hunters caught on video

[Delw]

Any of you Utah guys heard this?

I know I haven't been here in a long time but you guys ought to check this out. It took place on the Alton CWMU on the Pausaugunt unit in Utah. It's too bad this kind of garbage is going on. This is what money is doing to our sport we all love so much. The story is on Channel 5news at 10pm tonight and it's also on their website.

Here's the actual story straight from the ksl.com website.

Secret Videotape Raises Ethical Questions In Private Deer Hunt
Jun. 23, 2004

A secretly made videotape of a hunting incident in southern Utah has raised ethical questions and triggered an investigation by wildlife officials. It appears to show deer and elk deliberately trapped by a hunting party which eventually shot a prize buck. John Hollenhorst has just returned from Kane County.

The hunting outfitter vigorously denies allegations of trapping, which would be a third degree felony. He says this videotape, which someone mailed to us anonymously, is misleading. But he admits what happened was bad and should never happen again.

This incident took place in a farming area just outside Alton in Kane County. It's private land where hunters pay up to 11,000 dollars to shoot a trophy deer. Last September, other hunters shot this videotape as a California hunter and two guides went after an especially desirable buck deer. In off-camera conversations, the videotapers are heard accusing the hunting party of cornering deer and elk along an 8-foot-high fence.

VOICES OFF-CAMERA: "THAT'S GOTTA BE TOUGH, TRYING TO GET A SHOT, WITH ALL THOSE ANIMALS STANDING IN THE CORNER OF THAT FENCE. OH YEAH, THAT'S REAL TOUGH."

They claim the natural exit points were deliberately blocked for well over an hour by people, vehicles and temporary gates propped up just before the hunt. But outfitter Wade Heaton says the deer had plenty of running room. The large farm acreage was only partly fenced... but he says some deer mistakenly cornered themselves. He says the incident stretched on... because the first shot only wounded the deer. The rifle malfunctioned and it took time to get another rifle and finish the job.

WADE HEATON, COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "AND SO REALLY I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING ILLEGAL THAT WENT ON WITH IT. IT WAS TOO BAD. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT THE WAY PEOPLE LIKE TO HUNT. AND IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE."

The division of Wildlife Resources wrapped up an investigation and turned it over to the Kane County Attorney a couple of days ago. No word yet on whether any charges will be filed. The facts and the legalities are very complex. We'll explain it all to you tonight at 10pm.

Heres the rest of this story. THis was on Channel 5 (ksl.com) 10 pm newscast:

Wildlife Officials Investigate Accusations of Trapping Deer
Jun. 23, 2004

"THAT'S GOTTA BE TOUGH, TRYING TO GET A SHOT WITH ALL THOSE ANIMALS STANDING IN THE CORNER OF THAT FENCE." "OH YEAH, THAT'S REAL TOUGH, HA, HA."

A secretly made videotape of a hunting incident in Southern Utah has raised ethical questions and triggered an investigation by wildlife officials.

It appears to show deer and elk deliberately trapped ... until a prize buck is shot and killed by a California hunter. A hunter, who paid big money for the kill.

John Hollenhorst is here ... to tell us more.

The hunting outfitter vigorously denies allegations of trapping. He says this videotape... which we received anonymously... is misleading.

But he admits what happened was bad. And a top wildlfie official says he finds it very distasetful.

The incident took place just outside Alton in Kane County. It's private farmland where a California hunter paid about 11,000 dollars to shoot a trophy deer.

Last September, other hunters shot this videotape as the Californian and two guides went after an especially desirable buck deer.

OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THEY GOT HIM TRAPPED, DON'T THEY?

In off-camera conversations, the videotapers are heard accusing the hunting party of cornering deer and elk along an 8-foot-high fence for at least an hour or two.

OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THAT'S SAD MAN, IT MAKES YOU SICK." "NOT A VERY NOBLE DEATH IS IT?"

Eventually the prize buck of the herd dropped to the ground.

BANG! OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THEY NICKED HIM, DID THEY? "THEY KILLED HIM."

But outfitter Wade Heaton says the deer had plenty of running room. A vast acreage is contained within a series of fences that are mostly low enough for deer to jump over. A partially completed 8-foot-high fence was only a partial barrier to the trophy buck.

WADE HEATON/COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "HE WAS IN NO WAY TRAPPED. THERE WAS LOTS OF GROUND FOR HIM TO COVER. HE JUST PICKED A PARTICULAR CORNER THERE THAT HE COULDN'T GO OUT OF."

He says the incident stretched on because the first shot only wounded the deer. The rifle malfunctioned and it took time to get another rifle and finish the job.

WADE HEATON/COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "NO ONE IS PARTICULARLY HAPPY ABOUT IT. IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN AND THANK GOODNESS THAT IT WON'T."

JOHN HOLLENHORST REPORTING: "THE PEOPLE WHO SHOT THE VIDEO REFUSED TO SPEAK TO US ON CAMERA. BUT ONE OF THEM TOLD US IT WAS OBVIOUS THE DEER WERE TRAPPED BY THE FENCE, AND THEIR EXIT POINTS CUT OFF BY PEOPLE AND VEHICLES."

OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THOSE GATES RIGHT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN THERE ALL SUMMER AND NOW THEY'RE PROPPED UP."

The videotapers claim that exit points were blocked by temporary gates, put up just before the hunt.

WADE HEATON/COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "HUUNHHH. YOU KNOW I REALLY, UH, I COULD GIVE YOU MY OPINION ON THAT. BUT I REALLY DON'T KNOW. SOME OF THE OTHER HUNTERS IN THE AREA THAT WEREN'T PART OF OUR GROUP, I HEARD THEY WERE DOING THAT AS WELL. BUT I REALLY CAN'T CONFIRM THAT EITHER."

The case is tricky from a legal standpoint: How do you define the difference between trapping in fact... versus trapping in effect.

And it's an ethical quandary too: how different is this from a group of hunters pressuring a herd of deer up a box canyon. A common practice.

The Division of Wildlife has completed an investigation and it's now in the hands of the Kane County Attorney.

Edited by me to change topic heading

[ 07-13-2004, 13:04: Message edited by: Delw ]

 

[ELKCHSR]

This will be very intereresting to see the outcome of this case. This is the same type of thing, if in fact it is true of a tape I saw many years ago, of a group of thugs lining a fence and shooting the hell out of a group of Buffalo. I remember seeing it five or six times back then and have never heard of it again since.
Was it leagle to do such then, I think so, was it ethical, hell no.
Money does odd things to peoples perspectives and amounts that are larger than the individual normally recieves really makes them get stupid...

 

[FAIRCHASEBEN]

I've seen the video and it's sickening .
There's no " hunting " involved , just a killing .
The lazy slob should have his " killing " privileges revoked for life along with his trophy , rifle and checkbook confiscated .

Color Country Canned hunts also needs to be held accountable for their part in the killing , they really chap my ass because THEY KNOW BETTER !

Video camera or not they knew what they were doing was wrong !
I guess $11,000 is enough to buy a mans honor and integrity in southern Utah .

 

[Ten Bears]

Anybody got a link to the video? Who was the CA hunter?

 

[Delw]

Anyone every find the vid for this?


Delw

 

[Nut]

You have to have Real Player


http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=39&sid=102485

 

[ELKCHSR]

Those aren't hunters, hunters have to hunt, this was just a shoot... Big differnce....

 

[Ten Bears]

Couldn't make the player work.