Animals, Bizarre, Environment, International, Society

“Baboons Are Free!”: Idaho Fish And Game Commissioner Causes Outrage After Posing With Dead Family Of Baboons

idaho-fish-game-commissionerI have previously expressed my disgust over trophy hunting game like lions and elephants — people who post accounts of the thrill of killing a giraffe or rhino with a high-powered rifle.  I simply do not understand the joy or power felt in these thrill kills.   Nothing however quite prepared most of us for Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Blake Fischer. Fischer shared photos of his hunting trip in Africa where he posed with a photo of a entire “family of baboons,” including a baby, that Fischer massacred with a recurve bow.  He gleefully reported that, while you are charged for killing large animals, “Baboons are free.”

Fischer and his wife shot at least 14 animals in Namibia, including giraffe, leopard, impala, sable antelope, waterbuck, kudu, warthog, gemsbok (oryx) and eland.  However,  Fischer recounted how he wanted his wife to see him hunt “So I shot a whole family of baboons. I think she got the idea quick.” Yup, so did the rest of us.  The picture of wiping out a whole family of baboons to impress your wife (and then pose with the family) is horrifying to most of us.

We have previously followed the controversy over the shooting of “Cecil the Lion” by an American dentist Walter Palmer from Minnesota as well as  subsequent controversies of a Idaho hunter taunting animal advocates and killing giant elephants for trophies.

Various former commissioners and current hunters denounced Fischer and called for his resignation.

 

46 thoughts on ““Baboons Are Free!”: Idaho Fish And Game Commissioner Causes Outrage After Posing With Dead Family Of Baboons”

  1. “Glenn Greenwald
    ‏
    Verified account

    @ggreenwald

    20h20 hours ago
    More Glenn Greenwald Retweeted Yashar Ali 🐘

    I would avidly watch an entire network devoted to videos of hunters being attacked and mauled by the animals they’re trying to slaughter for fun, entertainment, self-esteem and various forms of compensation.Glenn Greenwald added,”

    https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1053070156988141570

      1. You have to wonder about people who wish harm on others. Especially journalists considering recent news out of Turkey. I also notice how most anti hunters when in discussions online eventually devolve to wishing death on those with whom they disagree. I have to wonder where that murderous rage is coming from, and why it seems so common in anti hunters.

        Namibia, where that vid was taken, has to be about the best example of how hunting promotes conservation. Namibia is the poster child for hunter driven conservation success. https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-environmental-economic-and-social-policy/our-work/specialist-group-sustainable-use-and-livelihoods-suli/newsletters-sulinews/sulinews-11-august-2017/hunting-and-tourism-can-work

        I don’t expect everyone to be conversant with large mammal conservation, or hunting, but you would think that if people don’t know much about a subject, they would simply shut up.

  3. Baboons are a pest species and African wildlife managers encourage shooting them. We kill rats and mice and never worry about “babies” or “families”. Different place, different way of doing things. Trophy hunting saved most North American large species and it’s currently the only reason not to turn most of Africa into grazing and farmland. Come to think of it when given a choice most Africans would kill ever last large mammal so they’d never have to deal with things like baboons and elephants destroying crops again.

    I never cease to be amazed at how people can form such strong opinions regarding things they don’t understand that have no effect on them or their lives. Some rich guy wants to go to Africa and shoot things, so what.

    1. somsai – I have not spoken up on the killing of the babies issue, but if you kill the adults you have to kill the babies. They will starve to death if you do not. It is heartless to not kill them.

    2. “I never cease to be amazed at how people can form such strong opinions regarding things they don’t understand that have no effect on them or their lives.”

      It’s a part laziness, part narcissism. Mix in copies amounts of pseudo-empathy for extra spice.

  4. WTF, how dfid you turn this into an abortion argument. The ‘hunter’ in question is a pig. Giraffs are not in need of culling. Killing a whole family of baboons would be impossible unless they were contained in an area. Again. PIG.
    There you go AH’s, have a party…..

    1. @Becka G

      I actually paid good money to go on a buffalo hunt in the Crow Nation a number of years ago. The tribe makes money and the herds are scientifically managed.

