Not everyone eats what they kill. Sometimes they just take the head to mount it on their wall. Sometimes bears are killed for their gall bladders because it is supposedly an aphrodisiac (which it isn't). Sometimes bears are killed simply for the sport of it. A sick sport, to be sure.

Well sam what evidence do you have that these hunters were not going to eat what they kill? Do you honestly believe that the majority of hunters don't eat what they kill?

You know as well as I do sam that the vast majority of hunters eat what they kill.

Jeff,

Sorry, good try, but your apologist stance for inhumane activities simply does not wash. America is filled with hunters who hunt because it gives their egos a boost. Makes the baloney stiffer, if you get my meaning. Many animals that are shot down from a comfortable distance with high powered rifles are left to rot where they fall. It is a behavior that goes along with wife beating and those that enjoy it are not of the same species of human being as the rest of us. Live by the fun in death, die by the fun in death! I wonder what terror and confusion went through his mind as he died? No, I am talking about the bear, he was the only innocent one in this story. The ignorance is on you!

Sorry for his kids but now they have a chance to move up on the evolutionary ladder!

Sorry tex2c2 but the evidence is on my side, the vast majority of animals that are shot by hunters are eaten and their hides are put to good use. If the majority or even a significant minority of animals are left to rot where they fall then how come people don't run across their skeletal remains all the time?

You don't know anything about hunting.

got news for you ,Iam a hunter .have been since I was a kid .and thats how we put food on are table at home .we were dirt poor.

thats how this country came to be by hunting for food.and beleive me .I dont shoot anything unless Iam going to eat it.and I get dran well pissed if Iam with some one that just likes to kill.like shooting a bird out of a tree. they have no right to hunt I agree.but not all of us are like that . and you wouldnt be here either if are forfathers didnt hunt for food.

I think the main points here are: the hunter was fair game; they hunters were shooting at illegal game (its hard to tell a black bear from a grizzly - really??); the hunters possibly didn't even have a permit for the spot they were at...as they might have crossed the border. Either way, Bear is for sport: karma called.

Most of the hunters in my part of the country who want a trophy and not the meat DONATE THE MEAT to "Hunters for the Hungry" which distributes the meat (bear, deer, wild boar) to people who are in need. There also are a good number of hunters who actually donate money (as my husband does) every year when they renew their license to Hunters for the Hungry to cover processing costs and distribution costs.

We eat venison whenever my husband can kill one during hunting season. It helps to stretch our food money quite a bit. We try very hard not to waste much of the meat involved and we take the rest out and let the scavengers have it (bobcats, vultures, coyotes, mountain lions). But what we leave for the scavengers is VERY little.

In response to your question. Alot of people enjoy the meat more so than beef.

During hunting season in Oregon, there are drop off places to leave the hides and antlers from any deer that are shot legally. Any meat is to be kept with the license tags until consumed. The hides are then sent to a tannery and the liberals will buy buckskin shirts and pants and not to mention chamois to wash their cars with. I am 65 now and can't get out in the woods anymore, but when I did, nothing was wasted. Ther antlers could be made into buttons , the hides clothing, and all the meat was used. After all the steaks and roast were cut and wrapped, the bones were trimmed and all scraps were ground into venison burger andf the larger pieces made into jerky. Sometimes the smaller chunks were canned and used in soups and stews at a later date. The bones were given to the dogs. I never hunted bear because even though I enjoyed eating them, I liked them too much. I mostly hunted deer and rabbits and assorted fowl.

Bob Eagle:

You might have sold a few of the naiive with your story, but making buttons out of antlers and clothing from the hides in modern times is idiotic and you never did it.

And your constant pokes at liberals really shows your true colors.

AND Jeffreey:

1st, shame on your parents for that spelling.

2nd:

Sorry tex2c2 but the evidence is on my side, the vast majority of animals that are shot by hunters are eaten and their hides are put to good use.

What evidence?

Putz.

@Jeffreey - uh .. when was the last time you fried up some tasty bear meat for dinner? yea, that's what i thought.

Jeffreey like bare meat.

Montana has always been a state with rich resources, including wild game whether it be deer, bear, moose, antelope, buffalo, fish or fowl. As long as there is a supply there will be tags to fill, and people will buy them as long as they are available, that including bear tags. These tags aren't just handed out to anyone and everyone, but people who have gone through an educational course about animal identification, sustainability, and how to successfully and cleanly kill an animal to prevent further suffering. (of course part of this depends on the skill of the hunter as well). You are taught not to kill more than what you can eat or share and be respectful to the environment. There are checkpoints throughout the state in which you report any animal sitings as well as kills. There they take data and do their best to make an educated guess on animal population that will be taken into account for the next years hunting season. Some seasons are shorter than others, and some tags are not as abundant based on information collected so as to control population. Some tags you even have to "draw" for. Resident hunters are more likely to hunt for food, and although I can't speak for all out-of-staters, they are more likely to hunt for trophy (it's not always about the "trophy" though, in fact a big buck in rut is less desirable in taste and consistancy, I'd rather eat a doe. Same goes for a scared/wounded animal full of adrenaline, that's why you want a clean kill.) As for bear hunting, like I said, as long as there is a supply and tags to fill, people will hunt for them and eating bear is not as foreign as one might think, unless you live in a place where bear hunting isn't permitted or are in short supply. If you think about it, I feel less sorry for the bears than I do the other so called "helpless" animals. At least the bear has more of a chance and instinct to fight back (as in this case, as unfortunate as it was for the family) whereas a deer's main defense is running faster than the bullet, and shooting at a moving target isn't easy. So if anything, as 'ludicrous' as bear hunting sounds, if people are willing to risk doing it than by all means do. You have less reason to feel sorry for a "poor, defenseless" bear than you do any other game. The bear at least has a chance

Anyone who will eat bear meat will eat sh**. Bears are nasty, smelly creatures with nasty greasy meat (so I have been told). We live in bear country. They have nearly taken over this summer, so guess we are going to have a hard winter.

