Stoner's Dad Speaks Out

[Treblehook]

Not really surprised with this last bit of information concerning this "overly publicized" case involving the NHL hockey player. If these conservation groups and First Nations people want to maintain any credibility, they ought to think twice before they seize on an incident just because [as in this case] a professional athlete is involved. How about the fact that Stoner was with a guide, who just happened to be a First Nations person; and, no reference was ever made to the grizzly being one that had a name bestowed on it.

[Partmanpartfish]

So you're suggesting because the killer's dad says in a facebook post that he believes a bear named Cheeky never existed, that is gospel?

OK.

I'm not much of a conservationist, and I certainly understand hunting for food, but people who kill things for bragging rights are sick in the head, no matter who their guide is.

[dieseluphammerdown]

So you're suggesting because the killer's dad says in a facebook post that he believes a bear named Cheeky never existed, that is gospel?

Even if the bear was named that doesn't change the fact that it is a wild animal, and are you ready for this? NOT a pet.!

I think I've named just about every wild animal known to man in the hills surrounding Kelowna, so I guess by your logic no one should now shoot deer, or moose, or bears, or trap any animals as they are all named (pet name's)and that now makes them pets or off limits to hunters.
What a ridiculous argument and case these people or groups make because they have given some wild animal a pet name. Utterly ridiculous.

[Bsuds]

So you're suggesting because the killer's dad says in a facebook post that he believes a bear named Cheeky never existed, that is gospel?

I believe he said that no mention by the guide of a bear named Cheeky, nor did the guide call this bear Cheeky and that if there was a bear named Cheeky he didn't believe this was that bear and no I don't agree with trophy killings but do agree this has been blown all out of proportion.

[SmokeOnTheWater]

I don't care if the grizzly had a name or not. I don't care if the trophy hunter was a hockey player or not. Trophy hunters are cowards. Glad this was in the news and bring awareness to trophy hunting and the ridiculousness of it all.

[Treblehook]

I agree entirely that "trophy hunting" sucks at every level. In my mind that doesn't change the fact that this incident was blown to outrageous proportions. This young man was guilty [and plead guilty] to not having a valid license to hunt grizzly bear in the Province of BC. That having been said, it apparently was not a blatant case of someone willingly disregarding the law and hunting without a license; rather, a case of a young man purchasing a license as a resident when the letter of the law established that [under the Wildlife Act] he was not considered a "resident". It is not that hard to understand why he might think he qualified as a BC resident because of the fact that he was born and raised in BC and he owned a residence in BC to which he returned every year, during the off season from his job as a professional hockey player. There are two stories here and linking them the way they did was opportunistic at best. Trophy hunting is one story and Stoner's incident is another. He made a mistake on the class of license he purchased. If anyone thinks that this professional hockey player purchased a BC resident license, as opposed to a non-resident license, so he could save a few dollars, doesn't know much about how well NHL hockey players are paid. That doesn't even make sense! If you are against trophy hunting, find a way to make your voice heard. I just disagree with unnecessarily vilifying this young man in the process. What about the First Nations man who facilitated the taking of this animal by guiding Stoner in his hunt. It is hypocritical to criticize the hunter while ignoring the guide who gets paid to take hunters to multiple kills each season. I suppose it is politically incorrect to say anything about the guide??????

[Ken7]

Any link to this story. I'm starting to wonder if I'm a BC resident too now.....

[mexi cali]

I had forgotten about this story and when I read the title I thought it was about a father speaking up for his kid who got caught selling weed at school.

[Rwede]

Clayton Stoner and the Grizzly Bear

I have chosen to go public with the real story about this bear hunt to put it in the proper light. It is not meant to promote hunting and it is not in support of the anti-hunting groups, it's just "the truth".

I hope it helps show the public the level that supposedly "good people" are willing to lower themselves to for their cause, not caring whose reputation they destroy along the way.

