Leopard Hunting Accident Involving Craig Boddington's Daughter

[Kevin Peacocke]

I wonder about that fellas...

If he was (supposedly) "Impoverished" by the 2009-2009 meltdown, why didn't he stop going on numerous very expensive hunts yearly before and after the accident...now in the last few years his wife, daughter, and new son-in-law accompanies him on his hunts....nice!

It just doesn't smell right. Actually, I think it stinks

Instead of shamelessly asking for donations for something that YOU are responsible for, how about you go on 2 fewer hunts per year and pay the bill yourself?

I think that many of us get sucked into a sort of "Hero Worship Syndrome" and it clouds our judgment.

My 2 cents anyway

I have never met Craig Boddington, and I worship nobody but the Lord himself, but I have read some of his stuff and some about him and I would certainly like to meet him.
Why so much hate? I find no facts in what you have said. Some folks have tragedy and, yes, personal missteps in their lives and it reflects well if you walk around that, they know already.

 

[Shakka]

I have never met Craig Boddington, and I worship nobody but the Lord himself, but I have read some of his stuff and some about him and I would certainly like to meet him.
Why so much hate? I find no facts in what you have said. Some folks have tragedy and, yes, personal missteps in their lives and it reflects well if you walk around that, they know already.

Kevin, I don't hate him at all...why would you think that?

It just seems as though he asked for and received donations from other well-meaning people and at the same time, continued on hunting without a break in his stride. He even claimed bankruptcy back then....how many of his creditors lost their money because of this?
What if YOU were one of them?

Does this sound like the kind of person that you would want to associate with?

 

[93marlin]

Kevin, I don't hate him at all...why would you think that?

It just seems as though he asked for and received donations from other well-meaning people and at the same time, continued on hunting without a break in his stride. He even claimed bankruptcy back then....how many of his creditors lost their money because of this?
What if YOU were one of them?

Does this sound like the kind of person that you would want to associate with?

Remember that phrase about "Walking a Mile..."

 

[Shakka]

Remember that phrase about "Walking a Mile..."

You are giving him the benefit of the doubt...did he smile at you while he signed a book that you bought from him?

That's exactly what I am talking about my friend.

 

[Aaron N]

Kevin, I don't hate him at all...why would you think that?

It just seems as though he asked for and received donations from other well-meaning people and at the same time, continued on hunting without a break in his stride. He even claimed bankruptcy back then....how many of his creditors lost their money because of this?
What if YOU were one of them?

Does this sound like the kind of person that you would want to associate with?

You claim to not hate him, but you certainly have a chip on your shoulder about the man

 

[93marlin]

You are giving him the benefit of the doubt...did he smile at you while he signed a book that you bought from him?

That's exactly what I am talking about my friend.

You sir, do not know me and I do not know you. Nor have I ever met any of the Boddington's.
However, there's another phrase that may be appropriate here.
"Judge not lest ye be judged"
Words to learn...

 

[Shakka]

You claim to not hate him, but you certainly have a chip on your shoulder about the man

You don't think that it sounds shady to shoot someone on a hunt, ask for donations from strangers for his care...all while continuing on your multiple high-dollar hunts, AND then claim bankruptcy?

Forget the fact that he is a celebrity who you obviously like...would you still support the person if it was a random hunter that you heard about?

If so let me know so I can PM you my banking details for a donation to my "favorite cause."

 

[Shakka]

You sir, do not know me and I do not know you. Nor have I ever met any of the Boddington's.
However, there's another phrase that may be appropriate here.
"Judge not lest ye be judged"
Words to learn...

My response in post#47 applies to you as well

 

[CEO]

You don't think that it sounds shady to shoot someone on a hunt, ask for donations from strangers for his care...all while continuing on your multiple high-dollar hunts, AND then claim bankruptcy?

Forget the fact that he is a celebrity who you obviously like...would you still support the person if it was a random hunter that you heard about?

If so let me know so I can PM you my banking details for a donation to my "favorite cause."

