Uproar Over Under Armour Dismissal of Sarah Bowmar’s Sponsorship

It’s been well publicized this past week that Under Armour decided to drop a contract and cut ties with Sarah Bowmar. I must say when I first read the story on the Mirror, before I saw the video linked in the same article, I questioned the ethics of the Bowmars myself. The written evidence seemed convincing in the beginning so many anti-hunters and even non-hunters would have no problem rallying behind Under Armour’s decision. Upon further reading, I discovered that this was not an article based on fact, but purely based on an incorrect description of the events that had occurred.

I took this directly from the Mirror article linked above, “Animal campaigners said it could have taken up to 20 hours for the bear to die.” Wow. That is some intense investigative journalism with zero crediability behind it. It is as far away from any actual evidence you can get. But yet, it reads well. So unfortunately I can understand where all the mass confusion is coming from. Here is our side of the story.

Sarah and Josh Bowmar

The bear was killed legally and ethically. No laws were broken; every effort was made to successfully retrieve the bear. We as hunters have a very specific standard of hunting that we hold ourselves and others that hunt accountable to.

In the video, you watch as a bear gets away in the beginning because Josh Bowmar could not get in ethical range to make a clean kill. He made the right decision, and withheld throwing his spear. As a hunter, we don’t take a shot unless we believe whole-hearted we can make it a clean kill. Realistically does that always happen? No, but no one is perfect. Josh competed professionally in the javelin throw. He had all the skills and experience necessary to make a good ethical choice while hunting with a spear. He did it not once, but twice in the video show this. Visibly upset, Josh states in the video, “All that time, all that preparation, all that hard work, practice.” The first bear could have been his only chance but he let him go. In Josh's mind, it was the right thing to do. Hunters are NOT the mindless killing machines we are made out to be. We care as much if not more how our actions effect our prey. We all do our best to ensure mistakes are minimal. No true hunter would ever condone prolonged suffering of an animal.

People are so disconnected from reality that they believe hunting is with a spear is not adequate or humane way to kill a bear. We have only had the technology to mass produce store bought meat products for less than a century. To equate that to thousands and thousands of years we spent as hunters and gatherers and deem hunting with a spear as inhuman is as ridiculous as it is downright ludicrous considering the treatment of animals on meat farms.

Bottom-line: Josh Bowmar took an ethical shot with a weapon that he not only became proficient with, but he was also able to deliver a mortal blow and retrieve the bear. He was in front of the bear. That means that bear had just as much of a chance to escape as the first bear. Sarah Bowmar supported her husband during this legal, ethical hunt, (something Under Armour said they supported as well until now). Why then was Sarah ultimately punished for that? Sarah Bowmar is guilty by association in Under Armours eyes. Even though she did not actively participate in killing the bear. Her and her husband did nothing wrong.

As hunters, we already see a lot of back-lash for what we love to do. You can't stand with us, claim to support ethical hunting, and then quickly change your tune when 4,000 anti-hunters sign a petition under ignorant and false pretenses. The actions taken against Sarah were downright shameful. We are a family and we stand united. If you can’t support us, we can’t support you.

By Fontana Smith

August 22, 2016