WINNIPEG -- Manitoba conservation officers have made their first arrests for illegal night hunting since the province put new laws in place.

Conservation officers arrested four people on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Nopiming Provincial Park for illegal hunting practices.

According to a news release from the Manitoba government, after seeing a car stop, officers in the park heard people calling for moose. They also saw people sweeping the side of Provincial Road 314, near Cat Lake, with a spotlight.

Officers issued appearance notices to four people - three from Sagkeeng First Nation and one from Winnipeg -- for night hunting and hunting in a moose closure zone

They also seized a 2019 Dodge Ram truck, two rifles, spotlights and other hunting equipment.

These arrests came after Manitoba’s new Wildlife Amendment Act took effect on Oct. 10. The goal of this act is to protect the province’s moose population and create a safe hunting environment.

Since the act came into effect, conservation officers also issued educational warnings to nine people in three separate incidents.

The first incident took place on Oct. 10 in the Swan River, Man., area, when officers stopped three hunters in a moose closure zone. These individuals told the officers they had been informed that they could hunt moose in the Porcupine Mountains.

Since no animals were taken, officers just issued warnings.

Then on Oct. 13, aerial surveillance saw a car leaving a road and using a trail on Crown land, west of Bissett.

Officers stopped the car and gave out warnings to the three hunters for hunting at night near built-up areas.

The final incident also took place on Oct. 13, when aerial surveillance saw another car using a spotlight in the bush in Red Deer Provincial Forest, near Lac du Bonnet.

Officers found and stopped the suspect vehicle, and issued warnings to three hunters for hunting at night without a permit under the new legislation.

The province asks anyone with information on illegal hunting activities to call their local Manitoba Conservation and Climate office or the Turn in Poachers line at 1-800-782-0076.