4 men charged in Manitoba for night hunting with lights

The Manitoba government says four men have been charged with hunting at night with lights.

The province says wildlife officers nabbed two men in December from the Lake Manitoba First Nation near Asher.

They were also charged with carrying a loaded firearm in a pickup and hunting on private land without permission.

In another case, officers arrested an Alberta man near Inglis and a man from the RM of Riding Mountain West and charged them with hunting at night with lights.

What does it take to catch a night hunter?

7 years ago

Duration 4:23

Imagine waking to the sound of gunfire or finding animal guts piled up on near your driveway. Residents in rural Manitoba make those complaints after night hunters have been in their area. CBC reporter Sean Kavanagh and videographer Jaison Empson went out on a patrol with Conservation officers in a effort to hunt the night hunters.

In both cases the trucks, firearms and spotlights were seized as evidence.

The charges were laid under the province's existing Wildlife Act, but amendments strengthening the legislation are waiting to be proclaimed.

Some Indigenous groups have said banning spotlight hunting infringes on their constitutional rights.

Premier Brian Pallister has called spotlight hunting inhumane.