Steve Irwin is dead.... [Archive] - The Bowhunters Group of Australia

Luke

04-09-06, 04:55 PM

He was an opinionated a@$%hole who liked to force his world view on to everyboby, but it is a shame never the less. I feel sorry for his young family.

I hate to disagree but that's just my opinoin.

I think he was one of the most inspiring people we've seen. If only we all had 10% of the passion this man had for his beliefs and the guts to stand up for them (regardless of what they were or if you/I agreed with him or not) the world would be a much better place IMO.

My condolences to his family, especially his children.

I hope what I imagine to be a very painful death was not as bad as it might have been.

Luke

Jeffro

04-09-06, 05:21 PM

What a shame I liked Steve Irwin.
That is a sad loss for this country.
Anyone that can tackle a crocodile bigger than him by jumping out of a boat has got balls.
Which is more than I can say for you blokes saying negative stuff about him.
Opinionated eh............

and your not :!: :!: :!:

http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoticons4u/obscene/eck16.gif

benhohnke

04-09-06, 05:24 PM

It has shocked the world there is already a forum about it on the realtree forums.

Paul R

04-09-06, 05:43 PM

He was very passionate and full of life and I respected that. I'll miss his crazy antics on his wildlife documentaries that is for sure.
In my opinion he was an Australian icon and it's always very tragic to loose one.

Howling Dog

04-09-06, 05:53 PM

No matter what his views, I agreed with some disagreed with others, he was a father and a husband who will be missed. I took my son up to his zoo a few years back & thoroughly enjoyed the experience and show. Steve was larger than life. My condolences to the family.
Ken

jdelia

04-09-06, 06:15 PM

i agree with you Jeffro. it shocked me when i heard it, i didnt believe it myself. very sad

D'Elia

Scott

04-09-06, 06:30 PM

It is a sad day indeed! An 'Aussie Legend' whether you liked him or not has left this great country way to early. Condolences to his Family. And for what its worth I liked the guy for his guts and determination to be heard and seen doing what he believed in. Cheers Mate!!!!!

jason

04-09-06, 06:33 PM

a very sad day. The man was a legend

XTfreak

04-09-06, 06:34 PM

Condolences to his family.
Bill

Piggy

04-09-06, 07:09 PM

Steve Irwin you either Love him or hate him. I think he did a huge amount to promote this great country of ours to the rest of the world, a man with great passion and certinally lived life to the fullest.

RIP

rohan

04-09-06, 08:28 PM

i liked him and am sad to hear about it.
rohan

Clinglish

04-09-06, 08:48 PM

Steve Irwin was a passionate man and an abassader for Australia around the world .My heart goes out to his family ,but I am sure He went doing what he loved.

Glenn

04-09-06, 09:04 PM

That is tragic about Steve, must be terrible for his family. I live not far from Australia Zoo. Back in 1990 when it was the Reptile Park I took my children there one very bleak rainy day. We were the only people there and Steve was doing some mowing, he was very obliging and came over and talked to my children telling then the story of Henrieta the tortoise and the alligators, I hope the reptile park survives as they employ 500 people...Glenn...

adam

04-09-06, 09:09 PM

Its a crying shame to here that bad news, top bloke that loved his family along with the great outdoors that most of us are passionate about. I'm saddened to think of his family’s loss. I can only imagine the life he lived, rest in peace mate.

Nathan

04-09-06, 09:45 PM

it was truely a freak accdient, theres only 3 recorded sting ray deaths.

interceptor

04-09-06, 11:14 PM

He was an Australian through and through, even if he was a little over the top some times. I believe that he has done more for Australia and conservation in his way too short life than most people could manage in ten life times. A feel for his family and friends. I admire anyone who can take his one great passion and not only turn it into a job but also achieve so much while doing it.

Noel

Hefty

05-09-06, 07:25 AM

it was truely a freak accdient, theres only 3 recorded sting ray deaths.
I heard on the news that apparently it's 17 string ray barb deaths worldwide and two in Australia (they didn't say if that included Steve though).

Jacob Goodwin

05-09-06, 08:39 AM

Here's an excerpt from an SMH article today. The highlighted section does concern me, particularly if the "culling" referred to here includes trophy/sport hunting. Irwin was a staunch anti-hunter and now it seems this unfortunate aspect of his legacy will continue.

