Former Beauty Queen Faces Jail Time for Grizzly Bear Hunt
Former beauty queen and avid hunter Theresa Vail frequently finds herself in tricky situations as the host of the Outdoor Channel reality series Limitless, but finding her way out of new legal troubles could prove more difficult than skydiving at West Point or making it through a 26-mile trek in New Mexico.
The former Miss Kansas is charged with two misdemeanor offenses, for shooting an Alaska grizzly bear without a tag and for trying to cover it up, according to the Associated Press. Vail’s hearing is set for Dec. 16.
During a hunting trip for the series, Vail acquired a big game hunting tag to kill one grizzly bear. Alaska wildlife troopers said that after successfully shooting a male bear, Vail attempted to kill the animal with a second shot, but instead killed a female bear that was nearby.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game requires out of state hunters to purchase a permit to hunt big game—like grizzly bears. Documents filed in a state court allege that Vail conspired with her guides to obtain a second tag, and backdated the tag's purchase to cover her tracks.
After the animal is killed, the lock tag must remain on the animal before its processed or exported. Both grizzly bears were skinned for their pelts, according to the AP. The men assisting her in the hunt, Michael Renfro and Joseph Miller have also been charged with misdemeanors offenses.
Vail said she is “deeply sorry” for her mistakes.
“This May, during an Alaskan guided bear hunt, I unintentionally harvested a second bear while attempting a follow up shot," Vail said in a statement obtained by Fox News. "I then followed poor advice and allowed the second bear to be improperly tagged. A few days later, the film crew and I reported the incident and have since fully cooperated with the proper authorities."
Vail and her crew also alerted The Outdoor Channel to the illegal hunt, and they pulled the episode from the show lineup.
Court documents do not list a misdemeanor class for unlawfully killing the bear, but, unsworn falsification, Vail’s second charge, is a Class A Misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and up to one year in jail.
Grizzly bears are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states due to human conflict and hunting, but Alaska is home to some 30,000 grizzly bears. Roughly 2,000 bears are killed annually.
Related stories on TakePart:
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• There’s a Cecil the Lion Halloween Costume, and Yes, the Head Is Chopped Off
• Grizzly Bears Are Waking Up Early This Year, and Climate Change Could Make That a Bad Habit
Original article from TakePart
