VANCOUVER – The father of National Hockey League defenceman Clayton Stoner is sharing what he says is the “real story” of a 2013 grizzly bear hunt that led to a $10,000 fine for his son.
READ MORE: NHL player pleads guilty to killing grizzly bear in B.C. without a proper licence
Ken Stoner says in a Facebook post published Thursday that since the news broke almost three years ago, it has been extremely hard on his entire family to listen to “lies” being told.
“I have chosen to go public with the real story about this bear hunt to put it in the proper light. It is not meant to promote hunting and it is not in support of the anti-hunting groups, it’s just ‘the truth,'” he says.
“I hope it helps show the public the level that supposedly ‘good people’ are willing to lower themselves to for their cause, not caring whose reputation they destroy along the way.”
The case first gained media attention in fall 2013 when graphic photos were published of Clayton Stoner holding a severed grizzly bear head.
WATCH: Anaheim Ducks player Clayton Stoner has pleaded guilty to illegally hunting a grizzly bear in British Columbia. Randene Neill explains what kind of punishment Stoner will receive
Environmentalists and First Nations claimed the animal was Cheeky, a beloved tourist attraction in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service announced charges, including one count of hunting without a licence, in 2014. The service said Stoner didn’t qualify as a B.C. resident when he applied for a resident hunting licence.
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On Wednesday, the lawyer for the Anaheim Ducks player pleaded guilty on his behalf to hunting without a licence, prompting a judge to issue a three-year hunting ban and the fine under a provincial statute. The Crown dropped all other charges.
Wildlife advocates had long estimated Cheeky’s age to be five years old, but court heard that DNA tests requested by the defence showed the bear was 18 years old.
“I don’t believe there ever was a bear named Cheeky,” says Ken Stoner. “I believe once (anti-hunting advocates) found out Clayton played in the NHL they saw it as a way to bring awareness to their cause.”
First Nations representatives and a conservation group have maintained the dead bear was Cheeky, saying they may have been mistaken about the animal’s age and that Stoner was seen interacting with the bear hours before the kill.
But Ken Stoner says their First Nations hunting guide never mentioned a bear named Cheeky or any other bear with which anyone had a relationship, even after the animal was killed.
He says the possibility that his son didn’t qualify for a resident hunting licence never crossed anyone’s mind, as he was born, raised and owns a home on Vancouver Island.
“Our Vancouver Island-born-and-raised son grew up hunting and fishing. He lives between Canada and the U.S. because of his seasonal job,” says Ken Stoner.
“He shot a legal bear, in legal season, in a legal area with a licence that he incorrectly assumed he was qualified for. He is only guilty of a miscalculation of the days he lived outside Canada that year.”
William Housty, a spokesman for the Heiltsuk Nation, read a victim impact statement on Wednesday in court, where he said Cheeky being killed for sport was contrary to First Nations law.
“The fact that Cheeky’s remains were left in an estuary to rot, while parts of him were taken as trophies, is one of the most disrespectful and inhumane actions one can do to a living being.”
Here is the Ken Stoner’s full Facebook post:
I have chosen to go public with the real story about this bear hunt to put it in the proper light. It is not meant to promote hunting and it is not in support of the anti-hunting groups, it’s just “the truth”.
I hope it helps show the public the level that supposedly “good people” are willing to lower themselves to for their cause, not caring whose reputation they destroy along the way.
When we met Robert Johnson the First Nation watchman in Kwatna (an extremely remote part of the province) he told us he could not stop us from hunting there but asked that we respect the land. The entire time we were there we were under the impression Robert had befriended us, he ate with us, he drank with us, and he shared stories with us. He was very helpful with his directions on how to get up the river to where we got the bear. When we got the bear back to the main boat and Robert was taking a few hairs for DNA samples I asked him if he had ever seen this particular bear bear before and he told me he had not but that “it was not uncommon for bears to pass through there”. The entire time we spent with Robert he never mentioned anything about a bear named “Cheeky” or any other bear that he or anyone else had a relationship with.
When the story broke it was extremely hard on our entire family to listen to and read all the lies that were being told. To set the record straight the head and paws were not severed, the bear was not 5 year old Cheeky, it was not shot with a shotgun. This was a very large 18 year old male, the exact type of bear the BC Wildlife Service asks you to harvest. And when Robert was supposedly in his tent crying over the loss of Cheeky he was actually on our boat drinking and did so until 3-4am.
The possibility that Clayton wasn’t a resident never crossed anyone’s mind, he was born in the province, raised in the province and owned a home in the province but under the wildlife act he fell a few days short of the required amount of days to be classified a resident. I don’t believe there ever was a bear named Cheeky and I believe once they found out Clayton played in the NHL they saw it as a way to bring awareness to their cause.
The truth is:
Our Vancouver Island born and raised son grew up hunting and fishing. He lives between Canada and the US because of his seasonal job. He shot a legal bear, in legal season, in a legal area with a licence that he incorrectly assumed he was qualified for. He is only guilty of a miscalculation of the days he lived outside Canada that year.
Ken Stoner
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