Canadians say Lesnar trophy hunt broke law

MEDICINE HAT, ALBERTA - Former Gophers wrestler and Ultimate Fighting Championship star Brock Lesnar has been accused by Canadian wildlife officials of shooting a mule deer buck in southern Alberta but keeping only the trophy head.

Lesnar, 34, and his hunting guide were charged Thursday with three counts related to leaving meat to rot, improper tagging and illegal possession of wildlife.

In an article on the 2010 hunt by Alberta Professional Outfitter Magazine, Lesnar was described as needing medical attention for a severe arm injury after the deer's antlers punctured his biceps as he packed the head.

A video shot by North American Hunter Television showed Lesnar shooting a mule deer buck at the bottom of a steep coulee under heavy snow cover.

"I'm very happy with him. Nice, old, mature mule deer," Lesnar said in the video after shooting the buck. "Now the work begins."

Lesnar is then seen with a rucksack packing what he describes as nearly 150 pounds of meat. The clip didn't show any other parts of the animal being harvested.

"Baddest man on the planet. With the horns and about 150 pounds of meat on my back for about 500 feet, living the dream -- this is what I live for," Lesnar said at the end of the video.

"Wasted game is a very serious crime in the minds of hunters because most everybody is hunting for meat at the outset," he said. "It's sort of paying reverence to the animal that they harvested and you're not wasting."

Lesnar wasn't present during Thursday's hearing at Medicine Hat provincial court. According to court documents, he has so far only been represented by a legal agent.

Both Lesnar and the guide are scheduled to make their next court appearance Jan. 19.

Lesnar won the 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling championship and was a two-time All-America for the Gophers.