Four men who illegally killed bighorn sheep in western Alberta were fined $26,000 combined and each received one-year hunting bans — penalties some say are not steep enough.

According to a Facebook post from Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement, a group of hunters illegally killed at least four bighorn sheep, including a sublegal ram, in September in the former Gregg and Cardinal River mine sites near Cadomin, Alta., about 320 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.

Semi-retired bighorn sheep outfitter Lorne Hindbo told CBC News the area is known for being a bighorn sheep habitat, but is well-policed and has been closed to hunting for decades.

"The nerve… it's almost like driving over into Jasper and doing it," he said.

An Alberta Fish and Wildlife spokesperson told CBC News that its of

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