National Parks Poachers

[fishpro]

Just came across this channel on YouTube, two guys who claim to do survival / bush craft videos, and this one video / series takes place on a lake in Banff National Park. The lake is not mentioned but I know which lake it is. Several infractions are committed, including the use of drones, keeping of fish where it's not allowed, use of bait, probably random camping. Feel free to share the videos far and wide in order to shame these people, and if you happen to know these guys don't hesitate to tell them what useless trash they are.

Also, Parks Canada is fully aware and are investigating.

Update: Both individuals, Greg Ovens and Zachary Fowler, were contestants on season 3 of Alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB8LlILAo40&t=5517s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RZ7...vCTPR&index=24

[McLeod]

They need to be locked up !

[Albertadiver]

I'd like to hear what PARKS says!

[buckman]

I find this hard to believe. Which lake is this supposed to be? Mountain lakes all look very similar on most video clips.

I think they were somewhere in the Columbia valley area between Invermere and Cranbrook.

Also they would have to be very dumb to put up a video of themselves on You Tube if it was in the park.

[Sundancefisher]

I can guarantee for survivalists they would of brought worms with them and not dug them up at a mountain lake.

Worms are introduced and found only around where people have lived for some time.

[CardiacCowboy]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

I can guarantee for survivalists they would of brought worms with them and not dug them up at a mountain lake.

Worms are introduced and found only around where people have lived for some time.

Are you saying worms are a domestic animal? Worms of one kind of or other can be found everywhere including mountain lakes.

I believe this youtuber is bc based and most of his videos are filmed there.

[fishpro]

Originally Posted by buckman

I find this hard to believe. Which lake is this supposed to be? Mountain lakes all look very similar on most video clips.

I think they were somewhere in the Columbia valley area between Invermere and Cranbrook.

Also they would have to be very dumb to put up a video of themselves on You Tube if it was in the park.

I'll send you a pm with the name of the lake, but the footage compared with pics a friend has, not to mention the drone shots compared to Google Maps, makes it very clear.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by fishpro

I'll send you a pm with the name of the lake, but the footage compared with pics a friend has, not to mention the drone shots compared to Google Maps, makes it very clear.

I scoped out the satellite photos with the shows footage including aerial and it is definitely the lake you say it is.

Ya. Definitely not allowed bait there. Also they exceeded their limit assuming they had licences. Set line is also illegal. Illegal to keep fishing after reaching one’s limit. They need a permit to fly drones in the park boundary. Fires are only allowed in designated fire pits when a ban is not in effect. Cutting down of trees is illegal. Building a structure is illegal.

These guys are idiots.

[H380]

Originally Posted by buckman

I find this hard to believe. Which lake is this supposed to be? Mountain lakes all look very similar on most video clips.



I think they were somewhere in the Columbia valley area between Invermere and Cranbrook.



Also they would have to be very dumb to put up a video of themselves on You Tube if it was in the park.

Dumb would be the understatement of the century ...but then again they would find themselves in the company of the guys in Sask that posted on social media shooting ducks on a slough with a rimfire out of season and the Prostaff archery hunter shooting elk in Yellowstone with recognizable mountain peaks in the background ...yup they definitely have company..

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[Albertadiver]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/reckless-...park-1.6362776

An Alberta judge fined a B.C. man $6,000 Wednesday for illegally catching eight cutthroat trout in Banff National Park as part of a YouTube survival challenge nearly four years ago.

Outdoor survivalists Greg Ovens of Canal Flats, B.C., and Zachary Fowler, an American citizen, filmed part of the "30 Day Survival Challenge in the Canadian Rockies" YouTube video series in the national park in July 2019.

Parks Canada wardens laid several charges in February 2022 against both men, who met while they were contestants on the History Channel TV show Alone.

Warrants are outstanding for Fowler, but Ovens agreed to plead guilty to a single charge of illegal fishing under the National Parks Act.

Justice Eric Tolppanen of the Alberta Court of Justice disagreed with the Crown position that the accused was attempting to financially benefit from his actions.

He gave credit to Ovens for an early guilty plea and for attempting to have the videos removed, but said it's a serious matter.

"A total of eight of the protected species of fish were taken from the lake. It's aggravating that natural bait was used. This type of bait is prohibited as it risks the introduction to lakes of invasive species, including the microscopic parasite that causes whirling disease," Tolppanen said Wednesday.

"I do find, however, his conduct to have been reckless. As part of the Survival Challenge, he clearly planned to live for a significant period of time in an area familiar to him within the boundaries of Banff National Park."


The Crown had proposed an $8,000 fine, or $1,000 per fish, but Tolpannen decided instead to require Ovens to post details of his plea and sentence to the YouTube channel where the videos are located and send a letter to YouTube's parent company.

Tolpannen has given Ovens six months to pay his fine but wants notice of his posting his sentence on YouTube and a note to Google LLC sent to the Crown for approval within two weeks.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by H380

Dumb would be the understatement of the century ...but then again they would find themselves in the company of the guys in Sask that posted on social media shooting ducks on a slough with a rimfire out of season and the Prostaff archery hunter shooting elk in Yellowstone with recognizable mountain peaks in the background ...yup they definitely have company..

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I remember watching a "Survivor Man" episode, it was spring in BC and on multiple ocasions he tried throwing his hatchet at grouse... never showed him actually getting one but still..

It seems to me that these survivor types sometimes feel that they are above local game laws, as if they were actually in a survival situation. They seem to have trouble understanding that intentionally going camping without proper provisions is not the same thing.

[58thecat]

Delete....

[AK47]

Big fan of the show Alone. So it is very disappointing to see people who are suppose to be example how to respect nature acting like that. What a lame excuse is " they need to inform people better"? Like reading regulations is not your responsibility???

[Sundancefisher]

Has this gone through the courts yet?

[hawk-i]

Originally Posted by mcleod

they need to be locked up !

why??????