In a world where headlines no longer seem to surprise us, we’ve got yet another case of bureaucratic self-sabotage, this time in our neck of the woods. Yes, in an unusual case of enforcers running afoul of the very rules they police, a pair of Prince Edward Island resource conservation officers—the guys paid to patrol the province's woods and waters—decided to try their hand at playing hunting guide for a pair of American goose hunters back in December.
The incident occurred on December 18 and 19, 2025, in the Rustico area, where the offending officers were busy leading a goose hunt with a group of out-of-towners. It wasn’t long before a member of the public complained about the group shooting too close to nearby homes, prompting other resource conservation officers to investigate.
Upon their arrival, the responding officers were surprised to find that two of the four trigger-pullers were none other than their own colleagues from the provincial conservation service.
In what had undoubtedly turned into an uncomfortable situation for all involved, investigating officers decided to charge all four hunters— the two P.E.I. officers and the two Americans— under section 19(1)(f) of the Wildlife Conservation Act. The provision prohibits shooting at game within 200 metres of a school, church, meeting place, farm building, occupied dwelling, or livestock without permission. The rule exists primarily to ensure public safety in populated or rural areas where homes and buildings are common.
For their off-the-books guiding expedition, each received a $250 summary offense ticket, which can be paid outright or contested in court. Given the sticky situation surrounding the bust and looking to avoid any conflict of interest and preserve public trust, the P.E.I. Department of Justice and Public Safety requested that the RCMP step in and take over the investigation.
Because of the way things went down (and the slight conflict of interest), the American hunters were fined by conservation officers, while the RCMP issued the tickets to the two provincial employees.
“One of the key principles of policing is to be able to maintain the trust of the public,” RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore said. “ In this case, this is the appropriate step to be able to ensure that there aren't any questions about the investigation.”
RCMP were notified on the day of the complaint and formally assumed the probe shortly afterward. As of right now, provincial authorities are maintaining that the investigation remains active, but has yet to release any further details.
The officers' names have not been publicly disclosed and there is no other information regarding their status at this time.
