Hunting show host fined $4,500 after wildlife offence investigations in B.C., Alberta: BCCOS

The host of an outdoor adventure YouTube show has been fined thousands of dollars and banned from hunting following an investigation, B.C. Conservation Officer Service says.

A post from BCCOS shared Thursday says the agency was asked by Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers to help investigate wildlife offences in the two provinces.

The investigation spanned two years until the spring of 2022, BCCOS said. During that time, six locations were looked at and three search warrants executed, including at a home and at the business office of Alpine Carnivore, a YouTube show. BCCOS said a rifle and "unlawfully killed wildlife from both B.C. and Alberta" were seized during the searches.

Other evidence discovered during the two-year investigation, BCCOS said, included sheep and moose parts that were linked to kill sites in Alberta using DNA matching.

"These actions showed a blatant disregard for fish and wildlife laws in B.C. and beyond. Unfortunately, cross-border poaching is not an unusual occurrence," said BCCOS Insp. Kyle Ackles, who oversees the General Investigations Section, in a statement.

"This was a complex file that was concluded due to the dedication and co-operation from our officers and colleagues in Alberta. We’d like to thank them for their tireless efforts."

BCCOS said court proceedings have concluded in the province. Michel Beaulieu, who BCCOS identified as the host of Alpine Carnivore, pleaded guilty to allowing his hunting licence to be used by another party. He was fined $4,500 and banned from hunting in the province for a year.

Beaulieu, who goes by Mitch on his YouTube channel, posted an update on social media Friday in response to BCCOS' statement, saying he wanted to "set the record straight."

"I'm not sitting here and telling you guys that I'm without guilt, because that is just simply not true," he said. "I am guilty of these offences, but I would like a chance to explain exactly what happened and what led to these convictions because none of this was done with malicious intent."

He went on to explain the infractions surround three specific hunts: a moose, a sheep and a bear.

Throughout the video, Beaulieu explained he was new to hunting when those incidents took place, saying he started his YouTube channel for people to learn alongside him. Ultimately, he said he was unaware of the rules he was breaking.

"All of these happened in the first year I was doing this work where I don't have the knowledge," he said.

Also as result of the investigations, Lynn Beaulieu pleaded guilty to hunting without a licence and was fined $2,000, BCCOS said. She too has been banned from hunting for a year.

Alpine Carnivore describes itself on YouTube as a "hunting and outdoors adventure series," focusing on backcountry hunts in Canada.

"We are dedicated to ethical hunting practices and entertaining educational content that resonates with our viewers," its YouTube description says.

The most recent episodes posted to the channel last month were filmed in Mexico.