Corpusfishing.com

[ShallowWaterStalker]

American busted for illegal hunting
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
By Mariam Ibrahim, Edmonton Journal

The head of an American-based hunting club faces 12 charges under the Criminal Code and federal wildlife laws for violations he allegedly committed while leading hunting trips in central Alberta between 2003 and 2007.

Environment Canada laid the charges against Jeffrey Foiles last Thursday, the same day he pleaded not guilty in an Illinois court to a 23-count indictment accusing him of violations of U.S. federal wildlife laws.

Foiles is the president and operator of Foiles Migrators, Inc, a U.S.-based hunting business that sells a popular series of hunting videos called Fallin' Skies. He also operates Fallin' Skies Strait Meat Duck Club, a hunting club that leads guided commercial waterfowl hunts at the club's property in Pike County, Ill., and other places, including Canada.

According to the American indictment, Foiles guided many of the tours, which were often used as the setting for his hunting videos.

The American charges include conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and falsifying records in connection with the illegal sale of guided waterfowl hunts in the U.S.

Of the 12 Canadian charges Foiles faces, two result from him allegedly causing "unnecessary pain and suffering to a bird contrary to the Criminal Code."

Environment Canada says Foiles' 10 other charges fall under the Migratory Birds Convention Act and include taking more than the daily limit of geese and ducks, continuing to hunt even after the daily limit was reached.

They also include hunting from a moving or power-operated boat, failing to immediately retrieve a migratory game bird after killing or wounding it and failing to immediately kill a wounded migratory game bird after it was retrieved.

The alleged Canadian violations occurred in central Alberta, near Pigeon Lake, Camrose and Devon.

Brian Petrar, an operations manager for Environment Canada's wildlife enforcement division, said officers with the Canadian agency worked closely with officials in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Right from the start of the investigation, we were working close with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife investigation," said Petrar, adding it's common for wildlife officials in the two countries to work together.

"Sometimes, I speak with them on a weekly basis and we're constantly talking about information and investigations."

The joint investigation lasted about four years, and during that period U.S. and Canadian investigators gathered and shared evidence leading to charges against Foiles in both countries.

The federal indictment alleges that on several occasions, during guided hunting tours, Foiles repeatedly violated daily limits in Canada. During an October 2004 guided duck hunt near Camrose, which was filmed for his hunting videos, Foiles allegedly killed at least 24 ducks in one day. The next day the group, led by Foiles, killed about 25 Canada geese. In Alberta, the daily limit for geese is five and for ducks is eight.

According to the indictment, "when the cameraman became upset at the number of geese being killed and shut off the camera, Foiles ordered him to continue filming. ..."

During the fall of 2005, the indictment says Foiles travelled to a city park in Loveland, Colo., after learning many Canada geese wearing neck collars and leg tags had been spotted at the park. He allegedly used bread to lure the tagged geese to his vehicle, where he shot them with a pellet gun and removed the tags. American officials allege Foiles used the tags he collected from the geese to decorate his duck and goose call lanyard, "which he wore prominently on his commercial hunting videos to advertise his skill and experience as a migratory waterfowl hunter."

Foiles is set to appear on the Canadian charges in an Edmonton court on April 5, which is the same day his U.S. trial is set to start in Illinois -- a coincidence U.S. agents pointed out to Canadian officials after Foiles was served with his summons, Petrar said.

If convicted in Canada, Foiles could be fined $1 million per offence or sentenced to up to three years in prison, or both.

mibrahim@edmontonjournal.comtwitter.com/mariam_di

© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

[BALZTOWAL]

Anything to sell a hunt. Take his assets and his freedom .

[o_brother]

Too bad it took four years to build the case but it sounds like they have a solid case against him.

Mike
_________________
Come out of the grass with your fins up.......

[PATHFINDER22]

Thats pretty funny...I bet he never thought in a million years the charges would that steep...H e probably thought he was Mr. movie star and know one was gonna mess with him...Hope he gets MAXIMUM sentence.