A social media influencer was recently sentenced for serious wildlife infractions in the Yukon territory of Canada. Tristan Hamm, an influencer who bills himself as an “adventurous Canadian turned boxer” to his 1.9 million Instagram followers, pleaded guilty to illegally arrowing three bears in the Yukon over five days in May 2023.
Hamm pleaded guilty and was sentenced at the Yukon Territorial Court on May 1, 2025. His charges stemmed from lying about his residency when he purchased a Yukon resident hunting license in 2023, though he didn’t live in the territory.
The distinction between resident and nonresident hunters is especially important in the Yukon, where nonresident hunters are required to hire an outfitter or be accompanied by a resident who holds a “special guide” permit. Resident hunters do not have the same requirements.
After providing misleading information to buy his hunting license, Hamm proceeded to illegally bow hunt two black bears and one grizzly bear over a span of five days; in the Yukon, a hunter may legally kill one grizzly bear every three license years.
According to CBC News, Hamm’s family, including his father and siblings, live in the Yukon; Hamm considers himself a “Yukoner,” though he lives outside of the territory for work. “I’m heartbroken over this situation,” he told the court. “I assure you all that I’ll be extremely careful with licensing regulations in the future.”
Following his guilty plea, Judge Katherine McLeod ordered Hamm to pay $30,000 in fines in total, with half of that going directly to a conservation fund. She also banned Hamm from hunting in the territory for two years, with an additional ban from accompanying a guided hunt there for three more years. He must also complete an online hunter education and ethics development course and forfeit the pelts from the bears he killed in 2023.
It’s not immediately clear whether Hamm posted about his illegal activities on his social accounts, though if he did, he later deleted the posts. His recent posts show a concerted shift toward boxing and away from hunting and fishing content.
Feature image via Tristan Hamm’s Instagram.
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