Recent court case nets suspension and fines

[Lefty-Canuck]

A game-hunting company run by two brothers from Spirit River has fallen afoul of Alberta's wildlife laws.

Blake Shmyr, 33, and Cordell Shmyr, 26, were charged following an investigation by Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement's Major Investigations and Intelligence into a white-tailed deer that was poached by an American visitor during a 2012 hunt with Big Tine Adventures, the Shmyrs' outfitter company.

The brothers appeared in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on Dec. 17, when Cordell Shmyr pleaded guilty to charges under the Wildlife Act of having a loaded firearm in a vehicle and unlawfully possessing wildlife. Following the guilty pleas, the Crown dropped the other charges, including those against Blake Shmyr.

According to the facts heard in court, Cordell Shmyr took an American client out on Nov. 10, 2012. During the hunt, the client shot a white-tailed deer from inside a vehicle parked on a road east of Sexmith. The investigation began shortly after, when the Grande Prairie Fish and Wildlife Office received a complaint about a deer being illegally killed, according to Alberta Justice spokesman Scott Sehested.

"As the case involved the illegal transport of wildlife across the Canada-U.S. border and into the state of Georgia, where the client of Big Tine Adventures resided, provincial investigators conducted a joint investigation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the state Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service," Sehested said in an email.

The investigation took a long time because it crossed an international border and involved different jurisdictions, Sehested added. In June, 2014, the State of Georgia Department of Natural Resources seized the deer, which had by then been full-body mounted, and forfeited it to the Crown. The investigation wrapped up late that year.

Judge Morris Golden sentenced Cordell Shmyr to a fine of $12,000 and prohibited him from holding a guide designation or outfitter permit for two years.

Earlier in 2015, Blake Shmyr was sentenced on a separate charge under the Wildlife Act, after pleading guilty to providing false information in relation to a fraudulently obtained export permit for a black bear trophy to send to one of the outfitter's U.S. clients. Shmyr was fined $575 on May 11, 2015. A second charge, under the Criminal Code - impersonating someone to gain an advantage - was dropped.

"We thank the members of the public who called in the initial information that led to these convictions," Sehested said.

Any suspicious hunting or fishing activity can be reported to the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800.

[bighunter85]

Would someone just take these 2 out and teach them a lesson already what's it gunna take. Pull there privileges for life

[elkhunter11]

So one brother continues to run the outfit while the other is suspended, and it's business as usual. The investigation likely cost the taxpayers several times the fines that they have to pay.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

So one brother continues to run the outfit while the other is suspended, and it's business as usual. The investigation likely cost the taxpayers several times the fines that they have to pay.

Would be interesting to see if they faced any other sanctions from their Governing body?

LC

[deercamp]

I follow the outfit on social media and no white tails were taken this year , maybe this has somethin to do with it

[bchap22]

This is the video of the deer i am assuming as the dates definitely line up and the client was from Georgia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7H4ImEFlPk

[Positrac]

So...should a guy wear regular camo or camo that blends in with the interior of the truck?

I bet my mom could make a mean set of camo out of a set of old seat covers I still have kicking around...

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Would be interesting to see if they faced any other sanctions from their Governing body?

LC

[dale7637]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Would be interesting to see if they faced any other sanctions from their Governing body?



LC

Like!

[Redfrog]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

So one brother continues to run the outfit while the other is suspended, and it's business as usual. The investigation likely cost the taxpayers several times the fines that they have to pay.

Maybe it would help if the costs of the investigations, charges, trial etc. were tallied up and charged to the crooks, plus a fine or jail time. I like to see loss of vehicles and auction saled to help defray the costs of prosecution.

"And lots of Americans don't care how they get trophy ,
Legal or not."

It's not confined to Americans, or even hunters/fishermen. Some people don't care about the legalities of acquiring pot or anything else. Face it, some folks have trouble doing the right thing.

Catch them , tune them up and hope they learn the lesson.

[topgun2269]

Get rid of all outfitters. And the law that allows hunting with spot lights in Alberta. What a fricken joke.

[MBods12]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

A game-hunting company run by two brothers from Spirit River has fallen afoul of Alberta's wildlife laws.

