American hunter draws fire after killing black bear with spear in northern Alberta

[spaminator]

American hunter draws fire after killing black bear with spear in northern Alberta
By Juris Graney
First posted: Monday, August 15, 2016 01:50 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, August 15, 2016 07:30 PM EDT
Hunting wildlife with spears will be banned in Alberta in the wake of video footage showing an American hunter throwing a spear into a black bear in the northern part of the province.
Labelling the practice of modern spear hunting as “archaic” and “unacceptable,” the government on Monday condemned the actions of hunter Josh Bowmar and asked fish and wildlife officers to investigate the incident to determine if charges were warranted.
The YouTube video, posted June 5, that shows Bowmar’s hunt (believed to be near Swan Hills, about two hours north of Edmonton) has been viewed more than 200,000 times, with many viewers, even some hunters, denouncing the kill as “barbaric” and “unnecessary.” By late Monday afternoon, the video had removed from public viewing.
“I just did something that I don’t think anybody in the world has ever done,” an elated Bowmar tells the camera after launching a spear about 10 to 12 metres into the side of a mature black bear that had been attracted to a bait bin.
Bear baiting is not illegal in Alberta, but it is restricted to certain areas.
The bear Bowmar targets isn't immediately killed by the projectile and flees into the dusk.
“I can’t believe that just happened … He’s going down, I drilled him perfect. That was the longest throw I ever thought I could ever make," Bowmar tells the camera.
"That was a 12- to 15-yard spear throw, on the ground, no blind, no backup. We have no shotguns within miles of here.”
Bowmar walks out to the spot, finds the spear and turns to the camera: “Oh yeah, I got mad penetration.”
The video cuts to the next day and shows part of the black bear's intestines wrapped around low-hanging branches and Bowmar discovering the animal “60 to 70 yards” away from where it was first struck.
A man identified as John on the video reasons that because of evidence of rigor mortis, “this bear died within seconds.”
'SURPRISED' BY REACTION
Bowmar, who runs an Ohio-based fitness company, credits Swan Hills outfitter husband and wife team of John and Jenn Rivet with helping in the hunt. Calls to the Rivets went unanswered Monday.
Bowmar told The Canadian Press in an email he was surprised by the reaction to the video. He said spears have been used for hunting since the “dawn of man” and the notion that the method is inhumane “couldn’t be further from the truth."
He said the spear blade he used was 13 centimetres wide and about 40 centimetres long and penetrated the bear more than 60 centimetres deep.
“The bear I speared only ran (55 metres) and died immediately, that’s as humane and ethical as one could get in a hunting situation on big game animals. Trust me, no one cares more about these animals than us hunters, especially me,” he wrote.
He also said the animals he hunts are not wasted.
“In fact, it is even against the law to waste the animals hide ... We also eat the meat from our harvested animals including bear. On top of tasting amazing, it’s extremely nutritious for our bodies.”
Wayne Lowry, president of the Alberta Fish and Game Association, said it is uncommon for hunters to use spears and "because it is so uncommon, it's never really had to be dealt with in the legislation, but knowing that it is being done in other countries and other jurisdictions, we figured it would show up here sooner or later."
Lowry said there was nothing prohibiting the use of a spear because it fits into a broad definition that allows hunters to use anything "that is a legal weapon."
That was until this video emerged.
The Alberta government said Monday it is currently updating the province’s hunting regulations and promised to introduce a spear ban in the fall.
"Hunting should be done with the most effective means possible to ensure you have a quick and immediate death as possible," Lowry said.
"The common weaponry — firearms or bow — can effect a speedy death so they are not suffering unduly by being wounded."
Lowry also said it was not illegal to leave an injured animal overnight but, "ideally you track and retrieve as soon as possible."
ONLINE OUTRAGE
Online outrage and death threats towards Bowmar and his 13-minute hunting video have closely mirrored that of when American dentist Walter Palmer shot and killed Cecil the lion in Africa in July 2015.
People commenting on the video post were quick to attack Bowmar and his hunting techniques.
“A real hunter kills quickly and humanely and shows respect for the animal that he has killed,” one person wrote.
Another wrote: “Surely there are laws against this kind of hunting? It's not even hunting — it's animal cruelty, pure and simple.”
One user, identified only as Shep said: "Dude ... I am going to make it my mission ... to hunt you down ... and then I'm going to do to you ... what you did to that bear ... then I'm going to take your head ... and it will be kept as my (expletive) trophy. Mark my words ... I WILL find you ..."
"Getting someone to lure a hungry black bear to a feeding station & stabbing it in the back," writes another viewer, "that's not hunting. It has about as much to do with hunting as killing your neighbour's cat. Or shooting a farmer's cows in a field."
According to a short bio on a website, Bowmar was a National Collegiate Athletic Association athlete with “All American honours” in javelin.
Bowmar's YouTube channel, Bowmar Bowhunting, has dozens of hunting videos showing him and wife, Sarah, hunting a wide variety of animals.
jgraney@postmedia.com
twitter.com/jurisgraney

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVR4wFtRg74
American hunter draws fire after killing black bear with spear in northern Alber

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Yeah, well, you get a lot of that from that community, you know? They never police their own.

