Charges filed in cougar shooting
January 27, 2012 at 1:21 pm in Worthington Daily Globe
JACKSON Daniel Hamman, 26, of Round Lake, was cited Friday for one count of shooting a protected animal. The charge stems from the shooting death of a cougar that took place in November. Continue Reading
Very glad to see that the poaching of this protected animal has resulted in charges being filed. I am actually surprised that it has happened so quickly.
Good job to the MN DNR, glad to see that they took this seriously. And congratulations to everyone who raised their voices in outrage and kept attention on this case.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I think you would be singing a different tune had this cougar attacked or killed a child that was playing outside.
Sure, it is a protected animal and that is important, but if these guys had called the proper authorities to deal with this how long would it have took? Could this cougar had done some damage to a human during this time?
I think the right move was made, the risk of what could have happened outweighs what actually happened.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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If you had followed the original story or the thread in the areavoice from then you would know that even i said had there been an immediate threat to anyone I would have understood the need to shoot it BUT it was hiding for it’s life and was trapped in a culvert before being chased out so it could be slaughtered.
The argument of “It could have” is about as valid in this situation as it is in “that man could have” but you aren’t allowed to kill something based on “it could have”.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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So you didn’t read the original story where Bruce Ihnen admitted that he pulled into the farm yard, caught the cougar in his head lights, watched it run into a culvert, where he trapped it and then called Danial Hamman who grabbed his assult rifle drove over, positioned himself 30 yards from the culvert opening while Ihnen chased it from the culvert toward Hamman so he could slaughter it?
You question me about where I get my facts?
How about the fact that they admitted that they “didn’t know it was illegal, but would have done it anyway”
The fact that they posted the pictures on Facebook like it was some trophy.
The fact that they had no intention of reporting it until someone else told them they had better after they had been bragging about it. Or just the fact that they were willing to talk to the media and tell how they had the cougar trapped and slaughtered it while it was running for it’s life in fear?
Where do I get my facts? From their own words as quoted by the papers!
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Oh please, children are exposed to so much worse things every day than a rarely ever seen Cougar. It’s too bad that parents don’t protect their children from drug dealers, drunk drivers and child molesters the same way. What is running around on two legs is a far worse threat to our children than anything on four legs.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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OH please? i don’t know about you, but i DO try to protect my children from all that you stated. you could call it preventative protection “if you will” but even if someone went on a killing spree to kill all of the child molesters, that most of us “parents you spoke of” would like to do, You’d have something to say about that too, probably how it was done. It’s pathetic that you would even mention a reference to the parents like you did. It only takes once for a child to follow a cat, frog, dog or whatever it may be into a culvert that a cougar is hiding and there’s a good chance it would have turned deadly. I would never take that chance because yes i PROUDLY AM one of those parents. I am disappointed he got charged but i’m glad if he did it was just a slap on the wrist, basically.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Yes! Yes! lets round them up and kill them all!
It always fascinates me that man being the deadliest animal will slaughter it’s way thru entire species of animals, condemn others for causing the extinction of their native populations and yet call for the extermination of any animal in the area so that we MIGHT find the ONE responsible for the attack.
However I do agree with you, it’s just a slap on the wrist but it’s better then letting them go with a pat on the back and a metal like you would like them to get.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Yes wouldn’t that have been just lovely. Sadly he was slaughtered in Minnesota where it’s illegal.
So these poor men are being persecuted for doing what so many others wish they could have done, you know, go out hunting a protected animals with out a license.
One would think that if there was a sustainable population of murderous, child stalking, man eating cougars in the tri-state area more then ONE would have been seen and shot in the last 100 years.
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These guys need to be charged because there needs to be a penalty for breaking the law to discourage others from breaking the same law. It’s not a matter of whether the killing was justified or not. The proper authorities should have been notified of the cougar and they should have been the ones to make the decision as to whether the cougar was a threat. There was time to make that contact since Mr. Ihnen had to wait for someone to bring a gun! They needed permission! If they were never charged, it would be open season on cougars throughout the State.
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(Jack Burton said: On January 30, 2012 at 6:08 PM
Those poor cute wittle fuzzy wuzzy aminals)
Hmm can’t argue with the facts so we drop to baby talk?
My outrage over the slaughter of this cat is the same outrage I feel reading about the 5 kittens sealed in a cat food bag and thrown into a road to be run over leaving the bloody remains of 3 coating their siblings , or my outrage over Micheal Vick and what he condoned on his property and the dogs that ended up being killed because those men thought that was sport, or the jacka** in my neighbor hood who left a 5 pound terrier out in 19* weather soaking wet and a week later hasn’t even called the animal shelter looking for his dog, or the big bad hunter who waited until a bear was hibernating and shot it in its den because after all it wasn’t illegal!
I would rather be outraged for the cute wittle fuzzy wuzzy animal then to not care about any of them.
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Minnesota’s bear season was from 9-1-11 to 10-14-11. No bears are hibernating at that time. Where is your proof that a hunter shot a hibernating bear Marie?