We STAY AWAY from them, we don't hunt them, and when they come around we stay in the house. If we run across one and can't get inside, we shoot into the air and most of the time they will put it in reverse.

To hunt them simply for a trophy is disgusting.

Yes, hunters do eat the meat, but for most of them, the thrill is in the kill.

@InsertEyeRollHere

You might have sold a few of the naiive with your story, but making buttons out of antlers and clothing from the hides in modern times is idiotic and you never did it.

Idiotic is what you call someone who comments on things they know nothing about, which is what you've done here.

The meat locker in my town will buy deer hides and antlers. Do you think they're paying money for this stuff so they can toss it in the trash? Maybe find out some facts before you make a fool of yourself speculating.

"Deerskin is a tough leather, possibly due to the animal's adaptations to its thorny and thicket-filled habitats. Deerskin has been used by many societies, including indigenous Americans. Most modern deerskin is no longer procured from the wild, with deer farms breeding the animals specifically for the purpose of their skins. Large quantities are still tanned from wild deer hides in historic tanning towns such as Gloversville and Johnstown in upstate New York. Deerskin is used in jackets and overcoats, martial arts equipment such as kendo and bogu, as well as personal accessories like handbags and wallets."- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather

(its hard to tell a black bear from a grizzly - really??);

75% of the time, no it's not, but the idea that it is easy is laughable. There are broad variations in the color of both animals and I've know conservation officers who couldn't make a 100% identification of select bears without getting a close up view of a dead or tranqed animal.

the hunters possibly didn't even have a permit for the spot they were at...as they might have crossed the border.

The article states quite clearly that the men had permits for both states. Maybe read the article next time instead of just skimming it looking for something to whine about.

Anyone who will eat bear meat will eat sh**. Bears are nasty, smelly creatures with nasty greasy meat

Just like all other game meat. It's not a damn cow, you have to learn how to properly prepair the meat for consumption and it's delicious. Another example is aligator meat. The taste of aligator fat is vile but when properly stripped away the flesh is outstanding.

RebootIt: We live in the mountains and many friends hunt for their own meat. None eat bear meat. They all say it is nasty. I can't speak from personal experience, but they apparently know what they are talking about. Bears are only good for looking at .....from a long distance away.

all bear hunters are A$$HOLES. Killing an animal for a trophy, how fuking manly is that.

I can't speak from personal experience, but they apparently know what they are talking about.

You should be quiet than and no your firends don't know what they're doing. You're not the only people on the planet who have experience with game animals. We have been eating bear since we first came to this land. There are tons of bear recipes and techniques for preparing this type of meat.

Most bears will flee when in contact with man unless they feel cornered or their cubs threatened. Grizzley Bears are the exception. They are the most agressive and are notorious for circling around to ambush or attack anything following them.

I have hunted in Montana and canada and even if your not after the grizzley you have to be aware and cautious of them. They are the one bear species that will hunt you.

What I find disgusting is the lack of sympathy toward these guys' families. You anti-hunter types are showing less remorse and more thirst for blood than any hunter ever did.

I agree,people have no respect for animals!

You are the only one to hit it on the nail. Yes, sorry for the KIDS, but for the extended family, not so for the members which are similar hunters or support this "hobby". And as other mention hunting for food, give me a break. If they are hungry, they should sell their gun!!

For many in Montana, hunting is an important source of food. Selling your gun isn't going to put food on the table. It's also been an important and effective method for wildlife management in the state. Black bear hunting is highly regulated with very few animals taken. Grizzly bears are endangered and in the area where these guys were hunting in, they are sparce. Its unfortunate that there was a loss of life for the endangered bear and for the man, that was a father. Seeing any pleasure from this situation is out of line in my opinion.

They were not trophy hunting gonesurfin and you know it.

If you sell your gun you can eat for a month, if you use your gun you can eat for six months every year you are lucky enough to even harvest an animal.

I go hunting every year but I don't harvest an animal every year. I got a bull elk in 2004 and we ate him for 2 years.

There are a lot more responsible hunters up here than not. Even the hardcore hunters I know that hunt mainly for trophies donate the meat to the food bank or the Don't Let Montanans Go To Bed Hungry program.

eat a lot of Bear, irish Eyes? lol.

Tyr, you act as if people don't eat bear.

Tom Whittmann you know there was a plane crash air an airplane race, quite a few people were killed. I guess we need to ban airplanes also, nope just humans killed no animals and that makes it Ok with you. What about all the animals killed by automobiles, Tom?

I do not hunt but that is my choice, not yours.

