A 31-year-old man from Inuvik has been fined $1,500 after he shot and killed a polar bear out of season in 2018.
Justice Christine Gagnon handed Justin Elias the fine on Tuesday, November 5.
Elias was reportedly also given a year of supervised probation and ordered to complete 15 hours of community service.
Elias was convicted earlier this year in August after Judge Gagnon rejected his self-defence claim.
At the time, court heard Elias had been hunting with a friend when they pulled their boat up onto an island north of Inuvik.
They were carrying a freshly-killed caribou with them.
Elias testified that he fired a warning shot when he saw the bear, but it didn’t deter the animal.
He then killed the bear.
During the sentencing, Judge Gagnon said the whole ordeal could have been avoided if the hunters had simply got back into their boat and left the island.
