B.C. hunter fined $2,500, banned for 2 years for ‘altering’ a species licence

The provincial courthouse in Nanaimo, B.C. (Courthouse Libraries BC)

A Vancouver Island hunter has been fined $2,500 and received a two-year ban on obtaining a hunting licence after pleading guilty to “altering a licence or permit.”

The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred in September 2025, according to a social media post by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.

According to the service, an officer was conducting “hunter compliance checks” in Nanoose Bay “when an individual produced species tags upon request that had altered expiry dates on them.”

“Species licences, also known as species tags, are required for hunting various animals in B.C.,” the post explains, noting that these licences are required in addition to hunting licences and “are only valid during the licence year they were purchased for.”

“Hunters must have all issued licences available for inspection by a conservation officer when hunting in B.C., and altering any licence is a violation.”

Online court records indicate Parksville man Aaron Illes, born in 1978, pleaded guilty to the offence in Nanaimo provincial court on June 23.

The BCCOS did not specify what species Illes’ altered tags were for.