Bear spearing spark outrage!

[Lee Borgersen]

              .... MNO  Breaking News [/b]                     

              Canadian bear spearing sparks outrage!


  .....
Officials in Canada's Alberta province have said they plan to ban spear hunting after an American posted a video of himself impaling a black bear.

Social media users criticised US hunter Josh Bowmar, 26, for uploading a 13-minute video showing the hunt.

Though spear hunting is legal in Alberta, officials have said they are looking into whether Mr Bowman could face charges for the kill.

A ban on spear hunting is expected to be in place this autumn, they said.

Alberta Environment Ministry spokesman Kyle Ferguson said the agency had asked Fish and Wildlife officers to launch an investigation into whether Mr Bowman should be charged under current laws.

The video, which was posted on YouTube in June and taken down on Monday, shows Mr Bowmar setting a trap for the bear in northern Alberta and launching a spear, with a camera attached, at the animal.

"I drilled him perfect," Bowmar said to the camera, according to Reuters. "That was the longest throw I ever thought I could ever make."

Spear hunting is illegal in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, but not in Alberta.

Mr Bowmar said he has received hundreds of death threats and has been forced to cut back on his social media use because of the backlash.

The Ohio native was a competitive javelin thrower in college and currently runs a fitness company.

"It's extremely frustrating to me," he told the AP. "I didn't do anything illegal. The bear died very humanely. The truth is I honestly care more about animals and hunting than anybody could."

Mr Bowmar said the bear ran 55 metres (180 feet) before it died and argued that a spear was a more humane weapon than a bow, Reuters reported.

Mr Bowmar is not the first American to spark outrage in the sport of hunting.

American dentist Walter Palmer came under fire last year for killing the black-maned lion, Cecil, with a bow and arrow outside the Hwange National Park in western Zimbabwe.

Mr Palmer was not charged because officials said he had obtained legal authority to kill the animal.



           © Getty Images Alberta officials say a ban on spear hunting is expected this fall.


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[Boar]

wow! if its leagal, whats the issue, I see more problems with hound hunting than I do with chuckin a spear, I support all leagal forms of hunting and hound hunting dates back from before the begin whn hunting really became a sport. If your efficient with a spear and have nads to do it, Kudos!

[glenn57]

I'm with ya and that boar;!!!

[LPS]

I've seen a few spearing videos and they all looked like clean kills. 

[deadeye]

People will always have something to cry about.

[Cody Gruchow]

So this guy does something that's completely legal and they want to find something to charge him with?! What a load of crap. Because people against hunting are butt hurt about it.

[dew2]

 On the net you'll always find those who dont agree,Their usually the vocal ones!!
 I read the province is talking about banning spearing bear now!! This fall when they set times an limits that will be a point they look at.

[LPS]

They seem to react pretty fast to some things up there.  Like Ontario when they shut down the spring season.  That  wasn't very popular to hunters but someone complained loud enough to get it done for a few years.

[HD]