Jimmy Houstans shame

[VMAXX]

I'll never watch anything to do with this man anymore

http://www.real-hunters.com/


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[VMAXX]

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[rudeZ20]

Hey VMaxx,

I did not see anything at this site on Jimmy Houston?

Marty

[crappiepappy]

>Hey VMaxx,
>
>I did not see anything at
>this site on Jimmy Houston?
>
>
>Marty

This is all "old news" ... as it happened a couple of years ago. But, for those interested in the video --
try this link -- http://real-hunters.com/full.swf

It's not actually "about" Jimmy Houston ... it's about the deplorable conditions and illegal runnings of "penned" animal hunts. The "game farms", where animals are penned in for the purpose of providing a trophy kill, are legal. Jimmy was just another victim of greedy & unethical practices, by the propriators of these operations. See the Region 3 report, in the first link below.

Here's some other links concerning this issue:

http://www.fwoa.org/news/fwoanws39c.html
http://realindy.com/canhunt.htm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/madc...farm111303.cfm
http://www.tristate-media.com/articl.../01crowley.txt
http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=2768107

Jimmy Houston, singer Ronnie Dunn, & TV personality Joey Mines involvement in this case ... only served to sensationalize the issue. When properly run, these facilities are no worse than pay lakes, stocked private lakes, or game bird farms (where you purchase a bird & have them "set" for you to hunt or train dogs to point). The main problem here ... is that they were not being properly run, and illegal practices were being allowed (for the benefit of the client, and the greed of the owners). That's my take on it, anyway. Ya'll make up your own mind on this .......... luck2ya ...... cp

[VMAXX]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Feb-06-06 AT 11:21AM (EST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Feb-06-06 AT 11:18*AM (EST)[/font]
Sorry z-20 I forgot to tell you to click on Bellar trial video,
No like cp said it wasnt just about JH but for a guy of his supposed character to be involved in this it blew me away,not to mention his other incident in Pike Co. Ill., I guess the video just came out because his website was overun yesterday
As unethical as it seems I also heard this is legal now in Ind. ?:( As far as being no worse than a paylake...I cant see it a drugged deer in a 3-6 acre pen with people pushing it to your stand? Not much of fair chase







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[VMAXX]

Valley Outdoors: Indiana millionaire disregards hunting laws, heads to
prison On Sept. 6, Russell Bellar will go to prison. Bellar, a self-made
millionaire, owned a construction company, entertained celebrities, was
a member of the state Cervid Council, had political connections, and ran
the state's largest deer farm. Bellar was leading the fight to have deer
farms and ranch hunting legalized in the state of Indiana.


However, somewhere along the line, Russell Bellar disregarded those laws
that he felt didn't apply to him. On May 6, 2005, he was ordered to
serve 366 days in prison and pay $575,000 in fines. His permit to run a
deer farm was revoked and his days of entertaining the rich and famous
at his 1500-acre ranch are now over.


The case against Russell Bellar began in the fall of 2003 when the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources began receiving tips about an
enclosed 1500-acre deer farm where hunters were killing pen-raised
trophy bucks. The IDNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the FDA combined
forces and planned "Operation Orion," an undercover sting operation
controlled by the Special Investigation Section of the IDNR. The sting
included more than a thousand man-hours, thousands of documents, hours
of taped footage, and encompassed ten other states.


Bellar's, a two-mile-square farm known as Bellar's Place, was a complex
of high fences, feeding stations, fields, woods and roads surrounding a
modern lodge. The farm was promoted as a private hunting lodge where a
trophy buck was guaranteed.


The complex near Peru was rumored to be home to 2000 captive deer. It
was also rumored that Bellar was disregarding laws regarding hunting in
enclosed areas. Among those rules being broken were hunting out of
season, using illegal weapons, hunting without a license, transporting
deer parts illegally over state lines and using tranquilizers on deer
for the purpose of hunting them.


An undercover officer set up a hunt on Dec. 11, 2003. He spoke with the
manager of the farm, Thomas Jones, who arranged a hunt for a trophy buck
in a pen. The cost was more than $23,000. On Dec. 12, conservation
officers visited Bellar's residence and questioned him about the
practices on his deer farm.


Bellar stated that he let people hunt on his farm, but they hunted the
entire 1500 acres, the hunters had to be licensed and they obeyed all
the laws regulating deer hunting; furthermore, Bellar assured the
officers that stands were placed away from feeding stations and that no
illegal baiting was taking place.


Bellar also assured the officers that he understood all of those
infractions were felonies. A few days later, the undercover hunters
stayed a night at the lodge and hunted the next morning.


Jimmy Houston, the popular outdoorsman featured on ESPN Outdoors, was
there. Videographers had just finished filming a "hunt" where he had
killed an enormous buck within the confines of one of Bellar's "killing
pens." Fans of Houston should be interested to know that the trophy buck
had been drugged, driven under his stand, and killed over a feeder. The
entire hunt had been staged with the intention of promoting Bellar's
Place.