When we met Robert Johnson the First Nation watchman in Kwatna (an extremely remote part of the province) he told us he could not stop us from hunting there but asked that we respect the land. The entire time we were there we were under the impression Robert had befriended us, he ate with us, he drank with us, and he shared stories with us. He was very helpful with his directions on how to get up the river to where we got the bear. When we got the bear back to the main boat and Robert was taking a few hairs for DNA samples I asked him if he had ever seen this particular bear bear before and he told me he had not but that "it was not uncommon for bears to pass through there". The entire time we spent with Robert he never mentioned anything about a bear named "Cheeky" or any other bear that he or anyone else had a relationship with.

When the story broke it was extremely hard on our entire family to listen to and read all the lies that were being told. To set the record straight the head and paws were not severed, the bear was not 5 year old Cheeky, it was not shot with a shotgun. This was a very large 18 year old male, the exact type of bear the BC Wildlife Service asks you to harvest. And when Robert was supposedly in his tent crying over the loss of Cheeky he was actually on our boat drinking and did so until 3-4am.

The possibility that Clayton wasn't a resident never crossed anyone's mind, he was born in the province, raised in the province and owned a home in the province but under the wildlife act he fell a few days short of the required amount of days to be classified a resident. I don't believe there ever was a bear named Cheeky and I believe once they found out Clayton played in the NHL they saw it as a way to bring awareness to their cause.

The truth is:
Our Vancouver Island born and raised son grew up hunting and fishing. He lives between Canada and the US because of his seasonal job. He shot a legal bear, in legal season, in a legal area with a licence that he incorrectly assumed he was qualified for. He is only guilty of a miscalculation of the days he lived outside Canada that year.

Ken Stoner

[jamapple]

I believe he said that no mention by the guide of a bear named Cheeky, nor did the guide call this bear Cheeky and that if there was a bear named Cheeky he didn't believe this was that bear and no I don't agree with trophy killings but do agree this has been blown all out of proportion.

You're right. The FN guide in fact didn't call him Cheeky. He called him KaChing!

[jamapple]

I had forgotten about this story and when I read the title I thought it was about a father speaking up for his kid who got caught selling weed at school.

That's awesome MD! All I can get from the title is this over zealous hockey dad,( we all know the ones), who always think their kid is the best. So, this kid made it to the NHL. That means he's a big boy, no? The last thing I'd want on an already embarrassing situation, is my DAD coming out and publicly defending something my legal council told me to plead guilty to. He screwed up, ok. But I don't think his dad going to the media helped his ego any.

[Treblehook]

What is that old saying about "walking a mile in another man's shoes"?

[Partmanpartfish]

If the public is seeing to it that you are paid $3.25 million US per year to play a children's game, it's just common sense that you watch what you do in the public eye.

Killing a bear for sport, leaving the corpse to rot, and being photographed with a severed head under your arm sounds more like ISIS, than good PR.

[Rwede]

The anti-everything organizations have been financially fortunate in this whole ordeal.

They have preyed mightily on the weak-minded to stuff their organizations' coffers full, because after all, this is some "rich" hockey player who has done way better than they, so let's vilify him.

If this were Joe Blow working in Alberta and failing to meet his BC residency rules under the Wildlife Act, no one would have heard of the charges, nor cared that he wasn't physically in BC for 16 days of 6 of the previous 12 months before applying for his permit.

But this is Clayton Stoner, a fellow who has done better in his life than any of these jealous poop-shovellers could ever aspire to, so it's all guns a'blazing on this one.

Clayton broke a rule that many aren't aware of, and has been assessed a fine and had his licence suspended. I don't condone breaking any aspect of the Wildlife Act, and I hope that others can learn from his mistake and are now aware of the residency rules.

The dimwitted, jealous low brows don't realize that they are being used to create tremendous wealth for the Raincoast and Suzuki brass.

But what else is new?

[Treblehook]

Right on! You nailed it Rwede.