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I didn’t say the bear killed in it’s den happened in MN it happened in Colorado here is the article
Bear Shot In Den Prompts DOW Ban
Hunter Climbed Into Bear’s Den And Killed It
Posted by Kim Nguyen, Web Editor
POSTED: 10:51 am MST January 5, 2011
UPDATED: 3:34 pm MST January 5, 2011
[DELICIOUS: Bear Shot In Den Prompts DOW Ban] [DIGG: Bear Shot In Den Prompts DOW Ban] [FACEBOOK: Bear Shot In Den Prompts DOW Ban] [REDDIT: Bear Shot In Den Prompts DOW Ban] [RSS] [PRINT: Bear Shot In Den Prompts DOW Ban] [EMAIL: Bear Shot In Den Prompts DOW Ban]
CRAIG, Colo. — Colorado wildlife officials are moving ahead with a formal ban on den hunting.
The ban was proposed after a northwest Colorado hunter sparked outrage by climbing 6 feet into a bear’s den and killing the enormous 703-pound black bear.
A flurry of angry e-mails and calls to state wildlife authorities resulted.
The state Wildlife Commission decided unanimously on Wednesday to draft a new rule banning the hunting of bears in dens, a situation state wildlife authorities say they’ve never heard of because it’s considered unsportsmanlike.
“This so violates the beliefs of ethics and fair chase,” said Colorado wildlife commissioner Dorothea Farris.
The regulation could become law by March.
The controversial kill occurred in November. Richard Kendall said he followed the bear’s tracks to the den and waited outside for five hours, hoping the bear would emerge, before crawling in and seeing the bear.
“I was pumped to the max when I went into the mouth of that cave. How much higher adrenaline can you get knowing that there is something in there that is twice as big as you and can eat your lunch in a heartbeat,” Richard Kendall told the Craig Daily Press.
He told the paper that he could barely see the bear’s nose before turning on his flashlight. He said he could hear the bear growling at him but when the bear pulled its ears back, Kendall knew that was his only chance to fire.
hunter Richard Kendall shows off bear he shot in cave.
Richard Kendall
Craig resident Richard Kendall, left, stands with the 703-pound black bear he killed in November. After tracking the bear with a friend, Kendall crawled into the bear’s cave and shot it from about six feet away. He said it took about 45 minutes to pull the bear out of the cave, with help from three friends.
What Kendall did was not illegal because there are no current regulations prohibiting den hunting in Colorado. Other states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan, ban the practice.
Farris argued that if Colorado doesn’t follow other states and specifically ban den hunting, the public could sour on bear hunting altogether.
“Are they going to support a valid and valuable activity if they hear about the killing of an 800-pound bear in its den and we do nothing about it?” Farris asked, exaggerating the bear’s size a bit.
Many called Kendall’s kill unsportsmanlike, though it’s not clear whether the bear was actually hibernating or just in the cave.
No one at the meeting spoke in defense of killing bears in dens. However, some experienced bear hunters have questioned whether Kendall’s description of the cave as the bear’s “den” is even accurate.
“Bears, especially males, don’t usually hibernate in caves,” said Brian Bachman, president of the North American Bear Foundation, a hunting and conservation group based in Pillager, Minn. Tracking a large bear to a cave and even venturing inside the cave after the animal is considered fair chase, he said.
“The question is, what is a den? Everyone thinks it’s a cave, but it rarely is. Every situation’s going to be different, but if the bear’s awake, it’s snarling at him, I wouldn’t consider that a denning situation,” Bachman said.
Colorado hasn’t yet drafted its ban on den hunting, so it’s unclear how a den would be defined.
Regardless of whether Kendall’s black bear was truly hibernating, wildlife officials, along with hunters and conservationists, seemed to agree Wednesday that a ban on den hunting should be added.
“We think it’s critical that fair chase is the cornerstone of ethical hunting,” said Suzanne O’Neill, executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation.
An outfitter and bear hunter at the meeting agreed.
“We don’t go out and hunt bears in dens. It’s just not done,” said Scott Limmer, a regional director for the Colorado Outfitters Association.
Kendall’s kill could set a state record. The Craig Daily Press reports the largest killed in Colorado measured 22 9/16 inches. Kendall said his bear measures 22 5/8 inches.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20026168-504083.html The bear Marie talked about was not hibernating because the hunter had tracked it to it’s den. It was probably getting ready to hibernate but wasn’t doing so yet. It wouldn’t be smart anyway to get into a den with a hibernating bear because bears don’t hibernate in the same way that gophers or ground squirrels do. Bears can easily awaken while hibernating. Also I wouldn’t want to shoot one at such close range because it would likely be thrashing about. If the bear had been a sow with cubs the hunter would have been breaking Colorado law.
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H, did you miss this? “Regardless of whether Kendall’s black bear was truly hibernating, wildlife officials, along with hunters and conservationists, seemed to agree Wednesday that a ban on den hunting should be added.”
