Canada: Judge rules American hunter can’t have hide, horns of ram after $70k USD hunt

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/600961/Judge-rules-American-hunter-can-t-have-hide-antlers-of-ram-after-70k-USD-hunt

02/26/2026

An American hunter who illegally shot and killed an underage wild sheep on a costly guided hunt in Northern B.C. won’t be able to get the hide and horns from a legally-hunted sheep back from the province, following a lengthy court battle.

In a BC Supreme Court decision posted Wednesday, Justice Sandra Wilkinson overturned a previous provincial court judgment and ruled that Zachary McDermott won’t be able to keep the hide and horns from a sheep he hunted during a $70,000 USD guided hunt in August 2023.

The exact location of the hunt was not disclosed in the recent ruling, but the initial court case was heard in Fort St. John.

McDermott had paid $70,000 USD in guide fees, travel costs and tip to hunt for the thinhorn sheep, which is also known as a Dall sheep. During the hunt on Aug. 21, 2023, McDermott accidentally killed two sheep, despite only being authorized to kill one. One of the sheep was also underage, as it was not a “full curl thinhorn ram mountain sheep.”

In an agreed statement of facts relied on by the court, McDermott said he was about 200 yards from a group of sheep and was aiming for an eight-year-old ram. At the direction of his guide, he shot at the ram, but was told by the guide he had missed.

A short time later, he shot again, killing the ram. But about 30 seconds later, a second underage sheep fell over as well.

McDermott and his guide immediately reported the accidental killing to the Conservation Officer Service and both sheep were confiscated.

The Conservation Officer Service issued McDermott a violation ticket, which he paid five days after receiving it.

While the ruling did not disclose where McDermott is from, it noted the B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service arranged for a Wyoming Game Warden to serve McDermott the ticket in February 2024.

A Zach McDermott is listed as the past president of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, a bighorn sheep conservation and hunting organization in Wyoming.

After paying the fine, McDermott applied to have the hide and horns of the eight-year-old ram returned to him. While the Crown opposed the application, a provincial court judge granted the application, ruling that McDermott “did not commit any Wildlife Act offence,” despite having paid the fine.

But on appeal, Justice Wilkinson sided with the Crown, noting that by paying the fine, McDermott is “deemed to have pleaded guilty” to the Wildlife Act offence.

“He chose not to challenge the tickets and must live with the consequences of that decision,” Justice Wilkinson said.

As a result, she ruled McDermott is not entitled to the hide and horns of the ram because he failed to comply with the Wildlife Act.