Score one for the bears Apollo? That grizzly bear is dead and they're near extinct. Score one for the hunters, match point, good riddance. That man died trying to help a twenty year old kid, and you're an idiot.

So where the hell do you think the meat you eat come from? From a store where no animals were hurt? You all are stupid.

How the hell do you shoot a grizzly bear believing it's a black bear???????

I think these guys knew what they were doing when they were tracking this wounded grizzly the one fool shot.

Sad story though for both man and bear..

Exactly, that is what I read into the story. One of them shot the grizzly then when into the bushes to see if it was dead. Really how stupid is that, you wounded a wild beast it will attack you back. It is the nature of any beast animal or human.

@shenlee, seriously? That comment is so hypocritical as you sit down to dinner consuming any number of "nature's creations" or have you found a way to eat plants and animals without killing them

If you accidentally shoot a grizzly instead of a black bear, you can go to jail. You will definitely lose your gun and pay a steep fine on top of it.

This guy paid a steep fine in my estimation...

aren't cow's natures creatures? wheres the outrage at Costco?

John, we have injected our food with so many anti biotics, hormones, steroids and genetically modified them that they are no longer recognised as natures creatures.

NYMike - I hope you're kidding. If we only now recognize wild animals as "natures creature's" then you've lived in the city too long.

u people need to get a clue on how the real world works!! bunch of tree huggin hippies!!

Amen Corey. These people need help. Same mentality that put this country in the situation we are in today. More morons voting and breeding then need be. Maybe we should have open season on the idiots of the world. But that will be OK right because at least its not an animal.

Because black bears can have brown fur you moron and some grizzlys can have very dark coats.

You just another anti-hunter that doesn't know anything about wild life or hunting in general.

Hunters don't hunt for sport, they eat the animals they kill.

Jeffreey, what in the world are you talking about? Unless they are starving, ALL hunters hunt for sport. When you just want food, you go to the supermarket. When you want the thrill of tracking and killing an animal, especially a potentially dangerous animal, you hunt. Of course, many hunters also eat what they kill. I have no problem with deer hunting, since the deer is not even close to endangered. But when you hunt bear, you run the risk of "accidentally" killing an endangered species. Not ok.

Doc3osh did it ever occur to you that some people prefer the taste of wild natural meat then supermarket food that has growth hormones and fed GM crops, why do people go ice fishing rather than go down to the supermarket to buy fish? Because it taste better because it is fresher that is why. Here is another thing to consider, not many supermarkets contain bear or deer meat. How many walmarts do you know stock bear meat or deer meat?

To me sport hunting is trophy hunting. People who hunt for food are not sport hunting to me.

This was not the hunters first trip. They took classes to know which bear was which. A grizzly bear is much larger than a black bear, especially about this time of year.

Since this occurred on the border in what state will they bury the survivors?

That is not entirely true trust, Male black bears can be in excess of 500 pounds, if I took a male black bear that weighed 440 pounds and a grizzly bear that weighed 440 pounds you could have a hart time being able to distinguish one from another, especially if the black bear has brown fur or if the grizzly bear has very dark brown fur.

actually doc3osh, I really prefer NOT to go to the grocery store for meat. It is dyed, bland, old, full of chemicals, and too expensive.

Not a hunter not a vegaterian. I think hunting for ANY reason other than survival is wrong and yes I see the hypocrisy in the fact there is meat on my menu daily. The reality is hunting is done for fun, ego or whatever reason but, it is wrong in my opinion. Animals raised as a food source is readily available at any supermarket, huntng is only done for enjoyment of the hunter so, saying you prefer the taste and lack of additive as an excuse to hunt is complete an utter BS. If not for the path evolution took we humans could very well have been the hunted, how would all you "manly" hunters feel then? Yes, I feel bad for the family but, these men made a choice and therefore must accept the consequences of their actions! I am pretty sure the bear wasn't thinking oh great what fun let's play hunt and kill the human! We kill our cohabitants of this planet for fun! And we wonder why our societies are so screwed up, think about it!

young grizzlies are not as easy to tell apart from grown black bears! Just look at the people here that think they are different? If you can't tell a juvinile griz from a black bear, how do you think a hunter can?

Jeffeery as I am not a hunter I would treat any bear the same. Avoid, mace/shoot if charging me. Were I a hunter I would learn how to identify what I was hunting and make damn sure I knew how to drop it. Especially if it were something that could hunt me. I've never encountered bear in the wild. Mountain lion wasn't much fun but fortunately I could retreat into my truck.

The unfortunate thing is that all of the anti-hunters ancestors hunted at some point. Too bad. Now we are left to listen to their shallow, self-serving, hypocritical reverie.

You're right about the anti-hunters but that's a weak arguement as some of my ancestors also owned slaves.

Shame on your ancestors mine didn't believe in slavery. We have always had a respect for human beings.

So, hunting's barbaric and inhumane. Really? Raising animals like crops and butchering them after living their life in a cage is okay? Hypocrites and idiots. But it probably seems normal to you since you have lived your life in an apartment building.

@Jeffreey - again .. when was the last time you ate bear meat???

Bear sausage two weeks ago.

Yummy!

My hunting days ended when I took my little daughter to a sporting goods store so I could get a hunting license, and she saw some mounted deer heads and said "oh daddy, someone cut off their heads", wont be needing that hunting licence today.

