THE SIDELINES : Game Preserve ‘Hunt’ Probed
Hunters paid up to $4,000 to kill bears and cougars raised in captivity during shooting sprees at a game preserve, authorities say.
“This wasn’t hunting. It was target practice,” said Herb Hill, the range manager who reported the hunts.
More than two dozen agents raided the 160-acre Texoma Hunting Wilderness on Wednesday.
“Dealing with animals, this is the worst thing I’ve ever dealt with,” Sam Cottrell, a state game ranger for 24 years, said Thursday. “You can’t even call it a hunt.”
Agents were to meet today to decide whether to take action against those involved in the alleged hunts.
The hunting range bought grizzly bears, black bears, cougars and elk from zoos, preserves and at auctions, Cottrell said. Hunters paid $1,000 to $4,000 to hunt the animals, he said.
Hill said hunters stalked the animals in a fenced area the size of a football field.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