The undercover officers were each given a picture of the trophy buck
they were to kill and told that a videographer would film the hunt and
later edit it. They were instructed not to shoot the buck while the
fence was in the background.


The day of the hunt, the officers were directed to sit in stands inside
a six-acre enclosure. A feeding station could be seen from their stands.
They were told that the 190-point Boone and Crockett buck had been
drugged and was already in the pen and that the other buck had just been
drugged and would be turned loose once the hunters were inside the pen.
The bucks and a number of does would not leave the safety of the fence,
so farm workers had to shoo the deer away from the fence so it wouldn't
be in the filming. After killing both bucks, the officers requested that
the meat be shipped to an address in Tennessee, a clear violation of the
Lacey Act.


The IDNR then obtained search warrants. A long list of hunters were
subpoenaed for testimony.


Caches of tranquilizers and tranquilizer guns were seized. The drugs
used to tranquilize the deer were deemed unsafe for human consumption.
In spite of the danger, hunters on the ranch were given the meat from
the tranquilized deer.


Some of the witnesses for the prosecution included Houston, Ronnie Dunn
(singer from Brooks and Dunn), Jeff Wickersham (Dolphins quarterback),
and Fred Rowan (CEO for Carter's Clothing Inc.).


Violations included baiting, hunting without a license, using
high-powered rifles, killing drugged deer, hunting out of season,
hunting over feeders and violating the Lacey Act.


Before the commencement of the trial, Jones pleaded guilty and agreed to
testify for the prosecution.


Bellar's attorney called one witness, Bellar's accountant. The defense
argued that Bellar's deer were his own personal property and that the
state had no right to regulate it.


Before a verdict was reached, Bellar decided to plead guilty. Operation
Orion has received little public attention. One reason for the lack of
publicity may be due to Bellar's political connections. A business
associate of Bellar, state Rep. Bill Friend, introduced Bill 1780, which
would place the regulation of deer in the hands of the department of
agriculture, to the Statehouse this spring. It was shot down when the
Democrats walked out.


During the month of June, the IDNR conducted forums throughout the state
to address the issue of deer farms. Although there are honest farmers
who have found a niche market in operating deer farms, there are those
that exist who seek to exploit deer and hunters.


Canned hunting, like that found at Bellar's Place, is a threat to real
hunting. It ruins the image of hunting, it increases the threat of CWD,
and it strips away the idea of fair chase. Canned hunting is an ugly
form of killing animals under the guise of real hunting.








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[YAZ]

This has become a big black eye for the legitimate deer hunters in Indiana. Particularly, in the eyes of those who do not hunt and think this is what real deer hunting is. There has been a real push by the legitimate sportsman in Indiana to get these operations shut down. I personally do not have a problem with a farmer trying to make a living raising deer and elk (within the law). But what went on at the Bellar Farm was deplorable. I have been following this since the trial. Jimmy H. had photo's of the buck he killed there on his web site until last week. The trial video's were just made public, so he is getting a lot of heat. He apparently took the pics off after people started the questions. I don't feel sorry for him. All of the hunting sites here in Indiana are all over it.

[DJD]

This video made me sick. I just find it hard to believe that any person who calls themselves a sportsman would do this. If these guys do this for fun what would they do for money? Cheat on tourny's?? Not a far leap in my mind.

[flippindrew]

I find this absolutely discusting and very disturbing. And I am sorry but this is in no way like any type of private or pay lake. Jimmy Houston is a discrace to the word sportsman.

[bkehl]

I must agree with you guys about this, being from Indiana, This is a disgrace, Our GREAT General Assembly has passed House Bill 1349 allowing this activity until at least 2013. However tagged onto this Bill is a positive, it allows a Honorably Discharged Vet to get a Lifetime Hunting, Fishing Trapping License Free of charge. Let me tell you, your find state is light years ahead of Indiana when it comes to Hunting and Fishing, All of your Lakes, Ramps Restrooms are nicer than we have for the most part. Paying for a non-resident Fishing License is well worth the money. I do not hunt and if I did, I would not use this type of activity. I do not use pay lakes, only public waters.
Please do not think that Indiana Hunters agree with this, the most of them are sportsmen and enjoy the hunt in the wild without fences.

Just my 2 cents
Bill Kehl
Centeral Indiana
PS Love your board, Great INFORMATION!

[skee53]

Bill are you saying they have "passed" a bill giving all H/D veterans a free H/F license? I haven't seen anything on that.

[BassBest]

I think you guys should back off Jimmy Houston. What the heck's the difference in shooting deer in an enclosed area, and catching a record or near record bass from a pond, not a dang thang. But pond fishing is fine, stockinng bass in a secluded area, let them grow, catch them and say HEY i CAUGHT A 9 LB BASS MAN, its amazing how someone notices the negatives of all successful persons, and do not elaborate on the positives.
No offense intended, but its nothing different from fishing a pond that many like to do.