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's conservation work would continue despite his death yesterday, a close friend said today.
The executive director of Irwin's Australia Zoo at Beerwah, near Queensland's Sunshine Coast, pledged today that Irwin's work to protect wildlife would go on.
"We have an obligation now to do more, and through his legacy we hope more Australians and more people around the world will get into conservation," Michael Hornby told Channel Nine's Today program.
"Things like the culling of wildlife, which Steve was very passionate (against). That has to stop. We've got to create safer habitats. we've got to carry on the mantle."
Irwin made a great contribution to the conservation movement around the world, Mr around the world.

Paul R

05-09-06, 09:01 AM

Irwin was a staunch anti-hunter

I don't know much in regards to Steve's opinions on hunting but I have seen early documentaries of Steve's where he hunts pigs with dogs and I also know that Australia zoo has been buying red deer from spotlight shooters to feed their crocs with (it's actually been causing extra poaching problems up the Mary and Brisbane valley's). If someone was such a staunch anti-hunter Jake then why would he do these things?

When the exec dir of Australia zoo says he was against the culling of wildlife is he talking about Native animals?

The culling of native animals is a lot different to the hunting of ferals and most sensible conservationists see the sense in controling feral animal populations. From what I saw of Steve, I believe that he supported the control of feral animals.

Paul

barebow

05-09-06, 12:16 PM

Love him or hate him, he lived his life to the full.

Condolences to his family.

Jacob Goodwin

05-09-06, 01:07 PM

Paul,

I apologise but I should have clarified my earlier post - his anti-hunting stance relates to hunting for "sport" (which includes what we as bowhunters do)and more specifically, hunting crocodiles in the NT. In fact, there was a fantastic article in last week's "The Bulletin" about the role he's played in scuttling NT legislation that would allow 25 crocs (out of the 600 that are allowed to be taken each year) to be hunted in the NT. If you get the chance, check it out.

If someone was such a staunch anti-hunter Jake then why would he do these things?

In relation to his "use" of hunted animals, my understanding is that he justified using them on the grounds that his crocs needed be fed and that the animals used were feral. Thus, he was killing them, or supported those who do, for a purpose that he found acceptable as opposed to killing them for sport.

From what I saw of Steve, I believe that he supported the control of feral animals.

While he may have supported "professional" culling of feral animals, my understanding is that he was very critical of "sport" or trophy hunting of any animal (including ferals). I recall reading a few articles in various publications where he has been quoted as being quite critical of hunting (for the life of me I can't remember the dates or titles). Also, I remember watching an episode of his show that included a feral boar and Steve bemoaning the fact that they were hunted (I don't remember the exact date, but I do remember it aired a few years ago).

Anyway, this criticism is not imply that what's happened isn't a tradegy but rather to make sure the bowhunting community understands the whole picture.

Jake

Glenn

06-09-06, 12:43 AM

I remember that episode Jacob, I think Steve was traveling the Birdsville Track when he caught a large boar, he said that he didn't want to kill it as he was into saving wildlife, but I thought at the time that as a conservationist that he was obliged to kill it. I know that Steve and some Sunshine Coast locals caught wild pigs on Sunshine Coast sugar plantations for his first documentary...Glenn...

Paul R

06-09-06, 01:18 AM

While he may have supported "professional" culling of feral animals, my understanding is that he was very critical of "sport" or trophy hunting of any animal (including ferals).

I had my suspicions that may have been the case Jacob, thanks for clarifying.
I suppose that it would be very difficult to be a world famous confessed animal lover and not condemn recreational hunting. Loving nature and despising the practice of hunting seem to go hand in hand in the world of conservation politics at the moment. :?

Most bowhunters I know are also conservationalists at heart, love nature and the animal kingdom and still quite regularly also wrestle with the reasons for why we hunt.

Paul

ricochet

06-09-06, 05:51 AM

Well done Ed, very well done, thank you.

As with others here, sincere sympathies to Steve's Family and friends on his passing :(

Rick

Jacob Goodwin

06-09-06, 10:14 AM

Surprisingly, I was under the impression this was a forum for people who were passionate about hunting (and protecting it).

