Golf Pro Charged After Shooting Birdie

[Ian David]

Golf Pro Charged After Shooting Birdie
Cops: Athlete deliberately killed noisy hawk at Florida club

MARCH 6--Nettled by a noisy red-shouldered hawk that was disrupting a video shoot, a professional golfer allegedly silenced the bird by striking and killing it with a golf drive from about 75 yards away. Now Tripp Isenhour, 39, is facing a pair of misdemeanor criminal charges for the December 12 incident at Florida's Grand Cypress Golf Club. According to March 5 court filings, Isenhour--who last year earned nearly $500,000 on the PGA tour--was taping a "Shoot Like a Pro" video when the bird's singing disrupted filming on several occasions.

The golfer, pictured at right, initially responded by trying to strike the bird as it sat in a tree about 300 yards from where he was filming the video. Those attempts failed. But when the hawk later relocated to a tree much closer to the set and resumed singing, Isenhour again targeted the bird, announcing, "I'll get him now."

Investigators allege that it took Isenhour about 10 tries to zero in on the hawk, which was struck with one of Isenhour's shots and knocked out of the tree. After killing the bird, which fell 30 feet from its perch, Isenhour remarked, "I didn't think I would hit it," according to witnesses. The dying hawk, "bleeding from its nostrils, its mouth opening and closing slowly," was later buried on the golf course.

As noted in the below court document, Isenhour "is not the first sports/athlete to find it entertaining to kill birds/animals on a golf course or other sport field, but it is a crime for each of them."

Isenhour has been charged in Orange County Court with cruelty to animals and killing a migratory bird.



More:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0306081golf1.html

[Benhurst]

1. Ban the bastard from any further competitions.

If possible, throw his sorry butt in jail.

[samdogmom]

2. Good! This is very deserved!

What a jackass! Give me a break--a golf game is so important that you have to KILL an animal??????

Guys, it's golf! It's a game! Who cares?

[Ian David]

3. It was't a game. He was shooting an instructional video. DON'T BLOCK THE SHOT! n/t

[samdogmom]

9. In that case, it's even more despicable! What a jackass! n/t

On Edit: When my dog starts demanding attention and I'm too busy to respond, First, I find his attention-seeking behavior annoying, but to tame it I offer him a distraction. He gets a treat, a visit outside, and a new chew toy...or whatever seems to solve the crisis at the moment.

If this was a hawk--why didn't anyone on the film crew just throw out a bunch of treats to distract the bird?

I'm astonished by the lack of empathy displayed!

This golfer's whole film crew is just as guilty as he is! I blame the whole lot, not just him!

[Dr.Phool]

4. I think it's impressive that he even came close to the bird.

If I want to miss a tree, I aim right at it. I can't hit nothing I aim at.

:wow: :spank: :spank: :hide: :popcorn:

[TomInTib]

10. My thoughts, exactly.

I would have only been able to get close to the hawk if I was trying to miss it altogether.

[flvegan]

5. What an asshole.

Total fucking waste of space.

[knitter4democracy]

6. It definitely wasn't a fluke or accidental.

After that many tries, of course he killed it. He needs to lose PGA tour privileges for awhile.

[Ishoutandscream2]

7. Just call me a bleeding heart, but stories like this can make me weep

That poor, defenseless animal. I'm from Texas, and as a boy I was made to start learning how to use a rifle. I also had to go hunting on several occasions. Once, a rabbit came out from the brush, and I aimed my .22 automatic and fired at it. It ran for several yards, and collapsed. It was dying, laying there breathing heavily. I was told to end its misery. I did, and balled my fucking head off. I will never, ever shoot a weapon again.

[Botany]

8. Stupid Ass Hat

I was just watching a Red Shouldered Hawk last week
sit in a maple tree for about 1/2 an hour. All he had to
do was walk toward the hawk and it would fly away.

5 minutes ... gimme just 5 minutes w/ this jerk

From the Link .... he got exicted after the 6th ball that
he had almost hit it.

[HuffleClaw]

11. with skill like that why bother?

idiot should have targeted the HOLE instead.

[onethatcares]

12. hey, it's in Orlando, why not have the

woman that punished her kid with the carwash pressure washer dole out the punishment to him? One stipulation, he has to be sitting in a tree and the hose has to shoot golfballs.

[spanone]

13. dumbass....perhaps he will learn some lesson

[AzDar]

14. What the hell is WRONG with people?

Honestly.

[hisownpetard]

15. What a despicable POS that guy is. Makes me sick to my stomach.

[walldude]

16. Killed a HAWK? Over a Golf video?

And then after 10 shots claim that "I wasn't trying to hit it?" Wow I wish I could be such an upstanding member of society.

[spooky3]

17. How much do you want to bet he's a Republican?

Most American male pro golfers are, and the complete lack of empathy for another living being is a hallmark of that party.

This is cruelty, plain and simple. It wasn't a fluke shot; he kept hitting shots until he finally killed it. And why didn't the filming crew stop him?

I'd like to think that if he ever plays on tour again that the gallery would boo him at every opportunity, but there are too many Republicans among the spectators.

Someone ought to keep an eye on how he treats his own pets and family members. There is often a correlation between how people treat animals and how they treat humans.

[madinmaryland]

18. Why didn't he just take his hand gun out and shoot it?

It was bothering him and he would have been using the gun in self defense. Kill the fucking thing as it was ruining his concentration.

I'm sure the NRA would support him and give him a brazilion dollars to have done it.

:grr:

[RedCappedBandit]

19. Scumbag.

Wonder if he would like it if he were the hawk.

[Guaranteed]

20. I bet he's feeling very guilty. It doesn't sound like he thought

he would hit it.

Sounds like one of those stories some people have from their childhoods of trying out a BB gun on a squirrel or something and then being horrified after realizing that it had actually been hurt.

[RedCappedBandit]

21. Yeah, except hes a grown man

What kind of a dipshit doesn't except something to be hurt when you hurt it?

[Guaranteed]

22. Again, it sounds like he didn't believe he could hit it.

And after ten tries or so of not hitting it, figured he'd keep trying.

Then, of course, he did hit it. Knocked it out of the tree and onto the ground, where he probably ran to in shock to discover the condition it was in.

I think this is just one of those things that is going to stick with him for the rest of his life. Plenty of punishment.

[RedCappedBandit]

24. Tell that to the dead hawk.

I'm sure it understands!

[spooky3]

27. except that he took multiple shots at it - and moved to get a better shot.

it wasn't a fluke. You take a lot of golf shots at something and if you're good enough to play on the pro tour, you have to be aware that you may hit it.

I hope his career, weak as it was, is over and that he serves some jail time or pays a fine. No endorsements for him either.

[alcibiades_mystery]

23. NOTE: If you don't buy cage-free eggs, you're no better than this guy

At least his instructional video was gonna net him more than the $1.50 you save on eggs. Tens of millions of chickens tortured to death every year. I guess a hawk is more "noble." :eyes:

[RedCappedBandit]

25. Very good point. NT.

[spooky3]

28. I do. Cost twice the price of torture eggs and worth it. I wish we'd ban

the torture eggs.

[Norrin Radd]

26. He'd probably kill a Bald Eagle, as well, given the chance.