Rich Hunters use Copter to Stalk Moose

[Lee Borgersen]

Picture taken by wildlife agents in Quebec’s North Shore region during the fall show a helicopter carrying a moose allegedly shot by poachers. (Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife)

MONTREAL — The moose were stalked by helicopter and run ragged until they were dazed by noise and wind. Then the beasts were picked off by millionaire gunmen as easily as plastic ducks lined up at a carnival booth.

Even in the pitiless world of game poaching, where deer are fatally frozen in headlights or shot for fun from pickup-truck windows, this example of poaching was as brazen as it was brutal, officials say.

Quebec wildlife agents are mounting cases against 19 Quebec residents after a three-year anti-poaching operation on the province's North Shore.

Poaching crackdowns aren't exceptional in Quebec -- officials announced one yesterday against about 25 deer and caribou hunters in the Eastern Townships area -- but the operation that allegedly unfolded around a hunting-and-fishing reserve north of Baie-Comeau has dismayed even seasoned wildlife agents.

"We're talking about wealthy people," said Rénald Roy, director of the regional wildlife protection office on the North Shore.

"Most of them are millionaires," he said.

"It's scandalous. They could just leave the animals alone and spend their money on a beach holiday.

"But their fun is killing game. It's not hunting. It's bagging a moose to impress their friends."

It can take a law-abiding hunter a week to track and kill a single moose. The North Shore group, apparently short of time but not money, killed 10 moose in three days, officials said. Over the past three years, they bagged 30 in all.

The group faces charges on 70 alleged violations ranging from harassing an animal to hunting without a permit, and could pay a total of $255,000 in fines. Officials seized moose meat from a series of mostly upscale homes across the province last Wednesday; agents also seized a $1.5-million helicopter from a company in the town of Alma.

[jigglestick]

I was told of by a guy who was in south dakota hunting that on a place he had asked permision to hunt and was denied saying there was no hunting allowed there, that a helicopter came in and landed on this property while he was in the neighborhood. out climbed four guys, no orange, started pushing this property, shot at everybird that jumped, including hens. picked up their birds or some of them and within an hour, got back in the whirly bird and took off.
he seemed to think for some reason they were from texas. maybe some insignia on the chopper?
think about it. if all you have to do is pay the fine, if you have enough money, big deal. I dont care who you are, the chopper would hurt (1.5mil)
what a joke  ::)

[bowhunter73]

If that is a real pic .
the moose is not very limp is it even dead? :o