Carson Wentz, a free-agent NFL quarterback and avid outdoorsman, has faced enormous backlash after he posted a photo to Instagram of his recent black bear hunt in Alaska. The former Super Bowl-winning player is pictured sitting behind a good-sized black bear in a meadow, with the caption, "Got the opportunity to spot and stalk a black bear in one of our new favorite places on earth—Alaska! Incredible trip and incredible animal!"
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Naturally, about half of the internet freaked out.
Some were angered just by the killing of a big game animal, calling the hunt "barbaric and shameful," "tragic," and "disgraceful." One user wrote that he "hope(s) next time (the) bear wins and you lay down."
Others who were not so impressed took the opportunity to attack Wentz's football career: "This bear is like your NFL career. Dead," one Instagram commenter wrote. Sports writer Mike Florio wrote for NBC, "Currently, that bear in his photos could be the perfect metaphor for his football career. If the bear was something less massive and fierce and closer to something more cuddly and Koala."
Wentz is far from a beginner hunter—as evidenced by his mastery with the bow and his clean kill shot to the bear. He shares a separate Instagram account with his brother Zach, Wentz Bros Outdoors, which has featured turkey and deer hunts in the past as well as links to their YouTube page, where they share videos of their hunts and other outdoor pursuits. The athlete also notes in his original caption that bowhunting a black bear has been on his "bucket list" for a while.
Despite the controversy, Wentz hasn't done anything illegal. In fact, he went about the hunt quite ethically, as is pointed out in a later video seemingly posted in response to the initial wave of negative comments on his person account. The video, posted on his Wentz Bros Outdoors account, documents the men's trip as they use a Zodiac to access a marshy area, spotting the bear and then taking a clean kill shot with his bow. Later, they pull up some crab pots and make a dinner of crab and bear meat.
The video caption states that the hunt had a fair chase and an ethical shot, and that it put meat on the table.
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Meanwhile, black bear hunting—as well as grizzly/brown bear hunting—is legal in Alaska and is highly regulated. There are fall and spring seasons; and depending on the game management unit, hunts not only require a license but also a harvest ticket, a registration permit, or a drawing permit. Nonresidents must also have a big game locking tag, which runs $450.
Lastly, black bear meat is valued by many hunters, the fat can be used for cooking purposes, and the hides are prized for their thick fur.
Some users have spoken up in support of Wentz. Taylor Heinicke, a former teammate of Wentz on the Washington Commanders, wrote of the bear that he "need(ed) a taste of em." And former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler congratulated Wentz on the hunt.
Another user commented that any true hunter knows how hard it is to harvest an animal with a bow—and we couldn't agree more.
READ MORE: 15 Pieces of Bowhunting Advice for Those New to the Game
