The host of Canadian hunting TV show Alpine Carnivore is seeking damages to the tune of $2.425 million dollars in the British Columbia Supreme Court over what he alleges is ongoing harassment stemming from wildlife violations he committed years ago and subsequently resolved.
The civil case was filed on behalf of Michel Beaulieu, a resident of Calgary, Alberta, and his media company, Carnivore Studios, Inc., in the British Columbia Supreme court Monday. It specifically names both the individual conservation officer Wyatt Pile and the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
The lawsuit stems from wildlife violations committed by Beaulieu and his wife, Lynn, on at least three big game hunts in 2020 and 2021, plus additional charges from 2022. As we reported last year, the couple was fined more than $31,500 for charges like hunting without a license, unlawful possession and export of wildlife, and more.
“The Beaulieus were unaware that their conduct was in contravention of the hunting laws of BC law. The Beaulieus were familiar with the process of sharing tags in Ontario and were under the belief that the process of sharing tags was similar in Alberta and British Columbia,” reads the lawsuit. “Pile charged the Beaulieus for hunting the black bear without the proper tags and/or sharing the tag.”
This is the same argument Beaulieu made in a 15-minute video published in February 2024. He apologized for his actions and explained that he broke laws out of ignorance of local hunting regs rather than outright malice.Now Beaulieu, who is described as a hunter, TV personality and businessman in the suit, alleges that Pile’s harassment has effectively ruined his business.
“On or about October 6, 2022, Pile, in a malicious, obsessive and compulsive fashion began, without reasonable justification, reviewing Beaulieu’s history in an attempt to improperly prosecute Beaulieu,” reads the suit. “This was nearly two years after Beaulieu had paid the filing fees associated therewith and the offences had been fully addressed.”
Beaulieu says Pile’s “interference” has caused sponsors to drop him, held up an application for transfer permits, and even lost him money on the sale of his home. The suit also mentions a Facebook post by the Conservation Officer Service that allegedly made false statements about Beaulieu.
In addition to $325,000 for defamation and $200,000 for malfeasance of a public officer, the suit seeks $1.9 million in lost income. That includes $40,000 in lost revenue for publishing on YouTube, $120,000 in “lost internet deals” $150,000 in cancellation of clothing deals, and $590,000 in lost future business.
While Alpine Carniovre used to publish new videos weekly, no videos have been posted to the brand’s YouTube channel in 14 months. The most recent video featured a Coues deer hunt and was published on Jan. 14, 2024.
The lawsuit also asks $1 million in lost revenue over the rushed sale of the Beaulieu’s home. (The couple decided to move because Pile’s behavior was “affecting their wellbeing.”) In fact, the suit alleges that Pile attempted to search their home “without the requisite search warrant” by posing as a potential buyer for their property in Beauverdell, B.C.
“Pile proceeded to expressly misrepresent himself, his identity, and his intentions and intentionally mislead the Beaulieu’s realtor in an attempt to perform an unlawful search of the property knowing that the Beaulieus would not be at home,” reads the suit. “Pile is stationed in Prince George and the property in respect of which he sought to gain access under false pretenses is situated in Kelowna.”
Prince George is about an eight hour drive from Kelowna.
“Moreover, Pile had previously obtained a search warrant to search the Beaulieus home and office on the allegations of trophies and carcasses being in the home and offices, in an effort to gain evidence of the unlawful killings he obsessed about,” continues to the suit. “During these previous initial searches, Pile was unable to find any evidence pertaining to charges in British Columbia. Pile therefore, due to his obsession to punish Beaulieu, unlawfully attempted to search the property.”
Read Next: A Hunting T.V. Show Host Who Says He Didn’t Know the Regs Just Got Fined $31K for Poaching Violations
Neither Beaulieu nor his lawyer immediately responded to a request for comment Friday. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service also did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Both parties have 21 days to respond to the suit.
Read the full article here