Does he pay for these hunts? I always thought the well known writers hunted for free (or severely discounted), then made money writing about it. Writer gets content and PH gets their name in print in front of thousands of readers.

 

[Aaron N]

You don't think that it sounds shady to shoot someone on a hunt, ask for donations from strangers for his care...all while continuing on your multiple high-dollar hunts, AND then claim bankruptcy?

Forget the fact that he is a celebrity who you obviously like...would you still support the person if it was a random hunter that you heard about?

If so let me know so I can PM you my banking details for a donation to my "favorite cause."

Well let’s start by your second point. I wouldn’t even know the colonel/general/private if I bumped into the man at SCI. I’ve never read a book of his, or watched a video of his. I have read a couple articles that have popped up in good searches about certain calibers. So no, I don’t like him, or dislike him, or even have an opinion on the man.

As for your first point, it sounds like he did what he could to help the gentleman, but smartly realized that more hands make less work. Those who donated did so on their own free will were free do so as they choose.

As for his finances, I couldn’t tell you if he went bankrupt, if he claimed bankruptcy and kept going on high value hunts out of his pocket, or if they were promptional. Not my problem, not my worry.

 

[Shakka]

Well let’s start by your second point. I wouldn’t even know the colonel/general/private if I bumped into the man at SCI. I’ve never read a book of his, or watched a video of his. I have read a couple articles that have popped up in good searches about certain calibers. So no, I don’t like him, or dislike him, or even have an opinion on the man.

As for your first point, it sounds like he did what he could to help the gentleman, but smartly realized that more hands make less work. Those who donated did so on their own free will were free do so as they choose.

As for his finances, I couldn’t tell you if he went bankrupt, if he claimed bankruptcy and kept going on high value hunts out of his pocket, or if they were promptional. Not my problem, not my worry.

Seriously now, you are a hunter yet you wouldn't recognise him...come on now.

Aaron, after reading your reply I am wondering why you wasted your time in responding

 

[Shakka]

Does he pay for these hunts? I always thought the well known writers hunted for free (or severely discounted), then made money writing about it. Writer gets content and PH gets their name in print in front of thousands of readers.

I remember him writing a while back where he stated that he has never taken a free hunt and that he paid for all of his hunts himself

 

[Aaron N]

Seriously now, you are a hunter yet you wouldn't recognise him...come on now.

Aaron, after reading your reply I am wondering why you wasted your time in responding

Well it’s your lucky day. Today I have more free time than common sense.

But no, I wouldn’t recognize him.

 

[Shakka]

Well it’s your lucky day. Today I have more free time than common sense.

But no, I wouldn’t recognize him.

LOL SAME HERE!!

I'm off to work now anyway!

 

[Shakka]

Fellas, hey, no use going back and forth on this.

I don't dislike Boddington at all. I have been reading his articals since he began writing and I have a few of his books as well. I DID learn a lot from him, as well as reading about hunts that I will never do.

THAT SAID, I think that what happened after the shooting...the fundraisers, selling his used t-shirts, etc, as well as a personal bankruptcy where obviously his creditors lost their money...all the while going full-speed on multi-country EXPENSIVE HUNTS smells fishy to me

Again that's my 2 cents

 

[WAB]

Kevin, I don't hate him at all...why would you think that?

It just seems as though he asked for and received donations from other well-meaning people and at the same time, continued on hunting without a break in his stride. He even claimed bankruptcy back then....how many of his creditors lost their money because of this?
What if YOU were one of them?

Does this sound like the kind of person that you would want to associate with?

You are drawing conclusions you can’t back up. This is exactly the type of discourse that caused him to leave this site. I for one, think we are poorer for his absence. Having had some interaction with the man, I strongly suspect that anyone he owes an explanation to has received it. To my knowledge, no one on this thread makes that list.

 

[Shakka]

You are drawing conclusions you can’t back up. This is exactly the type of discourse that caused him to leave this site. I for one, think we are poorer for his absence. Having had some interaction with the man, I strongly suspect that anyone he owes an explanation to has received it. To my knowledge, no one on this thread makes that list.