 

[spaminator]

Bear-spearing bozo shows hunting at its worst
By Michael Platt, Calgary Sun
First posted: Monday, August 15, 2016 06:46 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, August 15, 2016 07:26 PM EDT
His lack of heart is clear the minute Josh Bowmar starts to giggle like a giddy kid, having just mortally wounded a hungry bear with his homemade spear, sending the animal fleeing into the woods with its guts hanging out.
But what’s really astounding is the American trophy hunter’s total lack of brains: at what point did the fitness fanatic and former champion javelin tosser think a public YouTube video of a curious bear baited with food and then eviscerated in a sneak attack was a good idea?
Backlash over the kill has been global, and it’s been vicious — and unfortunately, because this black bear was killed in Alberta under the supervision of a Swan Hill outfitter, the world’s revulsion has targeted this province too, leaving Alberta sporting a black eye over a legal hunt.
“I just speared a bear. I’ve worked so hard. This is crazy. That was a huge bear. I can’t believe that just happened. He’s going down. I drilled him perfect,” trumpets the 26-year-old bodybuilder, after leaving the bear to flee wounded into the woods.
“That was the longest throw I thought I would ever make. I mean, that was a 12 to 15-yard spear throw. On the ground. No blind. No back-up. We have no shotguns within miles of here.”
Maybe he feels brave and bold, but Bowmar comes off in the video as a coward and buffoon, first for baiting the bear with food in a barrel — raw meat being a common lure — and then by wasting time boasting about his awesomeness, rather than immediately working to put the bruin out of its misery.
Not surprisingly, the video was blocked by Monday afternoon, but not before 208,000 people had watched Bowmar’s ego-fueled footage, which he just couldn’t keep private.
Maybe Bowmar didn’t realize so many people dislike hunting, and even more loathe animal cruelty. Either way, the camera-happy fool is now paying the price.
The predictable backlash towards Bowmar and his hunting-partner wife echoes outrage heard after Cecil the Lion was killed last year by American dentist Walter Palmer, who hit the African lion with an arrow and then took another 40 hours to kill the animal.
“What you both do is disgusting, no matter how much you try to justify it. You kill for fun and the glee on your faces after something is killed is horrifying. The world would be better off without people like you,” reads one of the tamer posts left on Sarah Bowmar’s public Facebook page.
Inevitably, the video has triggered death threats, petitions for criminal charges and demands all sponsorship for their personal training business be withdrawn.
The Alberta government is doing damage control by suggesting spear hunting will be banned in the province.
All this, because Bowmar felt the need to brag online.
The hunting party didn’t find the Alberta black bear until the next day, when Swan Hills hunting guides John and Jenn Rivet led the Bowmars back to the bait station to track the bruin, a wait they claim was necessary because the spearing had taken place late in the day and chasing the bear would have been dangerous.
Bowmar, in a statement issued to the U.K.’s Mirror newspaper, defends himself: “The bear I speared only ran 60 yards and died immediately, that’s as humane and ethical as one could get in a hunting situation on big game animals. Trust me, no one cares more about these animals than us hunters, especially me.”
And while it’s true the dead bear was found a short distance away, at least ten hours had passed — and as if to prove his total lack of sympathy for the creature, Bowmar’s video shows him gloating over bits of gore left behind by the fleeing bear.
Maybe he did nothing legally wrong, and Bowmar certainly isn’t the first foreign hunter to pay for an Alberta kill.
And it’s also true even the cleanest, most humane hunt would upset some people, who just can’t bear to see an animal die.
But this kill was about bragging-rights, ego and fist bumps — and thanks to Bowmar’s video, the whole world has now seen hunting at its worst.
mplatt@postmedia.com
Bear speared to death

Bear-spearing bozo shows hunting at its worst | MICHAEL PLATT | Canada | News |

 

[spaminator]

Wife of hunter who speared black bear in northern Alberta loses Under Armour deal
By Juris Graney
First posted: Friday, August 19, 2016 03:45 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, August 19, 2016 04:58 PM EDT
Fallout continues over a video showing an American hunter spearing a bear in northern Alberta earlier this year.
Clothing manufacturer Under Armour has ceased their association with Sarah Bowmar, an accomplished bowhunter and wife of Josh Bowmar, the man at the centre of the controversy.
Bowmar, who runs an Ohio-based fitness company with Sarah, posted the video in early June and had been viewed more than 200,000 before it was removed from public viewing.
The 13-minute video showed Josh throwing a spear into the side of a mature black bear, which fled the area and died shortly after. It sparked outrage online with many people calling the hunting method inhumane, a claim that Bowmar disputed.
“Trust me, no one cares more about these animals than us hunters, especially me,” Josh told the Canadian Press in an email.
In response to the public backlash, the government of Alberta announced its intention to introduce a ban on spear hunting in the province in the fall and asked fish and wildlife officers to investigate the incident to determine if charges were warranted.
While detractors of the Bowmars took to social media to attack the hunters, supporters have defended the pair and called on Under Armour to reverse its decision or face a boycott.
The Bowmars have not responded to requests for an interview.
jgraney@postmedia.com
twitter.com/jurisgraney
Wife of hunter who speared black bear in northern Alberta loses Under Armour dea