Thus, I'm quite suprised that a number of members would support an individual who has used his celebrity and media power to have croc HUNTING BANNED in the NT regardless of the commercial and environmental benefits that would have stemmed from allowing 25 crocs to be trophy hunted. Let me repeat that - He used his celebrity and media power to have a legitimate form of hunting BANNED in the NT and members of this forum support him and don't want him to be criticised.

As with any other celebrity anti-hunter (Drew Berrymore, Pamela Lee Anderson etc), I will always be critical of Irwin's views and behaviours as they related to hunting.

While what happened to Steve Irwin is tragic, he was someone who did everything he could to eradicate a part of our way of life. To make matters worse, the people in his operation have publicly committed to continuing this legacy of having hunting BANNED. This should not be forgotten just because he has passed on.

Might I suggest that those of you who describe me as a "dog" or "opinionated a@#ehole" think about what's important to you - protecting hunting and its traditions/heritage OR getting sucked into the cult of celebrity and media hype that whitewashes the real truth and threatens us.

If you decide on the second option, perhaps a 12 month membership to PETA should be a consideration.

Jake

jindydiver

06-09-06, 10:57 AM

Puk
I know you didn’t intend your post to be a defence of me and my first post in this thread, but I thank you for posting it anyway.

It would appear I was too honest in my view of Steve Irwin and this has obviously offended those that truly liked the guy. If anybody here was offended by my post (and it is obvious there are some) then I am sorry.
Your being offended by what I wrote, or the fact that the guy is now dead, doesn’t change my view of him though.

I have been told in the past that my posts are too long but it seems that a lot of the times I just write one or two lines I fail miserably to get my point across without offending someone. I was just discussing this with Luke yesterday and I sent him a post I made on another forum that more accurately defines my thoughts on this event.
I post it here for you guys to poke more **** at
It is said that the death of anybody diminishes us all. It was easy to like his antics and his work as a tourist attraction for Australia was always deserving of high praise.
One thing I don’t buy into is his credentials as a conservationist. He was a protectionist (as long as he got to keep his “pets”) and he fought actively, from a philosophical base, against conservation measures that have good science to support them. I am sure he will be missed as a character, but pragmatic conservationists won’t miss his meddling one bit.
I feel very sorry for his young family, Steve and his wife spent a lot of time away from their kids doing business and now his kids are going to grow up without him.

Here is a link to an interview done with Steve and Terry Irwin. You can read it or not, but it is a good example of why Steve Irwin didn’t get on with (on a professional level) many other less famous conversationalists.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/09/04/1157222053963.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap3

Thanks Ed for knowing where the quote I mangled comes from, and for posting it here.

Barry

06-09-06, 02:25 PM

In life I did not always agree with Steve, I often found him 'over the top' and mildly annoying. I also found him to be funny and passionate, I still laugh over some of his mangled quotes.

I found some of his views to be misguided and others to be incredibly insightfull. I could not help but respect him for his passion and lust for life. No man is perfect and no two men agree in thier every opinon.

Steve was certainly not perfect, but there is no denying he was a force of nature and larger than life. Like or agree with is not so much the issue, I certainly respected and admired him and I believe that he was a great man in the true sense.

I will continue to defend my views on bowhunting and passionately dissagree with what appears to have been his views on the matter, however I will never let that detract from the respect that I afford his memory.

LongReach

06-09-06, 04:45 PM

Rip Steve :(

Like him or not...........I think he had a good heart.

Alot of people are Anti-hunting in this world, doesn't mean that it makes a 'bad' person..........just as some anti hunters see us as 'bad' people?????

Some people think keeping crocs in pens/enclosures and throwing them thousands of chickens a year in front of a crowd for entertainment is cruel to both crocs and (the chickens that are killed) to feed these caged animals that would normally be leading a natural life in the wild like nature intended????

Opinions can vary so greatly........... :shock:

Anyway 'Peace' Steve Irwin. May he find a swampy heaven full of crocs to wrestle :D

bobzila

06-09-06, 06:36 PM

i looked up to steve untill the day i saw him slip over in the corner of 1 of the croc inclosers just as it came out of the water and nilly got him. from that day i just thort he was a wenker who pushed his luck :D

adam

06-09-06, 07:13 PM

I really don't care what steve's views on hunting were, for or against he was a great bloke IMO.

