‘Dream hunt’ with Donald Trump Jr.? Activists condemn 7-day Alaska yacht expedition
Hunters can bid on a lavish, seven-day yacht excursion through Alaska with Donald Trump Jr., which promises trophy hunting of Sitka black-tailed deer and sea ducks.
Safari International Club is auctioning off /a November 2020 expedition aboard “Alaska’s premiere luxury hunting vessel,” with the top bid as of Tuesday afternoon at $10,000. It’s hosted by the president’s son and Keegan McCarthy, owner of Coastal Alaska Adventures.
“Keegan grew up hunting Sitka black-tailed deer in Alaska with his father from age seven,” the auction website says. “Come share Keegan’s knowledge and Don Jr.’s passion to create a once-in-a-lifetime hunting experience for a new hunter.”
Bidding ends on Feb. 8. The website for the “Sables Dream Hunt” auction says Trump Jr. will be joined by his son on the hunting trip. Winning hunters can expect to harvest up to two Sitka black-tailed deer.
The auction coincides with Safari Club International’s yearly convention, held Feb. 5 to 8 in Reno, Nevada, which the Humane Society has condemned.
“This annual event is the largest meeting in the world of people who celebrate the senseless killing, buying and selling of dead animals for bragging rights,” Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement. “As our planet suffers an extinction crisis, it is business as usual for the trophy hunting industry and SCI, who continue to revel in spending millions of dollars every year to destroy imperiled wildlife.”
According to the Humane Society, Trump Jr. is scheduled to speak at the conference Feb. 8.
“Advertised as a ‘dream hunt,’ this hunting trip will be nothing but a nightmare for the Sitka black-tailed deer and sea ducks who find themselves in the gun sights of Donald Trump Jr. and whomever purchases this sick thrill,” said Jeff Flocken, president of Humane Society International, according to CNN.
The Guardian reports that Safari Club International “hit back at the criticisms and called them the ‘height of hypocrisy,’ arguing that hunting makes enormous contributions to conservation and described Trump Jr as ‘an accomplished conservationist.”
The package being offered covers quite a lot for winning bidders, including “accommodations, trophy fees for donated species, meals, guide service and field prep.”
As for the yacht, it includes four “guest staterooms, each with a queen bed and single as well as en-suite bathroom. The vessel is perfectly suited to host a group of hunters, young and old alike. You will be bidding on one room, to be shared by a father/son/daughter/grandparent/grandchild. Not included are before/after hunt expenses.”
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 3:43 PM with the headline "‘Dream hunt’ with Donald Trump Jr.? Activists condemn 7-day Alaska yacht expedition."