@ Raven..Bear roast last week. I have a great marinade would you like the recipe?

I can't say the that I'm for abolishing hunting altogether. I eat meat, and if I had the time and the constitution for it, I think meat that I killed myself would be miles better that some industrial meat from a huge cow or chicken farm. My mom grew up on a farm. They raised chickens, had a cow, grew their own vegetables, etc. That kind of food is much healthier for anyone. Today they call it "Organic".

That being said, hunters, by their actions, put themselves in a karmic bind, and this story is a perfect example. If you go out into the wilderness, then you are bound by it's rules and consequences. If you surf in the ocean, you may be eaten by a shark. It's simply a fact. If you hunt dangerous game, you can expect that someday your game is going to get the better of you. And I have a difficult time believing that, while it's possible to mistake a black bear from a grizzly bear, that these hunters did that. They probably said, " I'll just say I thought it was a black bear," and shoot the grizzly anyway.

I don't hunt myself. I fish (which is a hair to split I guess). I eat everything I catch. Since when is bear on the menu?

I agree with DeMarco about how disgusting and cowardly trophy hunting is. However, if you're criticizing people for killing animals for food, you had better be a vegetarian or you're a total hypocrite. The conditions the animals endure in feedlots before their ultimate fate at a slaughterhouse is way more cruel and inhumane than those who hunt animals for food.

If you truly care about animals, think about that next time you have your next Big Mac. You're not any better than a hunter.

When the bears move into town,I hope your children don't look like a jelly doughnut,or just plain old bearfood.Remember people,bears,deer,squirrels,birds,and the like are managed by biologists and Fish and Wildlife personnel.If there is a problem with a bear in town,it's their problem,and they respond to it.They(F&W)get paid and supported by hunters buying licenses,not by tree huggers screaming murder!When deer become too thick in town,it's Fish & Wildlife people that make decisions to control them,or they let you run over them with your murdering cars.You can't scream killer because someone shoots a bear,or Bambi,when you kill the unborn to manage your unplanned problems.Don't tell me hunters are the problem.The problem is too many people who don't know squat!

Flygirl what evidence do you have that these hunters were trophy hunting and had no intentions of eating the bear meat?

Reason for deer overpopulation? Lack of natural predators. And as for bear hunting, have you eaten bear meat? Its not appetizing. And please no crap about how its cooked, cause that line doesnt work for liver either.

So, the hunter did a terrible shot, and a wounded animal is dangerous. What did they expect? I've never heard of any hunter just running in a thicket after a wounded bear..thats damn near suicide.

Yes I have eaten bear meat and I like the taste of it. Well anna if you read the damn story they didn't go running after a wounded bear, they tracked it and waited for a period of time thinking the animal had bled to death.

Well they thought wrong.

People who have never hunted and counted on that meat be it bear deer elk or any other game animal really have no idea what they are talking about. humans make mistakes. Fact of life. Bear are dangerous and good eating. I bow hunt and have taken bear this way . Man is an APEX predator by nature The uninformed or ignorant refuse to reailze this.Without hunters wild animals would become not just a saftey risk on the roads but a health risk everywhere.

I'd like to see a wolf introduced to your house.

Now in some areas, there are buffalo hunts to keep them under control because they carry a deadly desease that will wipe out domestic cattle.

There has never been a documented case of brucellosis transmission in the wild between cattle and bison, only in the labratory

I am unaware of any such buffalo hunts. Can you show any proof that such hunts have actually occurred?

I personally think you are full of buffalo chips, sir.

Please re-introduce your head to your azz.

@Jefferey...look, in order for my father to feed us, we ate dang near every animal under the sun. Elk burger w/ mustard on bread..yum... but the most detested was bear meat.. And as for the wounded grizzly, they are at the top of the food chain, and scary to meet. Especially wounded. It was a s**t shot. And its stupid that one can look down a scope, and not tell the difference between a black and a grizzly, considering they were after a black bear. A good hunter knows this.

Oh and Inserteyerollhnere, there are buffalo/bison hunts based on that perceived brucellosis transmission on the yellowstone borders. As soon as the those animals migrate over an invisible border into cattle lands, they shoot em down. To make sure the cattle are safe. Its stupid, but thats what is happening.

yep Anna is correct , they do hold bison hunts for animals that migrate out of Yellowstone into surrounding areas , the Yellowstone coalition is a big one for protesting those hunts whenever they are proposed and suppose to take place , the hunts usually are on a lottery system , and your name has to be drawn , and it can be very pricey .

Just how pricey? I mean, one bison is a heluva lot of meat. Could still be cost-effective if you live in the area, no? And we used to raise cattle some when I was young so I get what a big deal brucelloisis is. It's not just a bunch of paranoid B.S. coming from some ranchers who don't want to share any grazing (even though they really, really don't).

Bison tag , for a resident is $402 dollars , non resident is $2502 .

As to the brucillosis , each state has to guarentee that their cattle are desease free , before they are shipped to slaughter , and if they have come into contact with other ungulates that carry the desease , well there goes the desease free certification , and contact could be as minimal as simply walking across the same grazing area . so yes it is a matter of big money when it comes to the brucellosis free certification . because without that certification , the cattle cant be shipped or sold on the market.

Anna: Girl, you nailed it.

