Cecil

[Brandon Pattison]

Anybody else uncontrollably crying?

 

[bourbon]

It's a sad day in 'Merica, land of the free and home of the offended, when the protest of a lion hunted and killed legally gets more minutes on the national news than a story about the largest racketeering and corruption case ever against a member of congress....that is all I'm gonna say. This country is deteriorating faster than imaginable.

 

[go4thegusto]

I am crying for fear of the "court of public opinion" that the internet has created. Whether you are Palmer, Tom Brady, Melissa Bachmann, or whomever we should all be fearful of the firestorm that can erupt when something goes viral. This could happen to any of us whether we are guilty or not, the web isn't the arena to be tried. This is a dream come true for the animal rights extremists.
I am crying that 10,000 sportsman haven't shown up in camo at the guys dental office and signed up for services. Without arguing the legitimacy of what happened this all is just wrong.

 

[MuleyFever]

It's a sad day in 'Merica, land of the free and home of the offended, when the protest of a lion hunted and killed legally gets more minutes on the national news than a story about the largest racketeering and corruption case ever against a member of congress....that is all I'm gonna say. This country is deteriorating faster than imaginable.

I believe the lion was killed illegally. The landowner and/or guide (I dont remember which) was said not to have had a permit to take the lion. I may be wrong. However, I agree with the misplacement of the media attention.

I will say this, I am not crying but am saddened. This is a bad day for the sport of hunting. Like it or not public opinion matters. This will have a negative impact on hunting everywhere. He could have went and had a good hunt somewhere else with more reputable guides and not had to try and destroy a GPS and cover up what they did.

 

[PMcGee]

I believe the lion was killed illegally. The landowner and/or guide (I dont remember which) was said not to have had a permit to take the lion. I may be wrong. However, I agree with the misplacement of the media attention.

I think it's still up in the air if it was legal or not. The hunter said he had a permit. Who knows he's already guilty in the eyes of everyone in the media.

 

[MuleyFever]

I think it's still up in the air if it was legal or not. The hunter said he had a permit. Who knows he's already guilty in the eyes of everyone in the media.

Just because the hunter had a permit does not mean the area he killed the lion had one. That is my understanding. But yeah, the facts dont seam to be clear.
"Investigations suggest the killing of Cecil was illegal because the landowner "was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for 2015," said a statement from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe.

 

[airlocksniffer]

If he did take the lion illegally, then yeah, he's a douche. I'm more concerned about the picture it paints of all hunters. Doesn't take too many jackasses to make us all look bad. OTOH, killing a big lion like that with a bow is pretty bad ass.

 

[Shrek]

You go to a corrupt third world chithole to hunt you are talking big risks. There is more underlining this story than we are being told I'm sure. Heck , even in this country you are not safe from highway robbers wearing badges so what do think can happen in Zimbabwe ?

 

[PMcGee]

You go to a corrupt third world chithole to hunt you are talking big risks. There is more underlining this story than we are being told I'm sure. Heck , even in this country you are not safe from highway robbers wearing badges so what do think can happen in Zimbabwe ?

I agree and if it wasn't some "famous" lion it wouldn't even be in the news.

 

[Whaledriver]

While it is amazing what goes viral these days. I will admit trial by most left leaning media is brutal. I will say the dude is a once convicted poacher already. In my book the dude is not a true hunter. I did get a kick out of the " I hunt with a bow and no sidearm". Well no shit as a convicted felon you cannot posess a gun....lol. I am not a big fan personally of paying tens of thousands and having a so called guide pull up in a truck and have me drop something. I guess I like to earn it with my own skills, or lack thereof.

 

[Redside]

Apparently it is not news in Zimbabwe. Interesting take from a Zimbabwean reporter for Reuters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/30/us-zimbabwe-wildlife-lion-idUSKCN0Q41VB20150730

 

[go4thegusto]

Humane Society is all over this. Here is a good article:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...nd-fear-big-game-bans/ar-AAdIqs6?ocid=U142DHP

 

[topher89]

He is a through and through trophy hunter and already proved he is willing to skirt the rules with his previous bear conviction....

Not a true hunter in my mind but it is scary how things can spiral out of control on social media and the news

 

[Poser]

He is a through and through trophy hunter and already proved he is willing to skirt the rules with his previous bear conviction....

Not a true hunter in my mind but it is scary how things can spiral out of control on social media and the news

While I tend to agree with you, unfortunately, the public sees nothing more than a dead famous lion and a hunter. That's it. From the perspective, the guy was hanged in the public court of opinion for a pursuit that we'll all be participating in here in a couple of weeks. The only 2 facts we know right now is that there is a dead lion and a dentist.

That being said, this is only this week's social media outrage. For the last 2-3 weeks, the outrage has been the Confederate flag. Next week or the week after, something will eclipse the Cecil outrage and the whole event will be dead in the water unless another US hunter kills a high profile animal or does something stupid enough to garnish mass outrage. So, don't any of you venture out into the world and do anything stupid while, shooting, hunting or sporting a Confederate flag.

That being said, people are upset about Cecil's cubs and the fact that his predecessor will kill them off. Where's the outrage over the cubs of Cecil's predecessor that Cecil presumably killed?

 

[PA 5-0]

This whole story stinks badly. Who the f'ck named this lion Cecil??? Who from Zimbabwe is upset that this supposed "famous" pet lion is dead???? I've been following this since minute one. Anyone from that country in an official capacity hasn't even acknoledged this animal and anyone quoted is like "we kill lions all the time because they eat our villagers". The American press spin machine is disgusting. That dentist should assemble a dream team of lawyers a sue every freakin idiot who prints this crap.

And even if the outfitter didn't have the proper permit or quota, that's on the outifitter, not the hunter.

 

[Carolina joe]

I agree Poser, it is disgusting to see what is accepted as "lawful" and what isn't tolerated in today's world. The WORD calls it straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel, this country has ALOT more serious problems to be concerned about other than Cecil the lion.

 

[Shrek]

All this outrage about poor Cecil and his poor cubs. Cecil was the right lion to kill as he was way past his prime breeding years and I suspect he was already dethroned. He was lured to a bait out of the park and although it's not stated he seems to have been alone. Trying to get close for a bow shot with a whole pride present sounds tough and dangerous. If he was without his pride then his cubs were already dead and he was hungry because when in the pride the lionesses do the hunting. I'm betting someone with more pull than the PH's charged want their concession.

 

[rodney482]

Ive yet to see any evidence that the hunter did anything illegal.

You dont pay $55g to poach a cat.

The paperwork to get the cat out of Africa and back in the US is a challenge all its own.

The bear hunt, my understanding is that too was with an outfitter and they had a group hunting where they were not suppose to be. The group decided not to be truthful when checking the bears on. (This included Palmer) he was questioned and lied. He was charged and paid his fine.
* it was bear season
* he had a tag
* he checked it in.
Poaching?
Ted Nugent has also had issues with bears.. Poacher?

A big eye opener here is he has not been charged. The Outfitter and PH are fully responsible for their clients.. You have to trust your outfitter and he was given the greenlight to shoot the lion.

This has been blown way out of proportion just like the confederate flag. This is the media creating news.

 

[back country]

OTOH, killing a big lion like that with a bow is pretty bad ass.

The article I read says that according to the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force he shot the lion with a crossbow but didn't kill it, so they tracked it and all it says is 'hunters' killed it 2 days later with a rifle. Anyone else read the same thing? Did the dentist even 'kill' the lion, or did he wound it and someone else technically killed it with a rifle?

 

[rodney482]

Im pretty sure he shot it with a compound and then a rifle.

I too saw crossbow early on but pretty sure that was wrong