Dr. Walter Palmer and Friends

[Jestjoan]

In all the Facebook Cecil the lion postings, this lovely couple has gained more than their 15 minutes of fame.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2...photography#/10-dallas-safari-hunters-670.jpg

They seem so very proud.

 

[davidvel]

I simply cannot understand the type of person that would find pleasure in luring out an old, majestic creature like this and then shoot it with an arrow, which obviously won't kill it.

 

[Passepartout]

Must be a lot of 'sport' to lure out of a sanctuary, an animal that showed an affinity with humans, was beloved (like a pet) and shoot it first with an arrow then after some 40 hours of pain while it looked for a place to heal, to kill it.

What a shame this guy has brought down not only on himself, but on true game managers and sportsmen everywhere. I'm appalled.

 

[taffy19]

I have no words for this and feel ashamed that we do this to animals. I am so upset.

 

[Ty1on]

Must be a lot of 'sport' to lure out of a sanctuary, an animal that showed an affinity with humans, was beloved (like a pet) and shoot it first with an arrow then after some 40 hours of pain while it looked for a place to heal, to kill it.

What a shame this guy has brought down not only on himself, but on true game managers and sportsmen everywhere. I'm appalled.

Especially to lure it out by hiding in a jeep while dragging a dead animal behind the jeep. Any hunter worth his salt would find this unconscionable. That's not hunting.

 

[itchyfeet]

What a disgusting picture! Is the wife also a trophy?

 

[jme]

What a disgusting picture! Is the wife also a trophy?

seems so, and if I were her, I'd be very nervous......

 

[sun&fun]

I am as disgusted by the trophy kills of "sportsmen" with money to burn as the next person. Other than focus attention on this barbaric business, I don't think the vilification of Walter Palmer will lead to the change that is needed. Unfortunately, it's a losing battle against the poachers and unethical guides in East and Southern Africa and money talks big in poor countries with corrupt officials.

I think we can be more effective by changing the US laws that permit citizens to purchase licenses for the "big 5" game and petition other airlines to follow the example of South African and Emirates to ban the transport of the remains of trophy kills.

 

[VegasBella]

Not only is hunting a lion totally socially unacceptable, outrageously expensive, and often illegal... it's also totally easy and cowardly! It's not even accurate to call it "hunting."

Language is not appropriate for children, btw: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/why-killing-a-lion-is-the-most-cowardly-thing-you-can-do#.nnM4Ve2yM

 

[Eli Mairs]

What a horribly disgusting picture.

The only potential positive, is that it is bringing attention to this barbaric "sport" and hopefully, it will eventually be banned.

 

[sun&fun]

And now we have the story of another US medical professional, Jan Casimir Seski, illegally killing a lion in Zimbabwe. What is it with health professionals so committed to the brutal killing of four-legged creatures? "First, do no harm" clearly applies only to humans.

I am highly suspicious of any conservation group who claims that trophy killing of the big 5 helps sustain the herds and prides by motivating the local communities to practice better conservation. Horse feathers!

That sounds like advocating for bank robbery so that banks will practice better security.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[easyrider]

Game managers in Washington use the culling of trophy animals as an effective game management tool. You only need so many bulls.

Cecil was a male lion that was past his prime and the reality is that nature would have provided Cecil far more pain than a hunters arrow. Cecil was 13 and actually kind of at the top range of life span for lions, which is 14 years.

If you have ever learned what happens to old lions in nature you would know the above to be true.

Bill

 

[sun&fun]

Without doubt the outrage would be less or nonexistent if Cecil had been the victim of younger male lions who want to take over his lionesses. I accept what is the way of nature for wild beasts and understand that enlightened game managers in the bush do not intervene when an animal is wounded or the victim of natural predation.

The active management vs let 'nature take its course' school of wildlife conservation may work when done ethically and intelligently. My observation over the many years and trips to Africa is that corrupt officials and greedy game guides do not contribute to the effective management of endangered species, most notably the rhinos, lions and elephants.

 

[sun&fun]

Part of Cecil's legacy:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...s-freight-shipments-of-lion-hunting-trophies/

Delta had been non-responsive to previous petitions long before Cecil was in the news.

But SAA has now lifted their ban which had been in place for only a few months, doubtless because of pressure from the safari hunting business.

 

[davidvel]

These guys are shooting HIPPOS and ELEPHANTS with bows and arrows?!! CNN Article

This is about as "sporting" as shooting a pizza delivery guy with shotgun.

 

[easyrider]

Archery hunts require skill. You don't just walk up to an animal and take a shot. There are many skills involved when hunting animals, especially animals that can kill you should you miss, and sometimes hit, with that one shot. You do get very close to your prey when archery hunting. Try to get within 150 ft of any animal with out them noticing. Its hard. One small twitch gives you away. One wrong breath gives you away. Then factor in the "this animal could kill me hunts" and it does become a very intense sport.

My point is, even with guides with riffles, the archer is always in danger on these hunts. It is an intense sport. This type of hunting is not like some old guys sitting on top of a bus and using high power riffles with scopes to make a kill.

Earlier comments about using attractants are a bit off. These are used the same way as deodorants. You can imagine how many fish you would catch if you didn't use bait on a hook. The same thing kind of goes for archery hunting.

