a Tofino man who shot a bear cub and sow in his backyard in 2021.
"We're pleased to see the courts dismissed the appeal and agreed with the Crown's sentencing recommendations," said B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) Sgt. Dan Eichstadter. "This was the needless poaching of wildlife, and the court's decision reflects the severity of the crime."
In October 2021, according to the B.C. COS, Ryan Millar saw the bears in a tree outside his Tofino property. He retrieved a recurve bow from his house and shot the sow and cub out of the tree. He then used a crossbow to "execute" the bears while they were on the ground, the COS posted online in 2023. Millar was also accused of trying to hide the carcasses.
Millar was sentenced in November 2023 in Tofino Provincial Court for the incident, receiving an $11,000 penalty, a ban on hunting and weapons for 20 years and a 30-day jail sentence. The case set a precedent at the time.
The B.C. Conservation Service said there is no open season for wildlife within 100 metres of a dwelling or occupied outbuilding, "nor is there an open season for a black bear less than two years of age, or a bear in its company."
To report poaching or other unlawful activities, call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
