Three Yukoners have been ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines after pleading guilty to multiple Wildlife Act violations following an illegal hunt of caribou on the Finlayson Range in 2007.

Alan and John Robinson, as well as Jean-Claude Masse, had originally denied the charges and went through three days' worth of trial before changing their pleas to guilty Friday.

All three pleaded guilty to hunting caribou in Game Management Sub-zone 10-06 when not permitted.

They admitted to killing two caribou on a hunting trip in the Mink Creek area near Ross River in 2007.

The father and son pair also pleaded guilty to providing false information on their kill reports.

Alan and John Robinson, who admitted to actually shooting the animals, were fined $5,000 each, to be paid to the territory's Turn in Poachers fund.

Masse pleaded guilty to illegal hunting as well as a federal charge of transporting illegally taken wildlife parts from the Yukon to Quebec, contrary to the federal Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act.

He was fined $3,500 —$2,500 for the TIPS fund and $1,000 for the federal charge.

Up until changing their pleas, the men had insisted they shot the two caribou in an acceptable area during the hunting season.

Yukon conservation officers were able to use photos posting on a hunting website to prove the men were in a restricted area.

Visiting territorial court judge Dennis Schmidt called the conservation officers' work "brilliant” and applauded them for using all the resources at their disposal to catch the men.

Crown prosecutor Lee Kirkpatrick said the men need to be held accountable, pointing out that the Finlayson caribou herd now has approximately 3,000 animals, down from 6,000 a few years ago.

There are only 15 conservation officers in the territory, and they rely on hunters to know and follow the rules, she said.

The men have also been banned from hunting for five years, ordered to take the Hunter Education and Ethics Development training course.

Even after the five-year prohibition, none of the three can obtain a hunting licence until he has completed the HEED course and paid all fines.

Two 6X6 ATVs and Masse's rifle and scope were also seized.

The caribou antlers and two hides were also taken away.