Man devastated after trophy hunter shoots the 900 pound bear he had fed for years
- Thread starter bluemike807
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- Location
- Saskatchewan
How do we know this hunter knew this was a tame bear? We don't, so why are people targeting him in comments or did I miss something? I might have.
For years, I hunted an area north of the city because there were some very large white tail in the area, very large compared to others. I took a couple bucks and a nice, large, fat doe. Only last year did I learn that a farmer in the area was treating them as pets and hand feeding them. He even has signs around his yard that say "please don't shoot my deer". I only saw them for the first time as I had been hunting a couple km down the road.
I never knew, I don't feel bad that I did and I won't stop hunting in my usual area. Will I hunt around his house because I know there are tame deer there? No, but I won't stop hunting the area altogether.
How am I supposed to know which ones are HIS and which ones are wild?
For years, I hunted an area north of the city because there were some very large white tail in the area, very large compared to others. I took a couple bucks and a nice, large, fat doe. Only last year did I learn that a farmer in the area was treating them as pets and hand feeding them. He even has signs around his yard that say "please don't shoot my deer". I only saw them for the first time as I had been hunting a couple km down the road.
I never knew, I don't feel bad that I did and I won't stop hunting in my usual area. Will I hunt around his house because I know there are tame deer there? No, but I won't stop hunting the area altogether.
How am I supposed to know which ones are HIS and which ones are wild?
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Now, if we were left-wingnut busy bodies (like the arseh*les that give us grief over every little thing they don't "like"), we'd report these clowns and have them charged, fined and placed on probation. That way, when we shoot one of their "pets", they'll have to clam up or face breach of probation charges.
You guys are right, he didn't own the bear, he shouldn't have fed it and it was legal for the shooter to shoot it.
But, we are told the hunter knew full well about the bear, as he tried to get it for several years. Therefore, in my books, it was poor sportsmanship for him to shoot the tame bear.
However, the term, "sportsmanship," as it refers to hunters, has so changed since I started hunting, that it is no longer recognizable. For example, none of the old time recreational hunters would shoot ducks on the water. Now, it has been discussed on these threads and the concencous was that it was legal to shoot ducks on the water, so why not?
To an earlier age of hunters, getting game was a challenge. Thus one of the greatest senses of achievment was to go into the bush on foot, and shoot an animal on their own terms, in the animals own envirement, where it had a good chance of survival. When I was a teenager I went out on the morning of the first snow of the year, got a glimpse of a whitetail, followed it all day and shot it at three in the afternoon. To me, that was a great sense of achievment.
On another very similar day, first snow of the year, I went out and within half an hour put up two elk. I followed them all day, got a couple of glimpses and just at dark got a hail-mary shot. This time the animals won, but I had a great day and still remember every detail.
I'm not preaching to anyone, or telling them how they should hunt. I am merely explaining how hunting has evolved, and why there are decidedly different views on the hunter shooting the huge, tame bear.
But, we are told the hunter knew full well about the bear, as he tried to get it for several years. Therefore, in my books, it was poor sportsmanship for him to shoot the tame bear.
However, the term, "sportsmanship," as it refers to hunters, has so changed since I started hunting, that it is no longer recognizable. For example, none of the old time recreational hunters would shoot ducks on the water. Now, it has been discussed on these threads and the concencous was that it was legal to shoot ducks on the water, so why not?
To an earlier age of hunters, getting game was a challenge. Thus one of the greatest senses of achievment was to go into the bush on foot, and shoot an animal on their own terms, in the animals own envirement, where it had a good chance of survival. When I was a teenager I went out on the morning of the first snow of the year, got a glimpse of a whitetail, followed it all day and shot it at three in the afternoon. To me, that was a great sense of achievment.
On another very similar day, first snow of the year, I went out and within half an hour put up two elk. I followed them all day, got a couple of glimpses and just at dark got a hail-mary shot. This time the animals won, but I had a great day and still remember every detail.
I'm not preaching to anyone, or telling them how they should hunt. I am merely explaining how hunting has evolved, and why there are decidedly different views on the hunter shooting the huge, tame bear.
How much did he know about the bear?Had he seen it before, but not had the opportunity to kill it, or did he actually know that the bear was someone's pet? I used to hunt individual bucks,that I had seen for a few years,but I can't guarantee that nobody was feeding them.Come to think of it,I never did see some of them during an open season.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
How much did he know about the bear?Had he seen it before, but not had the opportunity to kill it, or did he actually know that the bear was someone's pet? I used to hunt individual bucks,that I had seen for a few years,but I can't guarantee that nobody was feeding them.Come to think of it,I never did see some of them during an open season.
I agree. I knew about these large bodied deer for years but didn't know they were "pets".
Back then the bear would have been shot because it was a nuisance. Likely not even in bear season.
It still happens now,a coworker shot two last summer that were hanging around the neighborhood.F&W had been called several times and they brought in a trap,but days later the bears were still roaming free.With plenty of children in the area,my co-worker was fed up and killed both bears.The carcasses were hauled away,and the co-worker was not charged for anything.
