Michel Beaulieu and his wife Lynn Beaulieu are the hosts of the Wild TV series Alpine Carnivore, which highlights mountain hunts in western Canada, including bear, deer, and elk. According to their YouTube channel, the Beaulieus are "dedicated to ethical hunting practices."
This is more than a little ironic, given that the couple has just been found guilty of several poaching charges, including illegally hunting bighorn sheep, elk, and moose between August 2020 and September 2021. Between 2022 and 2024, Michel is also charged with carrying a firearm without a license, using another person's hunting license, and unlawful possession of dead wildlife. Lynn has also admitted to hunting without a license. It's unknown if any of the poaching charges were broadcast on the couple's YouTube channel or social media.
The charges come after a two-year investigation that spread across both British Columbia and Alberta. The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service and Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement led the investigation, executing three search warrants for the home and business offices of the Beaulieus. DNA analysis of moose and sheep parts were matched with kill sites in Alberta, and shell casings found at the kill sites also matched a rifle seized during one of the raids.
In a video posted on Instagram, Michel explains that the convictions stem from a sheep and moose hunt in Alberta, as well as a bear hunt in British Columbia. He said he is guilty of the offences, but that "none of this was done with malicious intent." He claimed that some of the offenses came from a lack of signage in an area where hunting is prohibited, and others came from not knowing the difference between hunting regulations in British Columbia and Alberta, and Ontario, where he is originally from. Michel claimed that he "didn't read or check regulations back then."
Many commenters aren't buying Michel's excuses, though. User ali.con17 writes, "Negligence is negligence. [You] shouldn't even be leaving the house if you aren't clear on rules and regulations. By having a show or being public about hunting you are responsible for having the highest standards of ethical practices, as you represent more than just yourself."
The consensus of the comments on Michel's apology video is that he should have known better and that he was let off too easily.
According to the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement, the Beaulieu's convictions include hunting without a license, hunting in a closed season, unlawful possession of wildlife, unlawful export of wildlife, providing false information, and abusing license requirements to the killing of bighorn sheep, antlered moose, and antlered elk within a protected wilderness area. The couple must pay a combined total of more than $31,500 in fines and will have their hunting licenses suspended for one year.
The couple is still facing several other illegal hunting charges, including three counts of failing to comply with the terms of a permit and carrying a firearm without a license.
Wild TV says that it is "deeply disturbed and disappointed" in the Beaulieus, and has removed all of Alpine Carnivore's content from its programming on all platforms.
