Prince Albert trial hears men who shot young deer, faked Muslim tradition rules

In relation to the illegal hunting incident that occurred on Oct. 8, 2024, the two men face dozens of charges under the Saskatchewan Wildlife Act.

From March, 2023 to November, 2024, an undercover conservation officer, acting on public tips and the direction of his case supervisor, formed a relationship with the Sinclair family and became hunting buddies with Wyatt Sinclair.

As part of his testimony on Wednesday, the officer, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, discussed how after the fawn was shot, they recorded a video using a cell phone, which was also played for the courtroom.

The Halal method of slaughter strictly dictates that a special prayer must be read and the animal’s throat is cut. Wyatt can be seen on the video leaning over the dead animal, and because he forgot to bring a knife, he only pretends to slit the animal’s throat.

Brody Sinclair sits nearby and can be heard mumbling an attempt at a prayer. The men believed that because it was windy, the buyer would not know the difference.

Wyatt, who had also initially agreed to sell the meat for $200, decided to settle for $150 due to damage to the deer’s neck and shoulder area.

After the carcass was transported back to a family member’s farm, it was then transported by the officer to a separate location and handed over, along with other evidence, to his supervisor.

While Brody Sinclair was jointly charged with his cousin, his actual involvement in the illegal hunt was limited to helping spot the deer, loading the deer into the truck and wiping deer blood from the vehicle’s bumper.

In addition to the graphic descriptions of the hunting incident, the undercover officer, as he had done on Tuesday, also recounted other experiences and conversations he had with Wyatt over the course of the long investigation.

One of those conversations involved Wyatt admitting to and showing pictures of a bear he had illegally killed away from the trapline. He then planned to sell the gallbladder on the black market, which the officer described as worth more than heroin. Wyatt, however, was not successful, and the organ was left to rot.

While legal to possess the bear organs for personal use, the officer confirmed it is illegal to sell them.

The trial, which started last March, is expected to conclude this week, and a decision will likely be reserved to a date later in the fall.

Brody and Wyatt Sinclair sat in the courtroom and were surrounded by family. As the officer described his conversations and experiences with Wyatt, Wyatt was observed shaking his head and laughing at some of the recollections shared.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Prince Albert trial hears men who shot young deer, faked Muslim tradition rules

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