Oh and Inserteyerollhnere, there are buffalo/bison hunts based on that perceived brucellosis transmission on the yellowstone borders. As soon as the those animals migrate over an invisible border into cattle lands, they shoot em down. To make sure the cattle are safe. Its stupid, but thats what is happening.

Key word is "perceived."

I commented that there has never been a documented case where a bison passed brucellosis to a cow, but ranchers still use that as an excuse.

Many thanks for your post.

Mark: You were right about the Yellowstone hunt too.

Lets not be extremists. Population control sometimes is necessary, to protect themselves against to much competition for food, other animals and also nearby humans. But this shall be don, as I write at 19.22 h. by transporting the excedentto other areas, where additional animals of the specie are sorely needed

Jason what evidence do you have that they were hunting for the sole purpose of trophy hunting. How do you know they had no intention of eating bear meat? How do you know that?

I don't have to know that...I'm reasonably confident that they don't love bear meat so much that a regular burger isn't good enough. There's enough food in our society that they didn't have a necessity to go out in the woods and execute their own meat - bear or otherwise.

Jason did it ever occur to you that some people like to hunt because they find the meat taste better because of the fact that it is more natural and not filled with growth hormones and a whole bunch of chemicals and GM food.

Answer me this jason, why do people go ice fishing when they can go to a fast food place and get a fish sandwich?

God your ignorant.

Actually, Jeffrey, Jason is not ignorant at all. You, on the other hand, are being intentionally obtuse. To answer your question: People go ice fishing, or hunt, because they like the ritual of it: either the quiet time alone, or the companionship, or the thrill of tracking the animal, or the danger. I know hunters who hunt wild boar with a crossbow. Why a crossbow? Are you going to tell me it's because boarmeat tastes better when shot with a crossbow rather than with a bullet? Ridiculous. It's because it's more difficult (and therefore more thrilling) to hunt with a crossbow. Similarly, bear is more thrilling than deer.

Problem is, bear is also endangered, if they shoot the wrong one. People are not at all endangered; there are almost 7 billion of us. So this was not a fair trade. Tragedy for all of us as another amazing species is closer to extinction.

Are you going to tell me it's because boarmeat tastes better when shot with a crossbow rather than with a bullet? Ridiculous.

Where did I ever imply that the tool being used for hunting was what made meat taste different? I'm telling you that wild food taste better because it doesn't have growth hormones injected into it, it isn't fed GM crop food and it isn't walking around in the manure of a thousand other animals in a pen, it doesn't have pesticides running through its veins.

Black bears are not endangered that is what they were hunting. In order to help prevent grizzly bears from being mistakenly shot at hunters are required to take courses that help them identify the differences between the two. However though in some cases black bears and grizzly bears look extremely alike, so sometimes mistakes happen, the good news is that those mistakes are extremely rare.

Actually Jason is ignorant, he thought these hunters were only doing it to mount a head on their wall. He thought they were out to trophy hunt, it never occurred to him that some people prefer the taste of natural wild food rather than the disgusting process food you get at a supermarket. He knows nothing of hunting or why people practice hunting.

I am totally with you Jeffreey...besides, hunting is a legal sport. So what if they hunt for the sport of it? Most hunters eat what they kill and the meat is much healthier for you than anything you can buy at the supermarket. Black bears aren't going extinct and I would question the validity of the grizzly going extinct as well. The government says a lot of things that are not true...kind of like global warming! I would like to know what all of these bleeding hearts are going to do if they ever need to survive without a supermarket! That should be a laugh!

I am an avid hunter.

I usually donate what I kill to the side of the road.

Scavengers need to eat too.

"The government says a lot of things that are not true...kind of like global warming!"

Hahahahahaha!! And now we've come to the heart of the issue. Seriously, what does it say about your view of the world when you've been convinced that global warming, a theory about which there is all but a scientific consensus, is the government trying to fool everyone? Or that the most educated people our society has to offer - the so-called liberal elite and college professors from the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world - are simply dismissed as "liberal wackjobs" and socialists? Or that your news source (I guarantee it's Fox News) is the only source of truth and the ENTIRE REST OF THE WORLD IS biased and lying? Please - just think about these things for a second.

I'm not trying to force my view of the world on anybody but I do ask that you THINK FOR YOURSELF about these things and form your own opinion. Consider the following: No matter what the issue may be, ask yourself just three questions about it: 1) Is Rupert Murdoch against it? (You can deduce this by watching Fox or reading the WSJ or any of his numerous media outlets... which, for some reason all have the same opinions) 2) Are people against it for religious reasons? 3) Is it bad for multimillionaires and corporations? If the answer to at least 2 out of 3 of those questions is "Yes" I would stake my life that Republican politicians are against it.

Now, for all who want to answer my post, please include an answer to the following question: Why do you think that formula works?? I'm actually looking forward to seeing your (thoughtful) responses.

@ iserteyerollhere. You are an idiot. No way in hell you are a hunter and think that way. If you were hunting with me and left the animal you just shot on the side of the road i would kick your A#$.

Sarcasm, dj74. That's what we call sarcasm. lol.

"InsertEyeRollHere

I usually donate what i kill to the side of the road"

I know you won't answer this question but what state do you live in sounds like you are admitting to criminal activity. This readed belives you need to turn youself over to youyr local prossecuting attorney. You obviously don't know anything about the subject matter or you would avoid self incrimination

DJ & Gene

Yeah... those online threats really scare this Texan.

