Getty Image / iStock Composite / Theresa Muth Photography / Scott Taetsch
NFL free agent Carson Wentz drew a lot of attention in June when he shared photographs from his black bear hunting trip to Alaska, attention that sparked a lot of discussion about the viral role hunting often plays in conservation.
Now, Carson has shared a professional (TV quality) mini documentary from his ‘bucket list’ bow hunting trip to Alaska that culminated in capturing a black bear. The footage is edited so well and of such high quality that it could easily be featured alongside any hunting TV show on television. Alas, not everyone wants to see hunting on their television.
If you would like to watch most of the video but not the part where he looses an arrow into the black bear, or if you’re a hunter and would prefer to skip ahead to that part, the moment occurs around the 11:00 mark. The first portion of the video his trip to Alaska and how remote it is just getting there. After that, they scout out some bear activity on a shore and search for mussels to eat for dinner. Just be forewarned that this is footage of Carson Wentz hunting a black bear so if that’s not something you want to see then don’t click ‘play’ on the video.
Carson Wentz’s ‘Bucket List’ Bowhunting Trip For Alaskan Bear
When Carson Wentz first shared photographs of his black bear hunt in Alaska he was inundated with comments from people condemning the hunt. One of the countless angry commenters wrote “That’s just awful! I can’t believe you killed a bear for sport. It has changed my whole perspective of you.”
Soon afterward, conservationists found the comment section and defended the role that hunting plays in wildlife conservation.
While we could spend another whole article talking about wildlife conservation and hunting being inextricably linked, I’ll defer to the experts on this topic. Chris DePerno is a professor of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at NC State’s College of Natural Resources.
In a 2021 article, Professor DePerno said “Hunters do more to help wildlife than any other group in America. They not only provide financial support for state wildlife agencies, but they also play an important role in wildlife management activities.”
Everyone is free to form their own opinions of hunting and the role that it plays in wildlife conservation but the facts cannot be ignored. Hunting permits fund wildlife agencies, and hunters are the ‘boots on the ground’ needed to track population numbers. They also help maintain healthy population numbers in instances of overpopulation.
And while it might sound like I’m a hunter myself, I’m absolutely not. I just recognize the crucial role hunting plays in conservation, whether it be Carson Wentz bow hunting for black bear in Alaska or a local deer hunter