A good friend of mine shot a bear out of his window as it was looking in at him under similar circumstances,A neighbor was on the phone to F&W complained yet again about the bear when he heard the shot next door.Again F&W hauled away the carcass, and there were no charges.
If bears find an easy supply of food,they can quickly become a nuisance,and quite likely a hazard as well.
Those saying the guy should be arrested for feeding wildlife...how do you reconcile this with bear baiting
Real easy. Feeding is ILLEGAL! Baiting for the purpose of hunting is legal in most places.
I’m sure we can all understand how this old guy is upset about his “sort of” pet bear getting whacked.
17 years is a long time to have been around this animal.
Might have been all he had to make him feel unique and give him meaning in the world, who knows?
Regardless, he should have known that this was going to happen, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.
I feel for the bow hunter too, the media attention will taint his world class black bear with controversy and question.
Neither one of them wins.
17 years is a long time to have been around this animal.
Might have been all he had to make him feel unique and give him meaning in the world, who knows?
Regardless, he should have known that this was going to happen, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.
I feel for the bow hunter too, the media attention will taint his world class black bear with controversy and question.
Neither one of them wins.
I am wading in,I believe the hunters knew the bear was the old mans pet and shot it,because it was a trophy.Has every bear hunter in the area not have a chance to shoot this bear or have they passed because they knew the old man had a pet bear??????Legal sure,moral sure,does it mater in the end it is just a bear.
sendmorebrains
Regular
I remember being at a conservation park a while back chillin by the pond with the girlfriend while this person beside us had these tamed pair of superfat raccoons he must of brought to the park begging for scraps from our picnic basket. It was interesting to see these wild animals interact right up till someone brought in a German pointer in the same area. Well all hell broke loose.
In the end the pointer had lost its one eye - while the owner of the pointer had his nose and his orbital bone on his face smashed up from the hard landing on a picnic table.
All the idiot dog owner could barley say while we waited for the ambulance was "I paid $1500 for my dog"
He tripped onto the picnic bench as he tried to break up the dog & coon fight scattering the lunch I had bbqued.
Lesson for that day: leash your dog and your raccoons, eat lunch faster.
In the end the pointer had lost its one eye - while the owner of the pointer had his nose and his orbital bone on his face smashed up from the hard landing on a picnic table.
All the idiot dog owner could barley say while we waited for the ambulance was "I paid $1500 for my dog"
He tripped onto the picnic bench as he tried to break up the dog & coon fight scattering the lunch I had bbqued.
Lesson for that day: leash your dog and your raccoons, eat lunch faster.
bluemike807
CGN Regular
- Location
- Eastern Ontario
Seems every man has an opinion, so I may as well throw mine in. It does suck that this fellow's bear was shot and killed - he made an obvious emotional (not to mention nutritional) investment in the animal; to him it was a friend and pet, but he did so in such circumstances that the bear's death from human predation was always a possibility, against which he could only hope.
I can understand why he would want the bear to not have been shot, but at the same time it was something beyond his control. Is he a douchebag for being upset at the bear's death? no, but at the same time he wasn't very realistic about it either.
As for the hunter - if he had known of the bear's feeding habits (and hence, availability) - was he a douchebag for killing it? Probably yes, but a legal one, and there's an abundance of legal douchebags these days.
Ultimately, that article is going to appeal more to people who dont understand hunting, and will relate more to the sorrow of this unfortunate but misguided guy, as opposed to the realities of nature and hunting, and it will serve to vilify hunters even more. Its a shame on both counts.
I can understand why he would want the bear to not have been shot, but at the same time it was something beyond his control. Is he a douchebag for being upset at the bear's death? no, but at the same time he wasn't very realistic about it either.
As for the hunter - if he had known of the bear's feeding habits (and hence, availability) - was he a douchebag for killing it? Probably yes, but a legal one, and there's an abundance of legal douchebags these days.
Ultimately, that article is going to appeal more to people who dont understand hunting, and will relate more to the sorrow of this unfortunate but misguided guy, as opposed to the realities of nature and hunting, and it will serve to vilify hunters even more. Its a shame on both counts.
sendmorebrains
Regular
See this is what bugs me - Im agreeing here that locals and others knew of the bear - I mean 17 years and that size ...word gets around eventually.
Its just c,mon the dude liked the bear and Im sure the bear liked pies (ie:700lbs). Just cause its a wild animal doesnt mean compassion does not apply to civil hunters.
In my books this kill was cheeply done. You hunters gotta make the exception sometimes - its not always about the frikin trophy.
Its just c,mon the dude liked the bear and Im sure the bear liked pies (ie:700lbs). Just cause its a wild animal doesnt mean compassion does not apply to civil hunters.
In my books this kill was cheeply done. You hunters gotta make the exception sometimes - its not always about the frikin trophy.
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