Here's my point: I have seen dozens and dozens of posters here talking about how hunters eat what they kill - that the main point of the hunt is for food. And most hunters probably do eat their kill.

But MANY merely donate what they kill. Good deed, yes, but obviously these hunters are in it just for the sport, not meat.

My guess is that most hunters hunt for the thrill. Eating that fresh-killed game is a bonus for most of us, although I sometimes have a hard time getting to those venison neck roasts.

Perhaps it would be better if we just railed against the waste of such a wonderful and precious bounty.

Donations are better than waste, I agree.

By the way, I am an avid hunter. We kill deer, hogs, and turkeys here, but I really like shooting doves and waterfowl.

I fish for crappie on Lake Palestine at least twice a month.

I donate nothing, but I give a lot away to friends and family.

I waste nothing, and thoroughly despise those who do.

They were not killing for fun, they were killing to eat bear meat.

Jeffrey, get over it, I don't care if they were going to eat the meat (unlikely.) I have no respect for hunters, and yes, I am a vegetarian.

It is entirely likely flygirl, the vast majority of hunters eat the animals they kill and you know it, there is no evidence to suggest that a significant minority or even half of the hunters hunt only for trophies. Why should I get over people like you Flygirl who purposely slander why these people were out hunting and cheer that they are dead. You are a disgusting person to get off on the idea of people being killed while hunting for food.

Jeffreey, please stop being ridiculous.

They hunt for the thrill. They may also happen to eat what they kill, but that doesn't change the fact that they hunt for the thrill. As do all hunters, other than the Inuit or few indigenous cultures still around, who hunt to survive.

If they were hunting deer, which are not endangered, I could have more sympathy. But they intentionally hunted an animal that looks like an endangered animal, in that endangered animal's territory. Stupidity upon callous disregard for an endangered species. One dead hunter does nothing to make up for driving an endangered species closer to extinction. His hunting partner should be jailed (and certainly his hunting license permanently revoked). Once these species are dead, there is no bringing them back.

doc have I ever implied that there is no thrill at all in hunting? Nope. What I am arguing is that these people who say that these hunters were only out for trophies is a lie and you know it. The vast majority of hunters, and very likely these hunters, were doing it for the food. Does that mean there isn't any thrill involved? No it doesn't mean that all but to suggest that these people were only after a head to place on their wall and then to cheer at the deaths of these hunters is absolutely disgusting and is insult to that hunter that died.

Get over your BS Jeffery,

I use to be a hunter, and I quit hunting 20 years ago because I found I was killing these animals for the thrill of the Hunt, not the food they gave me.

Most every hunter I know does the same thing except they won't admit it.

Its something about tracking the animal, looking down the sights and squeezing the trigger?? Power over life and death... Kinda sick isn't it.

Oh if I really had to hunt again to survive then I would but until that happens, I never kill like that again..

No Everett it isn't at all sick unless you don't eat meat than you and every other anti-hunter are raging hypocrites. And if you are even telling the truth about being someone that used to hunt then you would know that hunting is one of the best ways to manage the wildlife population and also the most human. Unless you prefer for wildlife to die sickly and starving or in the mouths of predators.

humane*

Please tell us you're vegan; nothing "entertains" me quite like a good, medium-well steak, and if you feel that way then you really have no place to comment about "slaughtering animals for your own entertainment"; if you're a vegan please feel free to tell me how morally superior, more fully evolved and civilized, etc. than I am and I'll listen (won't join, just listen). Until then I'll just sit here quietly with my fellow predators, species F. domesticus.

Riquall.....what part of "for your own entertainment" did you not understand?

such a great little rant (altho rather recycled) all wasted cause you dont read for comprehension.

oh well. you did have the best idea....you should continue to sit there quietly.

I grew up with all the men hunting in our families (deer,wild boar, rabbit) for both meat and to keep deer populations down because they do tend to wipe out crops down south but I never condone hunting for sport ..I believe in hunting for a purpose just like our ancestors did.

dude they just wanted to kill an apex preditor. Same mentality as safari hunting. Lame.

Probably would have cut the paws and head off only for wall hanging.

Or....gonesurfin......since there was a party of 4 hunting, do you think it even remotely possible that they didn't have an extraction plan? Possibly quartering it and packing it out at the very, very least? Come on, get a grip!

Rontron I would question the caliber of the gun and the marksmanship. Grizzly, Brown and Polar bears are not an easy kill. .45 or better at close range might do it. Probably something bigger in a rifle like a .308 or better. Head/spine shot necessary to STOP one in its tracks. As to marksmanship.. First shot should have been the kill shot. After that with the bear attacking I'm sure it was unload as fast as possible and am surprised some person did not get shot in the process.

I dont think a guide would let you try to shoot a Grizzly, Brown or Polar bear with a 308, and shooting one with a .45 pistol round would just piss him off.

Like what? Go out there and interfere with legal, duly licensed hunters? Or get the laws changed to make sure that we're more overrun with wildlife than we already are?

I hope the hunters body was donated to a food bank.

Otherwise, it would be a waste of a perfectly good idiot.

