Hunters or criminals?

Dear sir:
It was with great disgust and disbelief that I read last week’s article, “Two elk shot north of Finland.” Why someone would destroy, not one, but two of these great animals in such a manner is very hard to comprehend.
As a member of the “hunting lobby,” I also was very upset with the opening statement in the article: “If the hunting lobby wanted good publicity, this certainly was not the way to go about it.”
To insinuate that the person who did this is a hunter is incorrect. This person should not be called a poacher, either, as they did not try to utilize the meat.
This person is a criminal!
I wonder if the staff writer knows of the great amount of personal time, and their own money, members of the Northwestern Ontario Elk Coalition have put forth to have these animals brought into our area.
First, there was the lobbying and planning, then ongoing fundraising, actual transporting of the animals, caring for them for a period of time, and still ongoing monitoring of the animals.
For a very dedicated care group of people, this has been an ongoing work of love since long before the first elk arrived. And yes, the vast majority, if not all, of these people are true hunters.
They understand there is much more to hunting than just pulling the trigger. They have given of their time, energy, and money for many years knowing that they would likely never see a hunting season for elk in this area.
They have done it because of their love of nature and the other aspects of the hunt.
I can only imagine how devastated these people who have worked on the elk restoration are with the loss of these animals. They do not need another blow by referring to those who destroyed the elk as hunters.
Thank you,
Bruce Hamilton
Fort Frances, Ont.