Adam

ado250

06-09-06, 07:16 PM

Wow :shock:

People get pretty worked up about this hey?

I think that Mick and the others have a right to their opinion on the man and they conducted themselves in a manner which showed respect for Steve's achievements and more importantly his family.

Living in a free nation, I think that all have their right to an opinion, and if their opinion reflects the disagreement with this mans views then so be it, passed or not, Australian or not.

Disagreeing with somebodies ideologies doesn't mean you disrespect them or their families or indeed their death.

I think Mick had B***S to express his opinion and had the right to do so, full stop. If anyone has any qualms with this, then they should not attack him in any way, but express their own views in opposition in an intelligent manner.

I wonder if Osama Binladen had been struck by a bomb tomorrow, would this change the worlds outlook towards his opinions? Even in this extreme case, you have to AT MINIMUM (and I mean at minimum) admire his conviction to his cause. Nevertheless he is a scoundrel to the majority of the world. In the same way, people on here disagree with Steve's views on hunting, and they have a right to do so, yet they still have respect for his achievements.

If you cannot agree with my view, then you only need to go as far as asking your grandfather or father, uncle or otherwise what their thoughts were of men they had slayn on the battle field in great wars passed. Did killing a man automatically cause them to change their opinions and join the Nazi's, or did they show repect to those fallen even though they still passionately disagreed with their political view?

No matter how "one eyed" and patriotic you may be, you must acknowledge a persons right to their opinions on anothers actions. This is a fundamental right and excercising it should not draw criticism.

Adonis

bear

06-09-06, 07:51 PM

tragic loss for his famialy and australia for sure! It's a shame that "opinionated ar@%*%les" have to come out of thier holes and attack him after he's gone :x
RIP

BEAR

Jeffro

06-09-06, 07:54 PM

Good onya Barry , what you said fully summed it up I reckon.

Corey

06-09-06, 08:00 PM

Very sad day indeed
the man was legend there's not many people like him left,they stay true to what there pationate about.
Any one who speeks ill of the dead especially one so unique deserves as much respect as a stink bug,
Get close and you wish had'nt but stand on it,wipe it on the grass and it's forgotten.

HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME YOU DOGS HE WAS A REAL AUSSIE
:x :x :x

Puk

06-09-06, 08:28 PM

Hey,
settle down fellas.
I see a lot of grief and grieving people in my line of work, and i have found that some people seem to turn those who have died into saints when they would have told them exactly what they thought of them when they were alive. It seems to lack a bit of integrity.

It's okay not to like someone, and i think it is okay to say this truthfully even after they have died. It doesn't make you a mongrel, just honest.

However, i don't think our views about what he believed in make it any more or less tragic. The fact is there is another little boy and girl growing up without a dad, another woman who has lost her husband, and that is tragic. Whether he put himself in harm's way or not was not the issue either. His wife knew the kind of man he was. It is no different to marrying a policeman or a soldier.

He certainly moved a lot of people, one way or another. I find it hard to believe that someone who loved Australian wildlife would be against the conservation that we practice, but then again, my opinion doesn't really matter either.

the man is still dead at 44 yeas of age, and that is the tragedy.

Puk.

Lucky Mick 23

06-09-06, 08:48 PM

Steve Irwin was a man, a human, with a wife, a daughter who adored him and a son.
It doesn't matter what his views were. He was 44 years old and that my friends is far too young to die.
Last time i looked, Australia was still a democracy, which means everybody has the right to their own opinions and believes, that includes everyone on this forum.
I just think if it were one of our loved ones and we read a negative post, how would it make us feel.
In my opinion, there is a time and a place for personal opinions about individuals, and this is not the time nor the place.
Some things are better left unsaid at times like this.
Regards Mick.

robbbo

06-09-06, 09:03 PM

Puk,
Well said ,my heart goes out to those he left behind.
Andrew :(

06-09-06, 09:19 PM

well said Puk. There have peoplel I have known who died and I thought "the world is a better place without him atleast". But that doesn't apply to Irwin for me. I think he did a lot for Australia and wildlife in general. That he may have been a bit misguided in some opinions ( I have my doubts about some things he has said), does not mean that he wasn't an overall positive to have amongst us.

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece
of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by
the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's
death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and
therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for
thee." John Donne