Hunting Show Host, Beauty Queen Theresa Vail Charged with Illegal Bear Kill
OutdoorHub Reporters 12.11.15
Theresa Vail, a 25-year-old hunting show host with the Outdoor Channel and former Miss America contestant, was charged recently by Alaskan officials with allegedly harvesting a grizzly without a tag and then conspiring with her guides to cover it up.
According to Alaska Dispatch News, State Troopers said the incident took place in May when the host, her film crew, and two guides were hunting a large male grizzly bear near Timber Creek, Alaska. Troopers Spokesperson Beth Ipsen said that Vail shot and wounded the male, and while attempting to finish it off, she accidentally shot a bear sow that was nearby.
She did not have a tag for the second bear.
Officials believe that instead of reporting the incident, Vail’s guides Michael Renfro and Joseph Miller decided to cover up the accident.
“Not only did Renfro and Miller not report the violation as required by big game guides, they conspired to cover up the illegal activity by obtaining a second brown/grizzly bear tag and a blank big game record that was then submitted with the wrong information following the hunt,” Ipsen told KTUU.
Ipsen said the guides made it appear as if the second bear tag was obtained before the hunt. The troopers did note that the crime was reported by Vail’s own film crew and a video of the hunt was submitted for the investigation.
In a statement to Fox, Vail admitted that after consulting her team, she came forward with the information herself.
“This May, during an Alaskan guided bear hunt, I unintentionally harvested a second bear while attempting a follow up shot,” Vail told Fox. “I then followed poor advice and allowed the second bear to be improperly tagged. A few days later, the film crew and I reported the incident and have since fully cooperated with the proper authorities. I am very deeply sorry for my mistakes.”
A source close to the incident told OutdoorHub that without Vail coming forward to the troopers, the entire event would have been swept under the rug by the guides.
Theresa Vail’s rise to fame began in 2013 when she made headlines during the annual Miss America Competition. She was only the second contestant in the history of the competition to hail from the United States Armed Forces; at the time she was serving as a section leader in the National Guard. Coupled with her charm and passion for the outdoors, Vail quickly won over audiences and eventually landed a television show with the Outdoor Channel, Limitless with Theresa Vail. The beauty queen is widely regarded as a rising star in the outdoor world.
Renfro and Miller are charged with failure to report a hunting violation and committing, aiding, or allowing a violation to occur. Renfro is also charged with second-degree unsworn falsification. Vail is being charged with taking a bear without a tag and second-degree unsworn falsification.
