Thirteen people have been found guilty in a plethora of hunting and wildlife act offences, most of which occurred while they hunted with an Indigenous person in order "to disguise their illegal activities," says a news release from Alberta Fish and Wildlife.

In total, $63,590 in fines were handed out last year to 13 men and women, most of whom have also been banned from recreational hunting for anywhere between one and six years. Combined, the hunting licence suspensions total 31 years, said the news release, which was posted Tuesday to the Fish and Wildlife Facebook page.

The investigation into the activities, which for the most part involved harvesting elk, deer, moose and antelope out of season or without proper licences, began in 2017 in the Stettler, Alta., area, about 185 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

"It is our hope that these significant fines serve as a strong deterrent to any would-be poachers," the news release said.

The Indigenous individual has a constitutionally protected right to hunt, said the release.

Officers determined that the meat from some of the illegally harvested trophy animals was trafficked.

As well, one of the incidents involved an American citizen from Kansas, who was unlawfully guided on a moose and antelope hunt.

The list of offences included: