Melissa Bachman Hunting Show: Barbarism or Sport?

Photos of hunter Melissa Bachman posing with her kills have begun circulating online, along with petitions to get her videos taken offline and off of TV channels such as Nat Geo. Comments on these videos and photos have sparked passionate debate about hunting for sport.

A sample of the sentiment by the anti-Bachman camp can be seen in the following caption, which accompanied a photo of Bachman posing with a bear she had killed:

SHAME ON YOU NAT GEO!!!

Please Call Your Cable/Satellite Company & Cancel/Block The National Geographic Channel

ENOUGH! National Geographic, a company that has made millions by pretending they care about the environment and wildlife is now producing a sickening so called ‘reality’ show featuring the disgusting hunter Melissa Bachman (pictured below) who seems to love nothing more than taking the lives of innocent and beautiful creatures. Please call your cable/satellite provider today and cancel or block this cruel company and all their channels. Thanks!

Her Defenders
On one side of the discussion is the argument that hunting helps control a bear population that, if left uncontrolled, would spill over into cities, endangering domesticated pets and people. It is also argued that an uncontrolled bear popular would also lead to starvation among bears, with more competition for food. It is also claimed that many who complain about hunting also eat meat and use animal-based products, such as leather. Many professional hunters donate the meat of their kill to locals, so the kill isn’t completely in vain. And hunting, of course, is legal.

Her Detractors
On the other hand, there are those who say this is barbaric, to pose with a wide grin at the corpse of a fallen creature, that these creatures are in their own environment and being killed solely for entertainment purposes. There is an anti-Bachman Facebook page with several thousand subscribers who are trying to get Nat Geo to stop airing any segments with Bachman, along with efforts to have her videos removed from Youtube.

What are your thoughts on Melissa Bachman? Are these hunting videos vile and barbaric, or merely a controlled sport that dates back thousands of years?