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'Stopped Him In His Tracks:' Outrage After Ex-Pro Hockey Player Kills Grizzly

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Sep, 2018 12:55 PM

A former professional hockey player is facing a backlash after he posted photos of a massive dead grizzly bear he hunted in Yukon.

Tim Brent, who was born in Ontario and played for several teams in the NHL, shared the photos on Facebook and Twitter.

"So this is the Mountain Grizzly Bear!" he said in a Sept. 10 post. "It was very easy to tell by his posturing that this boar owned the valley we were hunting and wasn't scared of anything!

"My heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest, but the 30 Nosler did the job and stopped him in his tracks. Couldn't be more thrilled to take a world-class mountain grizzly in one of the most beautiful settings in the world!!!"

In another post a couple days later, Brent posted a photo of himself with a moose he killed.

Alright folks, here is my Mountain Grizzly! We put an awesome stalk on him but he spotted us at about 75 yards. Instead of taking off he turned and came right at us. It was very easy to tell this boar owned the valley we were hunting in and wasn’t scared of anything! When he… pic.twitter.com/CkgybKe5Mc
— Tim Brent (@Brenter37) September 10, 2018

MY YUKON MOOSE
I am absolutely humbled by this animal. We all have times we hunt hard and don’t get rewarded, and then every once in awhile we get lucky and are in the right place at the right time (having a pretty awesome father-in-law doesn’t hurt either!). The stars defi… pic.twitter.com/UXvA0CbnUw
— Tim Brent (@Brenter37) September 12, 2018

You know there is only ONE animal that has a backstrap this big!!!! A BIG, OLD, YUKON MOOSE!You know there is only ONE animal that has a backstrap this big!!!! A BIG, OLD, YUKON MOOSE! pic.twitter.com/4AuabMWK5x
— Tim Brent (@Brenter37) September 11, 2018

One of the many reasons I hunt! Moose, bear, elk and wild boar fill my family’s freezer!One of the many reasons I hunt! Moose, bear, elk and wild boar fill my family’s freezer! pic.twitter.com/vqrpEwtmM4
— Tim Brent (@Brenter37) September 16, 2018

"The stars definitely aligned in the Yukon when I spotted this giant bull in the willows," he wrote. "I am thankful and I will never forget this moment in time, with family, in the most beautiful place on earth. This is a moose of a lifetime!!!"

The posts of him posing with the dead animals have sparked criticism and threats from other social media users — including one suggesting they should get a Mexican cartel to "put a hit" on him and see how he felt.

Brent said in another post that he reported the tweet, but Twitter didn't see it as a threat.

"This is what we are up against as hunters and conservationists!" he wrote last Friday. "These are the types of messages I am getting on Twitter in response to my moose and bear hunts. I would love to know what constitutes a threat or abuse for Twitter?"

Brent has not responded to a request for comment.

Officials with the Yukon government didn't respond to questions about the outrage, but confirmed the fall hunting season for grizzlies runs from Aug 1. to Nov. 15. They say it's legal to shoot moose from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31.

In the emailed statement, they said a non-resident Canadian hunter would need to use an outfitter or a special guide to hunt for a black bear, grizzly bear or moose in Yukon.

There's an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 grizzly bears in Yukon.

Earlier this year, outdoor television host Steve Ecklund's cougar hunt in Alberta led to a similar controversy — prompting Laureen Harper, wife of former prime minister Stephen Harper, to suggest Ecklund had a small penis — after he bragged about it on social media.

Similar outrage followed the killing of No. 148, a well-known Banff grizzly bear, by a hunter in British Columbia last summer.

Both kills were legal, but prompted a debate about the cultural divide that exists about hunting large carnivores.

Hunters often defend the hunt as tradition and a way to put food on the table, while others say predator meat isn't very tasty so they are often killed for their trophy items.

Warning: Some of the following tweets contain very strong language.

Lots of you guessed it!
Moose and Grizzly Bear are the 2 tags I was able to cut in the Yukon!
Did you know on average a single Grizzly eats around 40 Moose and Caribou calves during each calving season?Lots of you guessed it!
Moose and Grizzly Bear are the 2 tags I was ab… pic.twitter.com/wm1xexT1Ty
— Tim Brent (@Brenter37) September 10, 2018

I bet killing this beautiful bear 'put an awesome stalk on' Tim too. https://t.co/2BbGubDkFW
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) September 14, 2018

You were armed with guns. Hardly a fair fight. And he was only defending himself. You have nothing whatsoever to be proud of. Pathetic behaviour by a small-minded, mean, vicious excuse for a man. https://t.co/JSfXwsuyMw
— (((Frances Coppola))) (@Frances_Coppola) September 15, 2018

Well done you Disgusting Coward... https://t.co/pVtkHBLikx
— Ricky Grover (@RickyGroverUK) September 15, 2018

Karma karma....such a beautiful spirited animal, yeah I'm talking about the bear.....you on the other hand are a beast! @Brenter37 you will have yr day, trust in that.#protectwildlife https://t.co/W3GVBSpPSi
— Jo Frost (@Jo_Frost) September 15, 2018

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