8 plead guilty to illegally hunting cougar, lynx in Alberta

File photo of a cougar. (File photo)

The owner of a central Alberta outfitter and seven other people have pleaded guilty to several offences related to illegally hunting cougars and Canada lynx in the province.

Byron Stewart, owner of Tracks N Trails Outfitting in Drayton Valley, pleaded guilty to the offences, along with five other Albertans — Cindy Stewart and Devin Hyde of Drayton Valley, Jody Janzer of Kitscoty, Luke Viravec of DeBolt and Garrett Patton of Worsley — as well as two Americans: Joshua Owens of New Braunfels, Texas, and Arnold Compton of Excello, Mo.

In January 2024, Fish and Wildlife officers started investigating an illegal cougar hunt organized by Byron Stewart, in which a provincial resident killed a male cougar during a hunt out of season, Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services said in a media release on Tuesday.

Officers discovered 11 illegal hunts had been held, leading to the issue of search warrants in Alberta and British Columbia, in which investigators found 11 cougar skulls and skins and five Canada lynx skins.

The offences include hunting cougars after the season had closed, possessing illegally harvested wildlife, using prohibited electronic calling devices during hunts and hunting without valid licences.

The convictions resulted in $135,000 in fines and a combined 10.5 years of hunting prohibitions and court orders.

Anyone with information about suspicious hunting or fishing can report activity to the Report a Poacher service by phone at 1-800-642-380 or online.