Eight people have pleaded guilty to 13 offences under Alberta's Wildlife Act after a province-wide investigation into illegal cougar and Canada lynx hunts. Between them, they're on the hook for $135,500 in fines and a combined 18.5 years of hunting bans and other court orders.

The case started in January 2024, when fish and wildlife officers began looking into a closed-season cougar hunt tied to Byron Stewart, who owns Tracks N Trails Outfitting in Drayton Valley. Investigators found that a resident hunter guided by the outfitting company had killed a male cougar after the season had already ended. Officers eventually traced 11 illegal guided hunts across the province, eight involving non-resident hunters and three involving Albertans. Search warrants in Alberta and B.C. turned up 11 cougar skins and skulls and five lynx skins.

The offences ranged from hunting cougars out of season to possessing illegally harvested wildlife, using banned electronic calling devices, and hunting without a valid licence. Byron Stewart, Cindy Stewart, and Devin Hyde of Drayton Valley, Jody Janzer of Kitscoty, Luke Viravec of DeBolt, and Garrett Patton of Worsley all pleaded guilty, along with two non-residents: Joshua Owens of New Braunfels, Texas, and Arnold Compton of Excello, Missouri.

Illegal hunting like this can undermine wildlife conservation efforts in Alberta, contributing to overharvesting and leading to tighter quotas and shorter seasons for law-abiding hunters. Anyone with a tip on suspicious hunting or fishing activity can call the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800, or report online at alberta.ca/report-poacher.aspx — tips can be made anonymously and may be eligible for a reward.