dentist taking heat for lion kill

[RugersGR8]

Cecil the lion killed and devoured Gary the gazelle!

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/08/zebra-lives-matter.php
POSTED ON AUGUST 2, 2015 BY JOHN HINDERAKER
ZEBRA LIVES MATTER!

 

[henschman]

Remember that the accusation of "luring the lion out of the park" is something being leveled by prosecutors and animal rights activists. According to a statement by Theo Bronkhorst, the guide, this amounted to no more than using a dead elephant carcass as bait, which is a standard practice on these hunts. Apparently the property they were hunting on bordered the park. Any use of bait on this property would likely be construed as "luring game out of the park" by the folks who came up with that narrative.

Here is an article that contains an interesting account of the events from the guide's perspective: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ant-next-but-couldnt-find-one-big-enough.html

His account of how Cecil came to be killed suggests there was confusion from the outset of Dr Palmer’s trip.

“This hunt… Oh no, it went wrong from the beginning,” Mr Bronkhorst said, speaking from his home in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo.

“When Dr Palmer arrived in Bulawayo, his luggage was missing and I was dashing around looking for it. So we were late getting ready to go,” he said.

“And we were never meant to hunt on the land where this lion was shot. At the last minute I had to divert from a concession [hunting area] about eight miles away.”

The land on which Cecil was shot was a farm called Antoinette, which borders Hwange national park. It is currently occupied by Honest Ndlovu – who appeared in court alongside Mr Bronkhorst on Wednesday, but has not been charged with illegal hunting. His lawyer, Tonderai Mukuku said he may have to become a state witness against Mr Bronkhorst.


Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Bronkhorst explained that, on the night of July 1, he was accompanied by his son Zane, also a professional hunter; his client, Dr Palmer; and a scout sent by Mr Ndlovu.

“We set off quite late, with the sun down, and found the carcass of an elephant which we dragged and moved into the long grass and used for bait,” he said. “We then established the ‘tree blind’ [a camouflaged hide made of tree branches and grass].

“Once we were established, and it was quiet, we first saw a lioness go past. And then a huge male – Cecil – came into view behind her. He was a magnificent animal.

“The client then fired using a bow and arrow, and it went away into the long grass. This was about 10 pm.”

Mr Bronkhorst said he had a sense that the lion was hit, but could not be sure.

“Bow and arrow wounds are different to gun wounds, and they don’t show much. But we couldn’t do anything that night.”

The four men went home for the night before returning to search for Cecil at dawn the next day.

“I was worried about the lion and what had happened,” said Mr Bronkhorst.

“We got there about 9am, and we found it and it was wounded, and the client then shot it, with his bow and arrow, and killed it.”

It was then the hunters went over to it, and saw it had a collar.

“I was devastated,” said Mr Bronkhorst, who immediately saw that he had killed a protected lion.

“I could not have seen the collar at night. We would never shoot a collared animal. I was devastated, and so was the client, we were both upset, and I panicked and took it off and put it in a tree.

“I should have taken it to Parks [the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlfe Management Authority], I admit that. So we did what had to be done. We took the head and skin, as the client had paid for the trophy.

“I went to Parks and reported what had happened. I wish I had taken the collar.

“We then went back to my place near Hwange. The client asked if we would find him an elephant larger than 63 pounds, [the weight of one tusk] which is a very large elephant, but I told him I would not be able to find one so big, so the client left the next day and went to Bulawayo for the night and then flew out [to Johannesburg] midday the following day.

“He was only here for a few days. He shot the lion he wanted to shoot, he paid for the trophy, which is the skull and skin. I took it to Bulawayo where we were curing it, prior to it going to a taxidermist for export to the US where it would be assembled and mounted. They do that better there then we do it here.”

Mr Bronkhorst said his lawyer advised him after the opening of the court case to hand over the head and skin to the parks authority.

“I never knew anything about Cecil, this famous lion,” he said. “I only found out from the media. I would not have known him anyway.

“There were four other collared lions shot in the same area this year. If I had been able to take the client where we were due to be, this would not have happened.”

Mr Bronkhorst started his hunting business after being violently evicted from his 1,269-hectare game farm, Southcum, near Kwekwe, in central Zimbabwe, as part of the Mugabe government’s land grab.

 

[Wheel Gun]

As I understand it on these kind of hunts, when you're hunting with a local "professional hunter", the PH tells you what you can and cannot shoot. Any liability should be with that local guide.

But, this is much ado about nothing. The MSM just wants to find a story for the Dem base.

 

[RugersGR8]

But, this is much ado about nothing. The MSM just wants to find a story for the Dem base.

EdmondMember, may a better way of saying it would be this: "But, this is much ado about nothing. The MSM just wants to find a story to deflect news coverage/heat off of Obama, PP or any lib dem fiasco/agenda items." In other words, "Wag the Dog" lib dem journalism(business as usual).

 

[dennishoddy]

As I understand it on these kind of hunts, when you're hunting with a local "professional hunter", the PH tells you what you can and cannot shoot. Any liability should be with that local guide.

But, this is much ado about nothing. The MSM just wants to find a story for the Dem base.

Your exactly right. The PH calls the shot.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Are they biting the hand that feeds them?

 

[mike miller]

Just another way to sideline the Obama-Iran nuclear deal. Any time he gets in trouble something else pops up to get his $$s off the news.

 

[dennishoddy]

Are they biting the hand that feeds them?

It appears so. All of the conservation groups that support endangered and threatened species will no longer get the money that hunting brings into the country.

Rest assured that PETA and the dims that are screaming their lungs out about this will not contribute a single dollar to help those conservation groups.

Delta Airlines announced today that they would no longer carry the trophy antlers, hides, etc on flights from Africa. In years previous, Delta carried them following the rules of the US Government.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

It appears so. All of the conservation groups that support endangered and threatened species will no longer get the money that hunting brings into the country.

Rest assured that PETA and the dims that are screaming their lungs out about this will not contribute a single dollar to help those conservation groups.

Delta Airlines announced today that they would no longer carry the trophy antlers, hides, etc on flights from Africa. In years previous, Delta carried them following the rules of the US Government.

I would guess the villagers will also suffer, they will be given less quality meat.

 

[crrcboatz]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ant-next-but-couldnt-find-one-big-enough.html




Flick a tear for each and every one involved! They all deserve jail time, loss of license to guide hunts, and the good Dr. well his problems have just begun. The gall of him wanting a large elephant too but couldn't get one. If Congress will pass a bill to prohibit the import of any animal from the endangered list that will help this problem. Next there may possibly be a law passed to prosecute any American hunter found to have taken an endangered species overseas on any kind of hunt. We have plenty of animal species here to hunt. Our laws do a decent job of controlling the over harvest of them also. Hey get yourself a game tag in season here in the states and have at it.