Ok my friend have a good day and I said all I want to say

Everyone can draw their own conclusions

 

[Ontario Hunter]

On another forum I equated today's internet outdoors influencers to the used car salesmen of my youth. I once asked my younger brother how he could sell junky worn out Ramblers and Pintos to innocent people and still look himself in the mirror at the end of the day. "If I don't do it, someone else will." Today he's a born again evangelist Bible thumper. Fits. Influencers, car salesmen, TV evangelists, they all sell an image of something we want to be. Which is okay. Reality sucks most of the time. Just be careful to not be a sucker. I enjoy science fiction but I don't expect to ever travel faster than the speed of light.

I'm not sure I can condemn the young lady for shooting a leopard that's got a tracker by the belt and about to chew its way into his intestines. Keep in mind that she's not the only one who was shooting. What would it do to the PH's career if his bullet hit the tracker? Hmmm. Did she see that the cat had a hold of the tracker? It got him by the ankle first and worked it's way up to the belt. Hard to imagine the poor fella wasn't screaming his head off. I might have taken a shot too. The alternative to wait for the cat to finish and move off for a clear shot just doesn't seem that acceptable, even in hindsight. It's a good thing I wasn't there. I get very angry when threatened or my friends are threatened and likely would have waded right into the fight. Probably would have been two people going to the hospital.

 

[Shakka]

On another forum I equated today's internet outdoors influencers to the used car salesmen of my youth. I once asked my younger brother how he could sell junky worn out Ramblers and Pintos to innocent people and still look himself in the mirror at the end of the day. "If I don't do it, someone else will." Today he's a born again evangelist Bible thumper. Fits. Influencers, car salesmen, TV evangelists, they all sell an image of something we want to be. Which is okay. Reality sucks most of the time. Just be careful to not be a sucker. I enjoy science fiction but I don't expect to ever travel faster than the speed of light.

I'm not sure I can condemn the young lady for shooting a leopard that's got a tracker by the belt and about to chew its way into his intestines. Keep in mind that she's not the only one who was shooting. What would it do to the PH's career if his bullet hit the tracker? Hmmm. Did she see that the cat had a hold of the tracker? It got him by the ankle first and worked it's way up to the belt. Hard to imagine the poor fella wasn't screaming his head off. I might have taken a shot too. The alternative to wait for the cat to finish and move off for a clear shot just doesn't seem that acceptable, even in hindsight. It's a good thing I wasn't there. I get very angry when threatened or my friends are threatened and likely would have waded right into the fight. Probably would have been two people going to the hospital.

Yes I'm sure that it was a total shit show and I don't blame her one bit...plus I think that she was 16 at the time

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yes I'm sure that it was a total shit show and I don't blame her one bit...plus I think that she was 16 at the time

Seemed much ado about not very much. She shot a guy accidentally trying to save his life. So what? Anybody trying to make bad news out of that would just shoot themselves in the foot.

On the other hand, this FundMe campaign really stinks of fish to me. What kind of outfitter doesn't have insurance? Really? I can tell you no outfitter anyplace I've ever hunted can be licensed without at least liability insurance. In that line of work it would seem health insurance for staff would be essential. I don't see any way that Ms Boddington could ever be held liable for damages. The Good Samaritan principle is usually an iron clad defense. It's hard to believe any lawyer would be foolish enough to launch a claim against her. Making a claim against the outfitter would be the route to take. It was not the Boddington's responsibility to look after the tracker. It is the outfitter's responsibility. I think it was a noble gesture to campaign for funds to help out (but who was being helped?). However, playing the "we must accept the blame" game and then switching to "but my bank accounts are empty" doesn't wash with me. No one was to blame so no one needs to accept responsibility. And I don't believe for a minute Craig Boddinton was living on welfare. Looks like a publicity stunt. And why not? That's how influencers make a living. Is what it is. I just accept it as a fact of life in the internet age.