Two U.S. residents have been charged, fined and deported for illegal outfitting and duck hunting in the Fillmore area, while a third is in jail awaiting bail and a trial date.

The three Americans, all from Maryland, were arrested following a raid by officers from the RCMP, federal immigration, federal environment and Saskatchewan Environmental Resources Management (SERM) on two residences in Fillmore owned by the American still in jail. Philip Hague of Rock Hall, Maryland, along with a 17-year-old juvenile, pleaded guilty and have both been deported back to the U.S.

Hague was fined $4,000 for one count of outfitting without a licence; on seven counts under the Migratory Bird Convention Act, he was fined $2,500 for making a migratory bird the subject of a transaction, and was sentenced to time served in jail on the other six counts. He also pleaded guilty to four immigration charges, was fined $500 for unlawfully working in Canada, plus another $500 for unlawfully being in Canada, and was sentenced to time served on the remaining two charges.

The 17-year-old juvenile was sentenced to time served on two charges under the Migratory Bird Convention Act, and will not be allowed back in Canada for three years.

The remaining American in custody has pleaded not guilty to one count of unlicensed outfitting, five immigration charges including illegally working in Canada and illegally being in Canada, and five charges under the Migratory Bird Convention Act. These charges include making a migratory bird the subject of a transaction, exceeding the daily bag limit of eight ducks, unlawfully hunting after reaching the bag limit, unlawfully possessing a migratory bird without at least one fully-feathered wing attached, and unlawfully having the carcass of a bird taken by another person without having a tag attached as required by the act. This American, who will not be identified until his court appearance to set a trial date, had an immigration hearing on Tuesday in a Regina court.

In asking for bail, a provincial court judge ordered the American to put up $1,000 cash and the titles to the two Fillmore residences. When the matter went to Queen's Bench for the transfer of title, they required the American to have fire insurance on the residences.

The Americans apparently had a Saskatchewan resident apply for an outfitters' licence, but he was turned down, said Ron Maynard, a conservation officer in SERM's Special Investigations Unit of the Enforcement and Compliance branch.

A large number of equipment and property related to the illegal outfitting operation was seized or was forfeit to the Crown, including three shotguns, a number of decoys, a hunting boat and other hunting equipment. One vehicle had been seized, but was returned as it belonged to the wife of one those charged.

SERM and RCMP officers also made raids on three other illegal outfitting operations in the province, at Macrorie, Naicam and Love, with two other U.S. citizens and three Saskatchewan residents facing charges as a result.