Adventure show star charged with Alaska hunting violations

[texrope]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The host of an Outdoor Channel adventure show has been charged with illegally shooting an Alaska grizzly bear and attempting to cover it up.

Alaska State Troopers say 25-year-old Theresa Vail, star of "Limitless with Theresa Vail," and two hunting guides are charged with misdemeanors.

Troopers say Vail during filming in May shot a male grizzly, and in her haste to kill it, shot a nearby sow.

Troopers say master guide Michael Wade Renfro and assistant guide Joseph Andrew Miller conspired to cover up the violation up by obtaining a second bear tag and submitting the wrong information to game authorities.

Renfro's attorney says the accidental shooting of the second bear was an unfortunate event. Myron Angstman says Renfro and everyone else in the case have cooperated with authorities.

 

[Big Fin]

As a good friend often tells me, "Society did not have to create animal rights activists to give hunting a public image problem; along came outdoor TV."

 

[kenton]

Renfro and everyone else in the case have cooperated with authorities.

...once they got caught.

 

[Speeddmn]

She may be cute, but that show is total crap!

 

[BlakeA]

I guess she really is limitless...

 

[mdhunter61]

...once they got caught.

My thoughts exactly. Pretty sad state of affairs for both the hunting show and the outfitter, this guy has been working NW Alaska for a long time.

 

[Lv2hnt]

"Asked for initial comment on the charges Monday, staff at the Outdoor Channel said Vail would be hosting the fifth season of 'NRA All Access,' a show backed by the National Rifle Association set to air on the channel beginning Dec. 30."

Hmmm ...

 

[shoots-straight]

As a good friend often tells me, "Society did not have to create animal rights activists to give hunting a public image problem; along came outdoor TV."

Words to live by. To add to that, IMO, we have a long way to go in cleaning up our ranks, and sometimes I wonder if we are gaining. I found a nice 4 x 4 mule deer laying dead on a forest road that had been shot just for the fun of it this year. Saw many people that had all the signs of being poachers while I was moose hunting in a limited entry elk area.

 

[belly-deep]

I've watched her show. She has the IQ of an armadillo. The ONLY reason she has a show is because of her rack, and by rack I don't mean the ones on the dinky critters she gut shoots.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

I think the overwhelming problem is that a lot of people aka "the target audience" doesn't think there is a problem with outdoor TV.

Teresa Vail was Miss Kansas a few years ago and plays the I'm really hot yet, support our troops, ideal conservative and hunts card well enough to draw a target audience for almost any mainstream outdoor media or really could just be an anchor on a filler Fox news morning show. I remember my cousin from Kansas who is pretty connected out there talking about how she will be the national phenomenon after the Governors Pheasant hunt a few years ago. Basically she is just a less connected Eva Shockey.

I'm not standing up for the outfitter, but I have to imagine they found themselves in a tough spot with a national TV show filming with them and then the host basically ruins the hunt and their free national exposure for the year. It is by no means right, but the more money gets tied up in hunting/guiding/shows the more people will be willing to do unethical things.

 

[Gr8bawana]

She may be cute, but that show is total crap!

I saw the show ONCE, all I can say is what bunch of BS. The show I watched had hunting elk in New Mexico during the rut. She was supposedly pushing herself so hard the she was puking her guts out but she stops and tells us that she is going to make herself push through it by sheer willpower.
Every bull she drew her bow on was in the wide open and she was also in the open and the bulls looking at her so obviously the spooked every time. Not once did her guide try to put them in position using any cover.

 

[Big Fin]

If I made a podcast topic of TV talent as poachers/game violators, how long you think I would be on an outdoor network?

Let's see in the last few years, we have Ms. Vail, the Nuge, Extreme Outer Limits, the dudes over at the Syndicate, Spook or whatever the hell is wrestler-like name is, that come to mind in just a few seconds. I suspect there are others.

 

[mtmiller]

I am not bummed to go without hunting channels. Not sure if I see any positives.

 

[Poke 'Em]

I saw one of her shows where she shot a spike elk instead of the mature bull the camera guy & guide were looking at. So I guess shooting the wrong animal is par for the course.

 

[noharleyyet]

....feast mode.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

I saw it once just b/c she's hot, but I couldn't take it any longer after about 4 minutes of her telling us how hard she was working for a deer while sitting in a tree stand exclusively.

Regarding outdoor personalities - a buddy of mine guides at one of the places a lot of celebrities "hunt" and he says you would not believe how bad some of these guys and gals are. Basically a lot of them have no clue how to hunt on their own, shoot poorly and have none of the basic hunting common sense that you need to be successful on public land. Viewers rarely see the blinds that get shot, the gut shot animals, multiple misses, etc. He did say that there are a couple that no what they're doing, but they are in the minority.

 

[Oak]

I had not even heard of this person before this thread.

 

[BuzzH]

"Asked for initial comment on the charges Monday, staff at the Outdoor Channel said Vail would be hosting the fifth season of 'NRA All Access,' a show backed by the National Rifle Association set to air on the channel beginning Dec. 30."

Hmmm ...

Why does it come as no shock the NRA wouldn't care about an idiot that poached a bear, created a total chit-storm for the outfitter, and pick them up to host their show???

Typical NRA message...that they really don't care about conservation, hunting ethics, public access, public lands.

They couldn't care less, all they see with hunters is a dollar bill attached to their membership, another address to send junk mail to, and another phone number to call for more $$$.

Actions matter...

 

[Dinkshooter]

I am not bummed to go without hunting channels. Not sure if I see any positives.

This

I had not even heard of this person before this thread.

And This

 

[devon deer]

I had not even heard of this person before this thread.

Nor me, not surprising as i like in the UK, but i have heard of Randy Newberg, i wonder why?

Cheers
Richard