Bill

 

[Ty1on]

Archery hunts require skill. You don't just walk up to an animal and take a shot. There are many skills involved when hunting animals, especially animals that can kill you should you miss, and sometimes hit, with that one shot. You do get very close to your prey when archery hunting. Try to get within 150 ft of any animal with out them noticing. Its hard. One small twitch gives you away. One wrong breath gives you away. Then factor in the "this animal could kill me hunts" and it does become a very intense sport.

My point is, even with guides with riffles, the archer is always in danger on these hunts. It is an intense sport. This type of hunting is not like some old guys sitting on top of a bus and using high power riffles with scopes to make a kill.

Earlier comments about using attractants are a bit off. These are used the same way as deodorants. You can imagine how many fish you would catch if you didn't use bait on a hook. The same thing kind of goes for archery hunting.

Bill

I respectfully disagree with you in regard to attractants. I get using a cornfeeder in off-season to habituate deer to an area for hunting season, but actively luring a predator by dragging dead prey behind a truck is not hunting. Hunting is tracking and outwitting your prey. What they did was bait and shoot.

And by the way, many fishermen insist on action lures over natural bait because it is more sporting.

 

[davidvel]

Archery hunts require skill. You don't just walk up to an animal and take a shot. There are many skills involved when hunting animals, especially animals that can kill you should you miss, and sometimes hit, with that one shot. You do get very close to your prey when archery hunting. Try to get within 150 ft of any animal with out them noticing. Its hard. One small twitch gives you away. One wrong breath gives you away. Then factor in the "this animal could kill me hunts" and it does become a very intense sport.

My point is, even with guides with riffles, the archer is always in danger on these hunts. It is an intense sport. This type of hunting is not like some old guys sitting on top of a bus and using high power riffles with scopes to make a kill.

Earlier comments about using attractants are a bit off. These are used the same way as deodorants. You can imagine how many fish you would catch if you didn't use bait on a hook. The same thing kind of goes for archery hunting.

Bill

Yeah, I've seen enough (close up) adventure video of people getting near lions, tigers, hippos and elephants, who aren't trying to kill them, and aren't charged. Poor archers is BS. In the end, they must all shoot them with a gun as you can't kill a hippo or elephant with an arrow. Look at all the foolish "I got him" photos of these dirtbags, this is despicable.

Shooting an arrow at such a large animal is neither hunting, nor sport. Just losers who want to say they "bagged" one, and claiming it was sport because they didn't use a gun.

 

[easyrider]

I have archery hunted for many years in the past. I know how difficult it is. Most of you really don't seem to understand what archery hunting is about. You really don't have a clue about the skills required to actually be successful in this type of hunt.

Shooting an arrow at such a large animal is neither hunting, nor sport. Just losers who want to say they "bagged" one, and claiming it was sport because they didn't use a gun.

Your above statement actually shows how ignorant you are in regards to archery hunting. I find your comment offensive and would say that if your only experience in this is watching tv shows your opinion is uneducated at best and is more of an emotional response.

I still go after game fish and use any legal advantage. I am very successful as I have developed the skills to be successful. And yes, I do have some taxidermy trophies on the wall as well as many pictures to remind me of how magnificent these creatures are.

Bill

 

[mav]

I simply cannot understand the type of person that would find pleasure in luring out an old, majestic creature like this and then shoot it with an arrow, which obviously won't kill it.

Cowards is the first word that comes to mind, then ugly, and ugly INSIDE so they can't appreciate outward beauty.

 

[sun&fun]

I understand that there is skill and strategy and challenge in hunting. I don't understand killing a "magnificent" wild creature for fun or sport, or that it shows "respect" for the animal. Specimens mounted on someone's trophy wall do not glorify the predator or the prey.

As Aldo Leopold, considered the father of US wildlife management, said “Poets sing and hunters scale the mountains primarily for one and the same reason—the thrill to beauty. Critics write and hunters outwit their game for one and the same reason—to reduce that beauty to possession.”

 

[Passepartout]

I still go after game fish and use any legal advantage. I am very successful as I have developed the skills to be successful. And yes, I do have some taxidermy trophies on the wall as well as many pictures to remind me of how magnificent these creatures are.

Bill

Or used to be. When they were living.

Bill, you aren't going to get a lot of support on this here. When you recognize that you're in a hole, It's best to stop digging.

 

[Ty1on]

Or used to be. When they were living.

Bill, you aren't going to get a lot of support on this here. When you recognize that you're in a hole, It's best to stop digging.

I'm from a family of hunters, but am not myself a hunter by any means. I've been known to slay some fish in my life, though.

This unfortunate story of the guy who shot Cecil reminds me of the hunting ranch stories in Texas about 20 years ago, where exotic animals were basically penned in by fences so that they could be cornered and executed. There was public outcry about that practice, and I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall that Texas enacted legislation to get a grip on this despicable practice.

Responsible hunting and the deaths of Cecil and other animals killed in a similar way are not one in the same. Responsible hunting with tag regulation DOES help keep animal populations healthy, especially since civilization has severely strained natural predator populations. What made me more sick than Cecil, though, that no one is talking about, is the linked story where a facebook post celebrates a guy's killing of his SIXTH elephant. Want to shoot an elephant? I don't understand why, but okay, check that off your bucket list. But SIX OF THEM? WHY?

 

[davidvel]

And he shot the elephant with an arrow.

 

[rapmarks]

his home in Marco Island, FL has been sprayed with graffiti and he has hired guards.