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