Or this? ““Bears, especially males, don’t usually hibernate in caves,” Please note the word USUALLY was used not never, so unless you are a bear expert and have facts that no other expert has… I will be awaiting your apology for I made up a story with no proof to back it up.
Getting back to the topic of this thread, I will say again, I am glad that charges were filed against Danial Hamman for illegally shooting a protected cougar in the state of Minnesota.
If I had said “the big bad hunter who shot a sleeping bear in a den” would that have been better for you?
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Sorry no apology. It was you who first brought up all these cases that are unrelated to the article apparently in an effort to denigrate all hunters.
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H I see you missed this post too huh?
A Marie Erick said: On February 2, 2012 at 1:31 PM
H, while I am not a hunter nor is my family, I do happen to understand the need for hunting and do not begrudge hunters from legally hunting.
How ever killing the cougar was not legal, you quote the DNR over a bear stat and yet those who condone the shooting of the cougar just pass right over that pesky little legality fact. I have heard over and over from the other side “i don’t care i would have done it too” “doesn’t matter it was dangerous” “someones kid could have been killed” all to make them feel better about an illegal killing.
I’m not sure where you got the idea that I am against all hunters that you would say “apparently in an effort to denigrate all hunters.”.. a man who illegally shoots a protected cougar is not a hunter, and killing a cornered animal doesn’t make you a hunter. So that’s 2 out of a very large population of people who hunt.
As far as my post being off topic it was in response to a condescending post made by someone who didn’t like me posting facts he couldn’t refute. But it’s alright I didn’t expect you to admit anything as you took one sentence out of an entire thread and that’s what you based your entire objection and all of your posts on.
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From the Minnesota DNR website bear hunting regulations “Dens:May not take or disturb any bear in a den”. Shooting a hibernating bear most certainly would be illegal.
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If someone is anti legitimate hunting it’s fine. Just state your position. Please don’t make up stories though of “hunters” blasting poor sleeping bears that just aren’t true. I’m still waiting for Marie to provide her proof that a hunter shot a hibernating bear. I don’t believe it. I thought it was interesting that I even got a “thumbs down” on a post that just stated the DNR’s position on bears that are denning.
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H, while I am not a hunter nor is my family, I do happen to understand the need for hunting and do not begrudge hunters from legally hunting.
How ever killing the cougar was not legal, you quote the DNR over a bear stat and yet those who condone the shooting of the cougar just pass right over that pesky little legality fact. I have heard over and over from the other side “i don’t care i would have done it too” “doesn’t matter it was dangerous” “someones kid could have been killed” all to make them feel better about an illegal killing.
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I never said a thing about the cougar nor did I condone shooting it but you created a story about a “hunter” shooting a hibernating bear that simply wasn’t true. Marie. That’s why I asked you to provide proof of your charge of a “hunter” shooting a bear hibernating in it’s den. I’m still waiting.
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H since you obviously don’t read post answering your posts I will answer with a link that you may ignore as well.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20026168-504083.html
And I did answer your post, at 1:26 this afternoon, a full hour before you posted “I’m still waiting”
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And H, just to be clear, I never said the bear was shot in MN, just like the Micheal Vick thing didn’t happen in MN, or the kittens didn’t happen in MN. I am not limited in my views on the injustices done to animals to just things that happen in Minnesota.
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These knuckleheads definately deserved criminal charges.
For all you “What If” folks… When was the last time you read about a Mountain Lion attacking a child in the Black Hills? People and wildlife seem to co-habitat there very well just like the people in Africa and everywhere else.
We should have considered ourselves lucky that the potential was there to see a rare non-native animal passing through our area. Just like the occassional moose or elk wandering through every few years.
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I haven’t heard of a child being attacked in the Black Hills. I’ve heard of several verified attacks in California some of which ended up in human deaths. Would you like to take your chances with a hungry cougar?
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Whatever, if they had called the police, the police most likely would have shot the cougar, anyhow.
See the story about the collared deer….
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The last time a cougar was sited on the edge of Worthington in a tree, the authorities were notified and it was tranquilized and sent to a reserve in Colorado for protection.
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bac, you are more then likely right, the DNR might have shot it as well, being it was at night, however it was trapped so they could have waited until morning and tranquilized it and moved it like Naughtydog explained was done the previous time a cougar happened to be found in MN. But had it been a DNR officer who shot it, he would have been doing the job he was assigned to do.
As far as the collared deers, I find that BS too. So I’m not always on the side of the DNR, I usually come down on the side of the animal.
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The cougar was trapped in a culvert. It wasn’t a life or death situation. They had time to notify the authorities before shooting the cougar. Then they bragged about it on Facebook. Do I think a cougar that is wandering around building sites is dangerous and should be removed or shot? Absolutely! But you can’t just kill an endangered animal without permission unless your life or property is in imminent danger, which wasn’t the case here. There needs to be charges to discourage people from hunting cougars and claiming it was a “threat”. A supporter of legal hunting like you should be able to appreciate the need to discourage poaching.
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Hmm Now I’m being “moderated” for defending myself against a lying charge? Why because it’s being stated I made up facts about a bear instead of a cougar?
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