      Go ahead and call me a “pig”, while munching on arugula and prime rib.

      antonio

      1. antonio – which reservation? That could be my old stomping grounds? Bow from horse back?

  5. I am also amazed at the virtue signaling in these posts and am making the following assumptions.

    1. The virtue signalers are most certainly vegetarians.

    2. They are also pro-life.

    Since most virtue signaling “good whites” profess to be pro-choice, why can’t they do so with regards to sport hunting?

    Grew up hunting and fishing but consumed or donated what was harvested. Never been sport hunting in my life, BUT am “pro-choice” with regards to the rights of others to do so.

    Responsible game management involves controlled hunting to prevent overpopulation and sometimes involves sport hunting.

    WHY CAN’T UPPER MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE MIND THEIR OWN DAMN BUSINESS? Just wondering.

    antonio

    1. “Since most virtue signaling “good whites” profess to be pro-choice, why can’t they do so with regards to sport hunting?”

      Er . . . because non-humans aren’t, well, human? We eat non-humans so is that immoral? We kill and leave the bodies of pests (ground squirrels, rats, prairie dogs, etc.) which means that more noble, totally virtuous species such as eagles, hawks, coyotes, badgers, raccoons, etc.) can get a free meal!

      Or are you an animal rights activist? You know, one who views humans and non-humans as of equal moral value? (I’d LOVE to have that debate with your!)

      1. @Bloc

        Did you read my post, I am a hunter myself. I am making fun of virtue signaling “good whites”. I absolutely detest such people.

        antonio

  6. People who do this must feel really weak if this gives them a feeling of power. Disgusting!

    1. People who do this must feel really weak if this gives them a feeling of power. Disgusting!

      That would certainly be true for the millions of women that choose abortion as a means of birth control.

  7. Excellent posts Mespo! The virtue signaling here is pathetic. Where’s the outrage over French President Macron talking about African women having too many children because they lack education? That’s right, he essentially suggested at the Gates event that that African herd population would be better controlled simply by better education. No bows, no guns, just books. In the meantime, here in the land of empathy, we simply fund organizations to lure women in and cull their herd through abortion and then sell their parts. No formal education required. Virtuous, eh?

    1. Total fertility rates in Africa have declined by about 30% in the last 40 years. The upset of various parties consequence of such rates having declined faster elsewhere and the reasonable guess that it will take several generations for such rates in Africa to fall to replacement level. African countries have been much more successful in the realm of education and public health than they have in generating productive enterprise. Standards of living grow only slowly if at all, but African life expectancy at birth has now reached 60 years and about 60% of the population over 14 is now literate.

  8. Blake and his family, relatives, employees and friends addresses and the name and addresses of their childrens schools are already being circulated on the internet.

  9. Hunting and sex is in our DNA. Humans wouldn’t survive if they didn’t feed and procreate. Our society is a recent curtailing of these urges. Children at puberty are societally inhibited from having sex or following their natural urges. We don’t, as a rule, go out and kill something in the morning for dinner. This killer was contributing to the maintenance of the wildlife population in the area. The money he spent goes towards insuring the animal populations are kept in balance. A pound of Monkey meat brings far more than a pound of beef. In the North West sports fishers, identified often in photos holding huge Salmon, bring many, many times what commercial fishers to into the economy fish for fish. The licensing fees and taxes contribute to the maintaining of the Salmon species.

    The guy could be and probably is more instrumental in maintaining a viable presence of these and other animals on this earth than those that are offended by his mustachioed grin. There is a certain honesty in his perversion. We just don’t recognize it anymore.

  10. Some humans are born with empathy and some are born without it. Causing suffering to others is clear and persuasive evidence that a person lacks empathy. Rather than imprisoning such folks, they should first be given an opportunity to learn empathy. Some can learn and some cannot. Military training has proven that empathy can also be unlearned.

  11. I would like to see him and his wife dropped into the middle of the African jungle without any weapons. Let the cowards try to survive by their wit and instincts. The animals may decide that they need to “cull the herd” of humans due to overpopulation and damage to the environment. Hahaha.

    1. TIN:
      So for you, the penalty for lawful hunting is abandonment of hunter and spouse in a jungle environment where they are likely not to survive. You were saying the hunter was cruel and unreasonable, right?

