Brock Lesnar faces charges in Canadian court over deer tag
Brock Lesnar faces charges in a Canadian court stemming from a hunting trip he took in the Manyberries area south…
Brock Lesnar faces charges in a Canadian court stemming from a hunting trip he took in the Manyberries area south of Medicine Hat, Alta., in November 2010
Charges related to the improper handling of hunted game were read out against the sometime UFC and WWE champ in Medicine Hat Provincial Court Thursday.
The burly fighter failed to properly tag at least one of two animals his party had shot — a white tail and a mule deer, said Darcy Whiteside, spokesman for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
They shot an animal and didn’t tag it, said Whiteside.
His guide and Albertan Chad Stryker, who was allegedly accompanying the celebrity, is also charged with the offences – unlawful possession of wildlife, abandon/wastage of the edible flesh of big game, and after killing wildlife, failure to immediately affix tag.
The alleged offences occurred over several days in mid November on a grazing reserve near Manyberries.
“In plain language, it would be considered poaching,” said Whiteside.
Neither men appeared in court Thursday.
Hunting big game typically requires a tag for each animal harvested. Tags must be purchased in addition to the hunting license, and the number of tags issued to an individual is typically limited. Tags may be further restricted to a specific area or wildlife management unit.
CBC news provides further details.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Brock Lesnar and a hunting guide have been charged with three counts under Alberta’s Wildlife Act.
Darcy Whiteside of Sustainable Resource Development says it’s unusual for a guide to face illegal hunting charges.
Alberta is considered an international destination for hunting, he said. So we have hunters that come across the world … and it is the responsibility of the guide and outfitter to know the rules, as well as the hunters that come up here.”
Whiteside said Alberta has some of the best outfitters, but unfortunately incidents do occur, such as this instance.
Lesnar is scheduled to appear in a Medicine Hat courtroom in mid-January.
The charges in the case carry maximum penalties of a $50,000 fine or a two-year jail term for each offence.