Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK

The lies from four poachers quickly unraveled when they were caught by a conservation officer near Kamloops nearly four years ago.

Three of them were initially facing a dozen wildlife charges and the other was facing 22 charges, but those were later reduced to one each.

In Kamloops court today, March 15, three of the accused pleaded guilty to hunting mule deer, marmot and grouse outside of season, which includes Boe Boe Gyi, Kyaw Aue Thah and Ywa Baw Mu. They appeared electronically, accompanied by a translator.

Crown prosecutor Monica Fras suggested they each be handed hefty fines, along with ten year hunting bans. The fourth accused, Tin Hla, did not appear and he's wanted on a warrant.

The guilty pleas came nearly four years after their hunting trip to the North Thompson.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thah called Hla to invite him hunting, Fras told the court.

The next day the four headed from Surrey to Little Fort and by nightfall their guns were ready.

They prowled a North Thompson forest road for mule deer in Thah's Dodge Ram on May 9, 2020.

The men scanned the area with spotlights while in the truck. Gyi told Thah to take the shot when they spotted the first one, Fras said.

Mu and Gyi shone spotlights on the mule to make the shot easier. Thah took it down with at least three shots using his brother's .22 calibre rifle.

It would be one of two deer they'd kill that night. They all slept in the truck after giving up the search for more deer.

They awoke in the morning and began treating the deer carcasses before looking for more animals.

They burned the fur with propane torches, then found other hunters who helped them clean the carcasses. They tossed the heads, legs and other parts into the bush, keeping the meat in bags, the court heard.

At least one deer was a female carrying two fetuses.

The men then started hunting marmots, squirrels and grouse, keeping multiple of each.

Thah shot one of the marmots and went to grab the body, believing it to be dead. As he did, the marmot bit him, so he clubbed it to death, Fras said.

They were caught by a conservation officer as they tried to leave the area, to whom they lied repeatedly about what they were doing.

Hla, who was the only licensed gun owner and the only one with hunting tags, told the officer they were hunting black bears.

Black bears were the only animal in season at the time, but they didn't shoot a single one.

The conservation officer also spotted beer cans scattered in the truck and two rifles on the centre console, each barrel pointed toward the windshield.

He noticed blood on Thah and on the truck, who then tried to claim they were only hunting squirrels.

After taking a statement from Hla and Thah, the officer eventually found the bags of grouse carcasses and deer meat.

They eventually showed the conservation officer the pile of deer heads, legs and other parts.

Fras said the shootings were not only outside hunting season, but were dangerous to other potential campers and hunters because of the nighttime shooting.

The deer were also vulnerable at night, while the clubbing death of the marmot was "unnecessarily painful."

Thah was deemed most responsible by the Crown. The trip was his idea, it was his truck and his brother's rifle. Fras said the Crown is seeking an $8,000 penalty. For Gyi and Mu each, Fras suggested $5,000 penalties.

Of those fines, each of them will pay $100 in fines and the remainder goes to a wildlife trust.

Provincial Court Judge Roy Dickey said he would not deliver his decision yet, putting it off for another day in the coming weeks.

Hla is still wanted on the warrant and it's not clear what punishment the Crown is seeking.

— This story was corrected at 8:01 p.m., March 15, 2024, to say the three guilty hunters were not yet fined.

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