 

[Danbones]

an american hunter hit something on the first shot with out a hi capacity box of spears
no way!!!

have you ever seen someone who has been mauled by a bear?
they should Make that illegal
watch the revenant with Leonardo D if you don't spend enough time outdoors to know.

a bear will claw your guts out if It thinks it will have a better day because of it
and the hell with you

and often one has to track an animal who has been only wounded by a bullet
is that more humane then a spear?
How?

the first thing you learn if go to work in the bushis
DON'T HUMANIZE THE BEARS!
its the correct answer when they are screening you for northern employment in the camps

no spring bear hunt is bad enough
making spears illegal will infringe on abouriginal rights too I would expect..
after 50,000 years of bear hunting with spears
you folks up north will be in deep trouble if they ever take your guns awasy

say, every been speared by the tax man?
now there is something they should make illegal

 

[MHz]

A motherless cub or a yearling at best. Swan Hills is a big dump site and not shy of bears. When the camp bear at our location north of Fort Nelson the bear was shot from a chopper just to make sure it was quick and clean. It was either that or give the camp attendant more than a whisk-broom.
In this case the bear is heading in the other direction and the photo is taken to try an make the 'cub' look larger than it really was. The prick and his film crew should win a month or two on Kodiak Island with a spear each. (wireless real-time so the audience gets to see the ending as it happens.

That being said, having your face bit off by any kind of bear is an event that nobody wants. (which happened to some guy in Jasper a few days after our camp bear was killed. Other means (like moving the garbage so it would just go there as camp was being moved in a few weeks anyway. ( some girls loved the claws as they were earring size)

 

[Danbones]

yeah american hunters we have to paint cow on the cows so they don't shoot them for deer
that aside
qwick and clean is NEVER certain
or hunters would not need repeating rifles or magazines
sorry any REAL hunter knows that

and a spear is different then a bow and arrow, how?

or will they take out bow hunting next?
and jeez don't talk about the cruelty of playing a fish
or fishing TV

 

[MHz]

That is for sighting the rifle in then you can hit what you shoot at. A 5 gallon can at 200 meters is an easy shot with open sights, a 1 liter oil can is another story but it can be done. The 5 gal metal can has a metal lid and we filled it almost to the top with water and set the lid on so when the bullet impacted the lid would go up and then a pause before it landed on the rocks. This was recorded and inserted between some songs on some cassette. The timing and clarity was actually pretty good when played through a house system with the pause being just long enough that you thought the event was over and then the metal hitting something solid. Life in a small town, what can I say.

 

[Danbones]

try taking the top of a stubby beer bottle at 150 yards standing, with iron sights
3 out 0f 3 ( remington woodsmaster, semi auto 30.06 )

No matter how good you are it still it does not guarantee a kill

the american sniper who holds the longest kill shot currently, if I am not mistaken, shot twice for that kill

 

[spaminator]

No charges for U.S. hunter who baited and then speared a bear in Alberta
The Canadian Press
First posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 02:33 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 03:54 PM EDT
An Alberta government spokesperson says a U.S. hunter who posted a video of himself baiting and then killing a bear with a spear will not face charges.

The spokesperson with Alberta Justice said the investigation into the video, posted on YouTube in June by hunter Josh Bowmar, is done and there was no evidence to suggest any law was broken.

The 13-minute video shows the man launching a spear, with a camera attached, at a bear from 11 to 14 metres away and captures his jubilant reaction when the animal is hit.

The video by Bowmar, who runs an Ohio-based fitness company with his wife, set off a deluge of outrage before it was made private.

In a statement, the provincial spokesperson called spear hunting “archaic” and said it was “unacceptable.”

The spokesperson also says the province is looking at changing hunting regulations, with a ban on spear hunting expected in the fall.

Bowmar was surprised by the reaction to the video, saying spears have been used for hunting since the “dawn of man” and the notion that the method is inhumane “couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“The bear I speared only ran (55 metres) and died immediately, that’s as humane and ethical as one could get in a hunting situation on big game animals. Trust me, no one cares more about these animals than us hunters, especially me,” he said in an emailed statement last week.
No charges for U.S. hunter who baited and then speared a bear in Alberta | Canad