A Big Sky Brewing Co. employee posted a photo of herself on the company’s Facebook page posing with a large mountain lion she harvested. / Courtesy photo
View the controversial photo and comments on Big Sky Brewing Co.’s facebook page at: http://on.fb.me/UUy3FP
HELENA – A photo posted on Missoula-based Big Sky Brewing Co.’s Facebook page has ignited a hot debate over hunting ethics and triggered somewhat of an online culture clash.
The photo features a female Big Sky employee posing with a large mountain lion she recently tagged during hunting season.
The photo, posted on Dec. 15, was shared 85 times by Facebook users and had 389 “likes” as of late Thursday afternoon.
But not everyone who saw the photo “liked” it very much. Of the more than 250 comments on the photo, many expressed dismay at the popular craft brewery’s decision to post the hunting photo on its Facebook page.
“Really Big Sky?” Wrote Facebook user Brett Kvo. “Hunting for food is one thing; killing for fun and then parading it on the Internet is another. I think I’ll take my business elsewhere….”
Big Sky co-founder and president Neal Leathers said he and the brewery staff were caught off guard by the strong reaction to the photo.
“You never know when something is going to get a whole bunch of attention for whatever reason,” Leathers said Thursday.
Facebook user Britt Murphy wrote: “What a sad end to such a noble creatures (sic) life, made even more pathetic w/an empty show of celebration & Total lack of respect for the Spirit of such a Magical King of beasts.”
Other commenters, offended by the photo, called for a boycott of Big Sky beer.
“New boycott for me…this photo is gross,” wrote Facebook user Laurienne Riley.
“I looked up all of their products online and will delightedly boycott each one,” Facebook user Amy Arkebauer Cesar wrote.
Other were impressed with the trophy cat.
James Kothrade wrote: “WOW that’s one big damn cat. Nice job on the catch.”
“I love it. Thanks for the great pic,” wrote Facebook user Linzy Cotham. “I am a houndsman and know the work that is involved. It takes a lot of hard work to get something like that. Its not golf or tennis but some of us love it.”
Still others used the post as an opportunity to debate the merits and evils of hunting big predators such as mountain lions.