Blake Shmyr, 33, and Cordell Shmyr, 26, were charged following an investigation by Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement's Major Investigations and Intelligence into a white-tailed deer that was poached by an American visitor during a 2012 hunt with Big Tine Adventures, the Shmyrs' outfitter company.

The brothers appeared in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on Dec. 17, when Cordell Shmyr pleaded guilty to charges under the Wildlife Act of having a loaded firearm in a vehicle and unlawfully possessing wildlife. Following the guilty pleas, the Crown dropped the other charges, including those against Blake Shmyr.

According to the facts heard in court, Cordell Shmyr took an American client out on Nov. 10, 2012. During the hunt, the client shot a white-tailed deer from inside a vehicle parked on a road east of Sexmith. The investigation began shortly after, when the Grande Prairie Fish and Wildlife Office received a complaint about a deer being illegally killed, according to Alberta Justice spokesman Scott Sehested.

"As the case involved the illegal transport of wildlife across the Canada-U.S. border and into the state of Georgia, where the client of Big Tine Adventures resided, provincial investigators conducted a joint investigation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the state Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service," Sehested said in an email.

The investigation took a long time because it crossed an international border and involved different jurisdictions, Sehested added. In June, 2014, the State of Georgia Department of Natural Resources seized the deer, which had by then been full-body mounted, and forfeited it to the Crown. The investigation wrapped up late that year.

Judge Morris Golden sentenced Cordell Shmyr to a fine of $12,000 and prohibited him from holding a guide designation or outfitter permit for two years.

Earlier in 2015, Blake Shmyr was sentenced on a separate charge under the Wildlife Act, after pleading guilty to providing false information in relation to a fraudulently obtained export permit for a black bear trophy to send to one of the outfitter's U.S. clients. Shmyr was fined $575 on May 11, 2015. A second charge, under the Criminal Code - impersonating someone to gain an advantage - was dropped.

"We thank the members of the public who called in the initial information that led to these convictions," Sehested said.

Any suspicious hunting or fishing activity can be reported to the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800.

I follow these two on social media and yesterday Cordell posted photos of the buck he got busted for. Posting this right after November to make it look like he shot the buck this year and probably hopes that people forgot about his previous pee pee slap.

If you have Instagram he posted it on c_shmyr_

[35 whelen]

Well the only good thing about these slease ball outfitters is there will be no Americans this year or next ,Maybe they will be out of business all the bad ones .

[Curly Bill]

Ole Jimmy must be sleeping.

[Jim Blake]

Originally Posted by Curly Bill

Ole Jimmy must be sleeping.

Why is that?

[Curly Bill]

Originally Posted by Jim Blake

Why is that?

Just surprised was all. Poachers and their court proceedings seems an area of expertise of yours.

[albertarick]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Well the only good thing about these slease ball outfitters is there will be no Americans this year or next ,Maybe they will be out of business all the bad ones .

Boarder wasnt closed anybody can fly into Canada . Not all outfitters had clients but many did have american or others. Closed borders not true lots of politics.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by albertarick

Boarder wasnt closed anybody can fly into Canada . Not all outfitters had clients but many did have american or others. Closed borders not true lots of politics.

While the border isn't closed, it most certainly is still restricted to essential travel from the USA and other countries, whether by air, land, or marine.

[35 whelen]

Originally Posted by albertarick

Boarder wasnt closed anybody can fly into Canada . Not all outfitters had clients but many did have american or others. Closed borders not true lots of politics.

Where do you get your information from name me one Outfitter that had an American client this year

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[albertarick]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Where do you get your information from name me one Outfitter that had an American client this year

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I cant name names sorry . Fish cops have told me . look on face book or other sights u see for yourself . Saskatchewan outfitters showing there clients with there harvests .

[35 whelen]

And you know they're foreigners how ,lots of Outfitters were taking Canadians I even phoned a few in Saskatchewan.

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[35 whelen]

Anyway the fact is most to 99% of them had no clientele this year, just a matter of time till the poor ones are out of business.

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[Savage Bacon]

It's good that they pursued this after so many years. And they actually went after the deer. Hopefully that deters others from doing the same.

But like mentioned before, lots of these clients don't care if its legal or not. They just want their trophy.