A Bear Researcher in Minneapolis could be facing a harassment charge for words exchanged with a hunter after the hunter shot a research bear.
The Winona Daily News reports,
“He had just taken a cheap shot at an easy bear and then was telling us what a hunter he was, and I told him what I thought about his hunting,” Rogers said. “Whenever you get angry it’s bad, and I would apologize to him for my manner. But it was not hunter harassment. It was simply reacting to his taunting of my graduate student for her grief.” Entire Article Here.
This incident is probably slightly ‘over-hype’ and the two people will probably be able to work things out.
I hope they do.
What strikes me about this incident is the comment by the researcher indicating that the hunter took a cheap (easy shot-my addition) shot to kill this bear. Isn’t that what we as ‘ethical’ hunters are supposed to do? Take the best shot that ensures a quick kill. That is something I would be proud of. Yet, since I was not there there could be more to this incident than the paper reports and would be happy to be enlightened into these circumstances.
The second thing that ‘floors’ me is the fact that the graduate student was weeping over the ‘loss’ of this bear. It is commendable for the graduate to be into their work whole-heartedly, but should not part of the training include a reminder of the dangers of emotional attachment that could cloud scientific decisions in the future? This is what is happening to to bear hunts across North America.
I am probably off my rocker, but it is my opinion.
Bill Anderson
Muskoka Outdoors
Thanks to the Field Notes blog for the initial reporting of this incident.
