B.C. conservation officer denies allegations from hunting show host
The conservation officer sued for $2.4 million by a hunting TV host channel has denied all allegations that he maliciously and compulsively harassed the hunter, causing him to lose his YouTube channel and sponsorships.
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Michel Beaulieu, who referred to himself as a hunter, TV personality and businessman, filed the lawsuit in March against Wyatt Pile and the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, alleging a harassment campaign that included the officer posing as a buyer for his Kelowna house.
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The lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court alleges Pile began harassing Beaulieu in 2020, after the hunter illegally shared a hunting tag with his wife during a bear kill.
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A subsequent two-year investigation by B.C. and Alberta wildlife officers resulted in more than $25,000 in fines against the couple after the seizure of unlawfully killed wildlife at six locations in both provinces, Alberta wildlife officials have said in online posts.
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Beaulieu alleged Pile 'seemed to become obsessed … and started targeting Beaulieu,' watching his YouTube videos, calling him several times and threatening him with more charges, according to his lawsuit.
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The defendants denied all the allegations in a recent court filing.
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The filing said Pile became involved in Beaulieu's case after Alberta wildlife officers in 2020 investigated the man for the suspected unlawful killing of a bighorn sheep.
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The Alberta officers suspected Beaulieu was falsely claiming residency in Alberta and B.C. to obtain hunting licences in both provinces, contrary to the B.C. Wildlife Act, which led to an B.C. investigation with Pile as lead investigator, it said.
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It said Pile watched an episode of Alpine Carnivore on Beaulieu's YouTube channel that showed he and his wife hunting a black bear near Salmon Arm in May 2020, during which his wife shot the bear and killed it while sharing Beaulieu's licence, which is against the law.
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Pile said in the court document that the charges for hunting without a licence, using the licence of another person, allowing the licence to be used by another person and possessing dead wildlife without a licence were the four charges that were approved, and the couple entered a guilty plea in a plea bargain with prosecutors.
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