Pro golfer charged for killing hawk in tree with shot

I find the arrogance shown by the action of this person, unbelievable:

PGA Tour golfer Tripp Isenhour was charged with cruelty to animals and for killing a migratory bird (a hawk) on purpose with a golf shot because it was making noise as he videotaped a TV show.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 14 months in jail and $1,500 in fines.

According to court documents, Isenhour got upset when a red-shouldered hawk began making noise, forcing another take, while making a video. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Brian Baine indicated in a report that Isenhour began hitting balls at the bird, and when the hawk moved within about 75 yards of him.

After a few shots at the bird, witnesses said he hit the hawk. The bird, protected as a migratory species, fell to the ground bleeding from both nostrils.

The bird was buried at the golf course and later dug up by Florida investigators.

 

Just as pathetic, not one of the 15-person film crew tried to stop him. He's going to find out Florida Game officials will spank him hard for it, too.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=3279958

 

I'ld call them either cowards for having no voice or simply just as bad as Isenhour for enjoying the game of hitting the hawk.

I hope he [Isenhour] gets the maximum as an example to any other idiots who think they can use animals for practice shots, or treat animals in such a manner if they interfere with their human world (um...wasn't Isenhour in an open, outdoor area with trees?rolleyes Guess that hawk didn't realise he had entered Isenhour's air space...perhaps Isenhour thought he owned the air space wherever he walked(?!) What arrogance!! Shame Isenhour didn't get dropped on first by a winged observer)

 

I hope he gets his Professional card taken away until he learns a lesson

The PGA should send him on a month tour with the Park Rangers where he will get an education on the preservation of wildlife.

 

I would believe that from a ten year old but not from a pro.:confused How totally arrogant of him to be PO'd at wildlife, shoot your darn show in a stadium you jerk. I hope he goes to a jail that raises roosters!

 

Thats good.

 

What a sick individual i hope he gets :crap ed on from a great height (pun intended apologies to the hawk)

 

*sigh*This is pretty much an example of stupidity. While he should instead have aimed for the tree it was sitting on, so the noise and vibration would drive it away, I don't think it's particular cruelty.

Before you start snatching up torches, if he hit it directly in the head, and not with a ricochet, the bird probably died instantly, IE before it actually hit the ground. So it's no more cruel than had he shot it and blown it's head from it's shoulders.

People always over-react to things like this. 'Oh the poor defenseless birdies.' I'm not saying what he did was right by any means, but birds of prey are pretty difficult to chase off without being able to startle them. The most intelligent solution of course would have been to move to a different part of the course.

 

Or use some of the technology available to the average TV crew and edit out the hawk's noise after shooting. Shoot...you can do it on your PC, I'm sure they have the software available to them.

 

Doesn't matter where he hit it rolleyes

If a dog in a pit fight dies immediately, does that make it any less cruel, or any less illegal. How about if someone intentionally hits a dog in the road with their car? But...the dog probably died instantly!

So that makes it perfectly ok!

I guess I missed the lesson in class that said if you kill an animal instantly, its not cruel.

 

Triaxx2, for him to have been charged and for him to have gone to court, shows it is more than just "an example of stupidity" and it definitely was an act of cruelty, because it was done intentionally, so it's not as though everyone is just "snatching up torches":

Noted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Brian Baine, that Isenhour had aimed for the hawk, and had said:

Then...

There was no "ricochet" shot, because according to the report:

As already noted by another poster, the bird's noises could have been edited out. Moving to another part of the course would not have guaranteed no bird noises...after all, he was outdoors, amongst trees, on a golf course.

 

How you treat animals says a lot about you.

Sad story.

I hope Tripp Isenhour has to serve time although he'll probably get off with a fine and community service.

 

*sigh* I'm not saying it's not illegal. I'm not saying he wasn't wrong.

No, it's still illegal to aim for the dog, but if I have to hit it for some reason or other, I'd rather it die instantly than face years of surgery and painful medical procedures some 'good samaritan' would force it to endure.

A dogfight is a cruelty, because it's forcing them to go against their nature, because the animals have been mistreated to make them killers.

As for editing out the sound of the Hawk, have you heard a Red shouldered Hawk scream before? It completely over rides whatever else you're trying to record. So moving would have moved them away from that particular bird.

Yes, how you treat animals says a lot, in this case it says he's an idiot.

But it's protected as a migratory species. So that means that we should federally charge all airports that use falconers to chase away prey birds to reduce bird strikes, because the falcons might kill one. After all, those are migratory birds as well.

 

Actually, yes I have heard one. I also work in the industry (albeit not TV production), so I understand how to edit and how effective it can be. It could easily be done.

You're right...moving away would have moved them away from that particular bird, and solved that immediate problem. Unless whatever they were shooting required them to be in that particular spot (I'd rather shoot myself than deal with golf, so I have no idea if moving would have screwed up their segment or not).

 

I never can hit my intended target LOL

In golf, if you hit a Birdie, this means you are 1 under par. If you hit an eagle, you are 2 under par. If you hit an Albatross, you are 3 under par.
I suggest adding this to the rules: if you hit a Hawk, you go to jail

G

 

MK, I'm not convinced it was a "lucky shot" in that golfer's case...nor was the judge convinced given the guy was a pro golfer shooting at 75 yards.

 

So true MK and Grumbles, Dispite the tragedy think of the bragging rights.

 

That's nothing. Talk when you knock a Chickadee off a branch. Hawk's are big targets. The whole Chickadee is about the size of the head.

The best thing of course would be to record the shot with the mic off, and then record the voice over it.