Stating the obvious here. We will continue to see this type of awful activity continue across the board until such time that harsh penalties including incarceration are dished out. Nothing but a slap on the wrist, however Alwine's "hunting career" is finished. Having one sponsor in common with this guy I can tell you that he has already been removed from any and all industry websites. Erased and forever branded as a poacher.
In my mind the sad thing driving a lot of this behavior is the need for guys to feel like they need to “produce” on every hunt so as to stay relevant with both their sponsors and their social media and/or show following. I’ve seen this mentality creep into the minds of several hunters I know over the past few years and it’s not a pretty thing. It overwhelms them and they stop hunting for the right reasons and begin to hunt for the purpose of getting kill shots on film, trophy photos and as much print and digital media attention as possible. In short, they lose touch with enjoying the act of hunting - focusing on killing as many animals as possible and doing anything in their power to obtain a kill. In this case and with many others, that means breaking the law to achieve what they are otherwise unable to do. It seems that so many hunters are driven less by getting out and truly enjoying a hunt than they are to go out and kill their next magazine bull for Huntin’ Fool, Eastmans or Facebook. Often times the people who film their hunts or show up with regularity in magazines are no better at hunting than you or me. They are celebrities not because of a high level of hunting prowess, but only because they promote themselves. In fact, were you to stick half of these camera personalities in a general over-the-counter unit on a general tag you would see what they are really made of. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great guys and gals in the industry who are what I call next level hunters, but they are far and few between.
Thank goodness there are industry guys out there who still know how to enjoy every minute of a hunt and aren’t afraid to pull the trigger on a raghorn bull or go home empty-handed. They hunt with enthusiasm and appreciation for the lands they hunt as well as the animals they pursue.
-Cody
well put Cody.