Golfer Tripp Isenhour Kills an Endangered Bird

Professional golfer Tripp Isenhour struck and killed a hawk while filming a portion of a TV show this week. The endangered bird continued to interrupt Isenhour during his demonstration and after several failed attempts to scare off the bird by hitting golf balls in it's direction, he nailed his mark. Now animal rights groups and other concerned people are demanding the PGA to punish him for a number of violations including fines and a possible misdemeanor.

Thinking back to my experiences at a golf course when I was younger, I remember getting a speech for aimlessly shooting golf balls in no particular direction. My father had taken me to a golf course which, as a child, can be a boring experience to endure. Of course I didn't have the understanding or age to appreciate the game, let alone play it-but I tried my best, even if I nearly hit a few people in the process.

In this way I learned that the golf course is not a driving range and it's never a good idea to aim at anyone, or anything, that's not a flag on a green. I suffered what Isenhour is probably going through now; A thorough 'chewing out' and grounding (as the golfer may face a PGA sanction). Isenhour may not have intended to harm the bird but he also should have considered the possible repercussions of his actions before he aimed at it. Isenhour could have coaxed the bird away with some other method like calling animal control.

At the same time animal rights groups should consider that Isenhour didn't use a gun or deliberate weapon to kill the bird and probably had no idea the bird was a hawk, or an endangered species for that matter. And if you think about how hard it would be to throw a golf ball and hit a hawk, it becomes clear just how lucky of a shot is needed to knock a hawk dead with a nine iron from 75 yards away. That's nearly impossible. I'm sure he never thought he'd hit the bird in a million years. Still, he did, and he's dealing with it now.

Tripp Isenhour has expressed genuine regret for his actions and has made a public apology which should be enough to stave off roaring upsets. Maybe he should even consider donating some money to an aviary or bird sanctuary. Isenhour could probably also afford a few federal fines to compensate for the damages, maybe the rehabilitation and release of another hawk, but severe punishment should go to people harming animals maliciously like poachers and negligent pet owners.

Most of all, this 'issue' shouldn't become a catalyst for animal activists and enraged environmentalists to protest to. Obviously the guy didn't mean to kill the bird, or even hit it, and has suffered what I'm sure has been a frenzy of criticism. Tripp Isenhour, to many animal rights groups, may at this moment represent the feral incantation of what is so wrong with humanity. To me, he's just a golfer who made a mistake. I think the hawk population with soar on in spite of it's loss.