Gonesurfin.. most bear hunting permits are issued via a lottery. The State wildlife agency determines how many bears the land can support over the winter and compares that with the number living in the area.

The hunts generally happen in the fall before resources get really tight for the animals. This way you don't have mass die offs over the winter. You might think it is terrible to have a hunter shoot a bear but if they don't they generally die off over the winter due to starvation. Either way you have a dean bear and one way is a long slow lingering death.

Rlquall

Like what? Go out there and interfere with legal, duly licensed hunters? Or get the laws changed to make sure that we're more overrun with wildlife than we already are?

Overrun by wildlife?? Certainly not bears.

And I doubt very much that they were hunting for food. Go hunt deer of which there are lots. Here in Texas we are being overrun by deer - but since there is no public land on which to hunt no one is interested in control. On privately managed lands many many animals are shot to keep the population down and only a very small proportion of those animals are saved for food banks and feed the hungry programs.

That is a shame," only a small portion is saved for food banks and feed the hungry programs". I think if it was used more for that purpose then it would help out in many ways. Here one Sunday out of the month we as neighbors put on a feast for the hungry have used deer,wild hog,fresh caught seafood even gator at times whatever our avid hunters are able to bring to us.. No- one leaves hungry and we meet new people and help out the areas hardest hit by mother nature. Too bad people can't just get along based on the name calling and put downs on this vine.

The hunters chose to put themselves in that situation. The bear did not. Sorry for the familes that have to live with the hunter's decision. This was not an innocent accident.

I agree, but the two daughters didn't choose this either, what the hell were these men thinking.

I do not understand why people go hunting.

the hunters were thinking they would find Yogi and found Bubba instead.

You are so full of bullsh*t whoever you are gonesurfin.

Patriot Tom: Exactly right, William Clark discovered that if you didn't take the grizzly with a head shot, it would just keep on coming no matter how many times it was hit.. Oh yeah, and that was over two hundred years ago.....

One more thing. They hunted to eat, there was no "sport" in it.

Ah, they shot far more than they could ever eat, because they could, because there was plenty more where that came from (true back then) and because it was fun. Again, we don't need to judge people back then by the standards of now. But the standards of now show me how poorly these guys in question in the current event seemed to be skilled; they were apparently in a situation over their heads and didn't need to be out where they were doing what they were doing. Sorry that someone paid with his life; it has to be hard on his family.

Hemingway said that there were in fact only three sports, car racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing, because they were the ones that you could never be sure of coming back from alive. But he really liked big game hunting, too, and this sort of thing had to be exactly why. He would have seen a story in it, no doubt.

Teddy Roosevelt slaughtered thousands of animals in Africa, just to prove that he could do it, I have a hard time justifying that kind of wanton killing.

And here lies the paradox, Teddy Roosevelt was a staunch conservationists. You have to respect nature to preserve it. These anti-hunting people want to live in a world of steel and concrete and let animals exist apart. I guess they find American Indians barbaric. They think killing plants somehow excuses them from being human. Life exists on life, period.

I certainly agree that overpopulation must be addressed. As I wrote in my post at 19.22h,, the excess could and should be transferred to regions were the number has decresed to near extintion!!

And of course, to weak and sich animals shoud be killed, but this task is not to be performed by pleasure seeking hunters. To do so, would be the parallel of the Japanese hypocrits hunting whales for "scientific" purposes!!

population control for apex preditors? Not needed! Bear population problem is laughable. Maybe deer sometimes to prevent starvation, but bears?....please...

The biggest epidemic to the bear population has been the urbanization of bear habitat. California has drastically dwindled the population of the Black Bear species by doing just that. Montana still has much Bear habitat preserved. Unfortunatly, out of staters are developing large vacation plots that are more detrimental to the survival of the species than any hunter or group of hunters can be. Most of you posters, likely have never been in these areas, so I don't expect you to understand it, but that's the primary culprit in dwindelling wildlife populations. Guess its much easier to be angry at hunters though...

Oh, by all means get out there and further 'control' the populations of these inconvenient animals. We make every effort to share our planet with these animals and this is what we get. Damned ingrates. Well, they can't say we didn't give them a chance.-----------------Yeah right, a chance to be extinct. Historically, animals manage to control their own populations rather well. It is the mismanagement of the human population that is the real problem. 7 billion for the world, 300+ million (and accelerating) for the US. I'd love to see an appropriate level of 'control' visited upon the animals that are most in need of it.

Tom and gone surfin you are right they should be transferred to areas that have no population of grizzlies where you live maybe.

Bilbo, can we start by controlling you? :=)

Since humans are the true apex predator, overpopulation should be addressed, but nothing ever happens. Humans already outnumber the rat population. It's probably too late to do anything to stop the changes in our environment.

Tom

Those whale hunters are the ones that really piss me off, scientific purposes my a$$.

Hunting bears to control deer overpopulation = illogical

(and I thought bears hibernated in the winter)

Bear spray is pepper spray, if the bear is running at you, and the limited range of the spray, your going to be in trouble! The bear won't have time to stop and it's forward momentum will cause it to run right into you. Then your going to have one very pissed off bear clawing blindly at what ever it encounters next ( You ).
So be careful to avoid them. Don't trust your life to just pepper spray. Just sayin

Spray is a good deterrent. Making lots of noise is better. Bears do not like to be surprised.

