Ohio Hunter Triggers International Outrage With YouTube Video Of Speared Bear

We recently followed the controversy over the shooting of “Cecil the Lion” by an American dentist Walter Palmer from Minnesota. There were other trophy hunting stories that enraged people around the world. (here and here and here). Now, a trophy hunter appears to be vying with Palmer as the most hated man on the Internet after he filmed and posted his killing of a black bear with a homemade spear. Josh Bowman has been denounced around the world for his video from Alberta, Canada as he celebrated the slow killing of the bear.

Bowmar, 26, is a bodybuilder and a former All-American javelin thrower at Heidelberg University who apparently dreamed of stabbing a bear to death with a spear. The Columbus, Ohio native is shown with the dead bear with its intestines falling out of its stomach. He is shown dancing and cheering the kill. Other hunters have denounced him for a kill that might have taken up to 20 hours for the bear to finally die.

Bowmar killed the bear a day after his wife Sarah killed another bear with a rifle. Bowmar can be seen gleefully celebrating what must have been an prolonged death of this bear, saying “I just did something I don’t think anybody in the world has ever done.” There may be a reason for that. Hunters have said that they are disgusted by the videotape and Bowmar’s thrill kill.

Bowman was able to lure the bear with the help of guides John and Jenny Rivet, who run livinthedreamproductions and features scores of dead black bears and other animals on their website. I will admit that I have never understood trophy hunters. I have been a hiker and backpacker for decades and love seeing bear in the wild. I could not imagine seeing such majestic animals in the wild and then wanting to kill it to some how possess it for myself. I recently discussed how the famed East Pack of Denali National Park has been likely lost after a hunter waited just outside the park to shoot the last male from the pack. Nevertheless, I know many hunters who are some of the most serious environmentalists and respect their sport. However, the glee of slicing open the stomach of a bear makes most hunters and non-hunters recoil.

Here is the video: