Last year, there were 855,486 hunting licenses sold in Pennsylvania, and the overwhelming majority of those were used to hunt deer in a responsible and ethical manner. November 30th was the opening day of the rifle deer season this year, and it should be filled with memories of friends and families going into the woods together. Unfortunately, many people will remember this as the year two idiots ruined the image of hunting for everyone else.
Two Brookeville, PA high school students allegedly harassed, beat, and kicked a wounded whitetail buck. They had apparently shot and wounded the buck, but instead of quickly ending its life, they treated it brutally. What’s more, they filmed themselves with a phone camera and shared the video via Snapchat.
GunsAmerica has decided not to post the video. It is truly brutal and hard to watch. One guy kicks the deer repeatedly in the face while the other stands on it’s hind legs to keep it from moving. They laugh and swear at the buck all the while.
The video went viral when it was shared on Facebook by a concerned citizen. Gregg Rossman posted it Saturday on the Pensylvania Game Commission’s Facebook page to alert them. You can see it here, but discretion is advised.
The video was originally posted on Snapchat, a social media app for sharing pictures and videos with friends. The unique aspect of Snapchat is that content is only visible for 24 hours, and then it’s inaccessible. Perhaps the young men thought that their circle of friends there wouldn’t share the video with others. Snapchat is notorious as a place where inappropriate content is shared because people think it will be kept private.
Alex Smith and Cody Hetrick are the alleged youths in the videos. If they thought there would be no repercussions for abusing an animal and posting a video about it, they were heinously mistaken.
Both are high school students, and if a student can be expelled for photos of herself at a shooting range, then surely this conduct could warrant expulsion as well. Heavy.com reports that Hetrick, a senior, is on the wrestling team, and that status is likely tentative as well.
What’s more, Heavy also reports that Smith is the stepson of the Police Chief, and these actions could reflect on his stepfather. Hetrick’s family owns a restaurant and it has been under fire with bad reviews and comments on sites like Yelp.com. They will not be receiving new business because of this boy’s behavior.
“The Pennsylvania Game Commission is aware of a video purporting to show individuals assaulting an injured deer,” wrote the Commission on their Facebook page. “The conduct portrayed in the video is reprehensible and potentially a violation of the law.”
The video post on the Commission’s page has more than 4,500 comments and has been shared more than 6,300 times. There are 6,800 comments and counting on the Commission’s own post in response.
This event will not go quietly away, and those boys will pay for what they’ve done. Hopefully, next year’s rifle opener will pass with memories made around camp instead of lives being ruined online.
“Pennsylvania State Game Wardens are currently investigating the matter. If you have any information related to the video, we ask that you report it to the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-888–PGC-8001 or the Game Commission’s Northwest Region Dispatch Office at 814-432-3187.
“Thank you for your help and for your concern for Pennsylvania wildlife.”
When the next rut comes around takem out to the woods, strip’em down, tie’m to a tree and coat’em with doe scent.
They both should get a minimum sentence of life in prison with no parole.
I cannot think of a penalty harsh enough for these two boys what I know is that they will walk and not learn a thing .please let me know what happens.
What bothers me is the fact that most kids follow their parents actions. This really makes me wonder about the quality or lack there of of their upbringing. I also agree with some of the other comments as far as never allowing them to hunt again or own firearms.
I very seldom say anything on the internet as you never know who you may offend. but, But, BUT this time I must open up. These two %$&^#* #&&!#%& must be punished to the Max! They must Never be able to Own even a soft pellet gun, much less a firearm. They must never be able to have a licence to hunt, EVER!! They must due the MAXIUM TIME IN PRISON that the LAW DEMANDS!!!!
While their conduct is grossly reprehensible and hard to watch–max time in prison for two High School KIDS pulling a bone-head prank is the type of knee-jerk reaction that is all too common in our society–ruining two young men’s lives FOREVER is an irrational response. Suspending someone’s CONSTITUTIONAL 2nd Amendment rights FOREVER for a crime commitment on a deer is another irrational response. If you have ever exceeded the speed limit by 20 mph, then I think your driving privileges (NOT a CONSTITUTIONAL right either) should be suspended FOR LIFE–because that is reckless and could potentially kill someone–see what happens when we make knee jerk comments.
A steep fine, maybe a weekend in the county jail, suspended hunting privileges for 10 years, and several hundred hours of community service will send the message these young men need.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EVER BUY A HUNTING LICENSE AGAIN, OR BE ABLE TO OWN A FIREARM FOR THAT MATTER!!!
Wow, that is really sick. Quickly harvesting an animal is one thing, purposely hurting one is something completely different.
I hope this comes back to bite them, but in this day and age, who knows.
These boys are obviously imbeciles and should have their hunting licenses banned for 5 years. Meanwhile, innocent babies are being butchered down the road in a “clinic.”
Now, you get the bad ones in every generation, but it seems the last 2 generations have gotten far more out of hand than the previous.
And the PITA of it is, the last 2 generations are the ones giving us grief about some of our traditions they deem wrong.
Many of these kids are really messed up.
Morons
I’d say about a year in jail would teach these guys a lesson, however being as the police chief is the stepfather of one of them I look for a possible slap on the wrist. Hope you keep us informed.
As a PA resident and hunter, I’m sickened by the actions of these teens. It’s bad enough that the buck was initially downed with a less than lethal shot, but that can be, and is, a part of hunting. What’s not, is not dispatching the animal immediately. I really hope these boys reflect, and learn, from their behavior.