The provincial government says an investigation got underway in December 2023 about unlawful outfitting activities and the possession of wild animals inside a domestic game farm near Briercrest.

Moose Jaw Conservation Officers were informed that a wild moose had been harvested inside the Hartland Whitetails Ltd. game farm enclosure and that wild deer were being baited into the fenced area.

Their investigation determined that three European clients went the Hartland Whitetails Ltd. game farm from September 25th to 30th where the owner, Allen Morhart of Elbow, outfitted one client without the required licence, leading to the unlawful harvest of a wild moose on September 27 and a wild mule deer the next day.

Both animals were later taken to a taxidermist, where investigators say an employee of the outfitter improperly supplied a Saskatchewan-resident-moose-licence-seal.

The agreed statement of facts confirmed that deer were being baited into the enclosure and that a wild moose had entered the fence in the winter of 2022 which was never reported to the appropriate ministry.

The captive wild mule deer were euthanized and tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease.

Last month, Allen Morhart pleaded guilty to one count each of unlawfully acting as an outfitter for moose and mule deer as well as allowing his licence to be used by another person and unlawful possession of six mule deer.

Morhart has been fined in total $36,400 plus was given a five-year hunting licence suspension. In October this year, Erich Mueller, an Austrian hunt broker connected to the offences, was convicted of aiding and abetting unlawful hunting and outfitting without a licence. He received $6,760 in fines and a one-year hunting licence suspension.