I read somewhere that you should wear bells on your clothes so you make noise whenever you move. Also, keep track of the wind direction just in case you actually have to use the spray.

read somewhere about how to tell black bear from grizzly.... black bear scat is just scat with a hint of pepper spray... Grizzly bear scat has little bells in it with a tinge of pepper spray.. Now bear MACE is a bit stronger but as a previous post indicated it's sort of late once the bear is in forward motion. yes you can spray about 30 yards.. gives you just enough time to really peeve the bear off.

That is why in a study of bear attacks that bear sprays were 98% effective and firearms just around 60% and the injuries to people who used the spray were less. But bear sprays do not seem to give the same hard on that guns do.

and the sprays do no always work!! The bear has to be too dam close in my book to use it. and then there's the bear it doesn't work on, kinda like the criminals that have had MACE used on them and keep coming. Might not have to worry about gonesurfin anymore. He might be the next bear lunch at Yellowstone!

Robert, bear mace is shall we say industrial strength compared to what even the cops carry. The idea is mace is a last resort before breaking your buddies knee caps. Being situationally aware is a good idea whether one is in the natural forest or the concrete one. Running brings out the natural chase instinct in predators. Getting between a mother and her offspring whether predator or prey is NEVER a good idea. Nor is getting between an animal and its partner or food. The idea is to not get into a situation without an exit plan. Obviously the bear had a plan and the hunters did not.

yah, good luck gonesurfin. Your friend the grizzly has already killed 2 innocent hikers in W. Yellowstone this summer alone. Hahahahahaha....now watya really going to do when you have a 400lb grizzly charging you with your pepper spray? I sincerely hope it doesn't happen, but you my friend, really need to become educated.

Good luck you're gonna need it.

The hikers were innocent in the bears' viewpoint. They reacted a lot like I would if I found "wildlife" inside my house. But I still don't like the idea of a guys kid's having to grow up without him.

Considering if you shoot a bear it still has enough reserves to kill you, bear spray is still your best bet. Guilt or innocence has nothing to do with it. Making noise is also helpful. Have a good time on your hike, Gonesurfing.

Most people cant handle a pistol with enough stopping power to take down a bear, and those pistols are really heavy to be hiking with. Mace would be the better idea.

The vikings would have written sagas about that bear.

The Vikings would have killed the bear too gonesurfin

Nah, the vikings probably wouldn't have. They were more concerned about human targets.

Even Viking bears crave death in battle.

Bears don't need your props. It's instinct.

And we didn't need your input. We got it anyway. Cope.

Great post!

Yes you could surely mistake a grizzly for a black bear because not all black bears are black and some grizzly's have very dark brown fur.

Black bears are hunted for meat, fur and to control population. Do you honestly think it is impossible that some people actually enjoy the taste of black bear meat?

If you cannot identify the differences in shape between a black bear and a grizzly you are not to bright.

Could you mike? Could you honestly tell the difference between a 300-400 pound black bear versus a 300-400 pound grizzly bear? Especially if the black bear has brown fur or if the grizzly has very dark brown fur. Black bears and grizzlies look similar especially if a black bear has brown fur or if a grizzly has very dark brown fur.

Thank you Tom for NOT being a hunter. If you honestly think all animals come with labels or something in the wild, then by all means just tune in to the Animal Planet channel and leave the hunting to those that know.

Mr Bell may have made a mistake, may have had poor lighting, may have only had a partial view of the animal, may have......., may have........, may have. We just don't know now do we?

Wow, I am completely amazed at the fact that people are cheering the death of another human being. Regardless of the situation, a person died, and some class should be shown by the self appointed moral majority. As far as identifying the difference between grizzly and black bear, it is sometimes difficult because of the similarities there can be in size and color. Montana has a required course for hunters to help them identify the diffeence between the two. I am pretty sure they would not have the course if it was so easy. Regardless of your views on hunting, it is rather sick that people cheer the gruesome death of another human being

Yes I can tell the difference Jeff... the Grizzly has little bells in it's mouth... :)

Seriously though if you are close enough to be shooting something you should be able to tell what it is that you are shooting at. If you ain't close enough to identify your target you should not be shooting. For all they knew it was a big guy in a bear skin coat from the sounds of things.

Yes Jeff I can tell the difference having seen both in the wild. My father also made sure I knew what I was shooting at when I was a kid. But then cows are shot as deer so what chance would there be of a hunter being able to identify the differences in shape of a grizzly to a black bear. Morons with guns the reason I stopped hunting.

YOU have NO CLUE.Leave your soft city life and spend some time in the mountains.

It would be hard even for a bear biologist to tell the difference between a juvenile dark griz and a large light colored black bear.

No it wouldn't.

How didi your dumb arse ever get to be 65?

Just curious then brian ......... what do you kill with your guns?

Ever heard of protection, target sooting, and self defense???? I have a gun and don't kill innocent animals either. Sad to think you can only think of one thing to do with your gun....killing animals. There are plenty of people who own guns, but don't go out looking to kill something with it.

good answer IP. my answer is any vermin that trys to come through my door.

innocent animals, so what was the cow guilty of breaking and entering theslaughterhouse?

That Cow was guilty of being Yummy!

getagrip

I am an avid shooter who only shoots targets, believe it or not, not everyone who likes guns is a killer.