  12. I think we have all learned a great lesson here. When we go trophy hunting, do not post the photos on Facebook. There is going to be blowback.

  13. He did it to impress his wife? She must be a real prize. These two mouth breathers were made for each other.

  14. JT:
    “I have previously expressed my disgust over trophy hunting game like lions and elephants — people who post accounts of the thrill of killing a giraffe or rhino with a high-powered rifle. I simply do not understand the joy or power felt in these thrill kills.”
    ***************
    I don’t understand your obsession with the hopeless Bears of the NFL. I don’t get the thrill in rooting for them as they lose, lose, lose. Can’t figure out the joy of endless frustration and ineptness. Still I’d never criticize anyone for enjoying a lawful sport. These hunters are doing the same under the supervision of wildlife managers whose interest is presumably preserving the species by means of hunting fees. Shall we substitute our sentimental notions of propriety in place of their science? Deer kill about 200 Americans every year and do a billion dollars in property damage. We spend another three billion to prevent this. Hunting is a key way to save human lives and to keep the deer population in check so it doesn’t become extinct. A second or two of remorse over killing “Bambi” is a small price to pay to save motorists.

    1. Do you seriously think the “wildlife managers” in Africa are promoting “science?” It’s the most corrupt place on earth and they are taking money to allow rich American psychos to kill their national bounty to the point of extinction.

  15. Put my shotguns away after returning from Nam still in their case to this day. Don’t begrudge anyone who wishes to hunt but I just can’t do it anymore. There are enough predators for these creatures to deal with without me.

  16. Killing a baby baboon? Very unsporting. Bragging about it. Imbecilic.

    I don’t have an issue with hunting trophy animals but this guy went too far. That said I sort of wonder if these hunts are so arranged that it is easy to shoot the big game and it is not like hunting elk here where it involves challenge, skill and luck but if a hunt such as what he participated in was more like shooting cattle in a corral it unworthy of the trophy and unfair to the game.

    1. This man probably would brag about killing a mother bear and her cubs while they were hibernating in a cave.

      1. Darren:
        From the article:
        “Carlson has researched the hunting of baboons in Namibia since Fischer’s email — it’s acceptable there — but he’s still bothered by the photo.”

        He’s doing what the local law allows and for reasons we don’t know. My guess Is that baboons are a problem animal. They are vicious and a pest to farmers trying to feed Africa’s growing population where hunger is ever present.

        He’s a quote from a baboon hunting site: “The Baboon is Omnivorous and under natural conditions they feed on wild fruits, seeds and insects. On occasion they will feed on the flesh of small mammals and birds. Because troops are inclined to raid commercial crops, baboons are not popular with maize and fruit farmers.Baboons are very fond of raiding crops, such as common sunflowers and alfalfa. They are therefore considered to be a pest by most farmers in Africa”

        As always, emotion by outsider is a poor substitute for facts known to the locals.

        1. I’m sure you are correct about the Baboons being a nuisance and I don’t doubt that local laws are obeyed, but there is nothing sportsmanlike in hunting an animal that doesn’t have a chance or is very young.

          1. There’s nothing “sportsmanlike” in killing. Sport involves exercise. Pulling a trigger is not exercise. Killing is not a sport.

                1. mespo – in Montana you cannot get close enough to a deer to kill with a shotgun unless it tries leaping over your speeding car. 😉

                    1. mespo – I have seen the video of people hunting hogzillas and I can see that shotguns would be better in country like that.

            2. I disagree. True Sportsmen hunt not ‘just’ for sport but with a humane and purposeful (ie:animal used for food…) mindset. Culling is done to preserve the health of a herd…anyone who lived in New England and watched thousands of deer starve and become victim to and propagate disease remember this well. And for those cromags tempted to pretend the same controls work on human beings? don’t even go there…….

          2. Some rationalize killing animals as protecting them or protecting humans. If that was the real reason, why would the killers use a method that causes near certain suffering?

  17. I read somewhere that Fischer said he didn’t do anything immoral. I disagree with that statement. One also must seriously contemplate the mindset of any person who takes pleasure in killing any living creature for sport. I’m no doctor, but I suspect it is pathologically insane.

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