Tragically this event will have a ripple effect throughout our hunting community and cast a blanket of shame upon ALL hunters in this country.
It's been this way for decades in California, this incident will in my opinion will have a dramatic effect upon our hunting culture in general.
Hanging a trophy buck or bear on the wall in your den will rekindle this event in the minds of many.
It saddens me deeply to see where this is all headed...
Fully agree, and well-state. This event has probably already made many folks who have never thought about safari hunting much or at all to have a negative view of it and all hunters in general. After the recent White House petitions to extradite him (at least two), look at the nature of the other recently submitted petitions (many related to hunting):
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitionsBasically, this has struck a nerve and it will impact the image of hunting and hunters, making it harder to gain support among some folks who were ambivalent in the past. It definitely gives the antis an audience and toehold to open the doors to negative legislation, gain donations for organizations that actively lobby against hunters and to influence those willing to listen to them.
Think of the impact Sandy Hook had on gun owners and our ability to buy ammo and guns. We still don't have the availability and pricing of pre-event. Equate Cecil the Lion to those kids...in that for some it is an endearing image shattered by someone with a gun.
Will the media furor die down? Of course. Their job requires them to move on to the next hot topic/event. Will this have long-standing repercussions? Absolutely.
