Two people riding on snowmobiles say they mistakenly traveled on to private property and were confronted by a man with a shotgun. The incident occurred near the western city of Saskatoon last month.
Snowmobiling is a popular pastime in Canada, but many people don’t like the noise it makes. Some farmers complain it scares their livestock and can damage crop land. Riders are supposed to avoid private property but a cover of snow makes it easy to access land and not always easy to determine what is privately-held.
In this case, Jeff Smerechnaski says he and a friend were leaving an area after realizing they were on private property when they were confronted. A helmet camera worn by his friend captured images an angry man carrying a shotgun confronting them. He kicked one of the snowmobiles and hit Smerechanski on his helmet.
The landowner says he has had trouble with snowmobilers riding on his land, scaring his animals and running over one of his cats. He says he may have overreacted, but never intended to shoot anyone.
Smerechanski went to police and wants charges laid. Prosecutors are deciding what to do.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.