Mounties may always get their man, but Border Services agents get their Moose...

Canada's Border Service Agents have fired their first and only shot, but it wasn't directed at drug smugglers, terrorists or unlawfully at large felons, rather it was directed a sickly moose, which had already been shot by a member of the RCMP.

The incident took place last August, when an unidentified CBSA intelligence officer was driving on official business to Nelson, B.C and came across an injured moose on the highway, an RCMP car was just ahead and had pulled over first to attend to the situation.

The RCMP officer fearing for further mayhem on the highway due to the injured nature of the animal, attempted to dispatch the moose, but after two shots the moose was still a going concern.

At that point the CBSA officer offered up the information that he had some experience with livestock in a previous career and the RCMP officer on scene requested that he take over the attempt to bring the episode to an end, which the CBSA officer did with efficiency.

For his troubles, he was required to submit a report and take part in an internal review of his use of the government issued weapon, part of the CBSA operational procedures drawn up as the weapons were being rolled out.

At the time it was the first incidence of the nation's border service guards firing their weapon and is still the only such incident on the books. The CBSA officers had only recently became armed officers at the nations ports of entry and the number of agents with firearms was still relatively small.

As of March this year, more than 800 border officers had been trained and assigned a duty firearm, the plan is to arm 4,800 guards at all land and marine border points by 2016.

Wandering Moose with ill intent take note...