Whale killed with machine gun?

[LSixer]

NEAH BAY, Washington (AP) -- A California gray whale that was harpooned and shot with a machine gun off the western tip of Washington state has died, officials said.


An injured California gray whale swims Saturday in Washington's Neah Bay after being shot.

 Coast Guard Petty Officer Kelly Parker said five people believed to be members of the Makah Tribe shot and harpooned the whale Saturday morning.

Petty Officer Shawn Eggert said the whale disappeared beneath the surface in the evening, dragging buoys that had been attached to the harpoon, and did not resurface. A biologist working for the Makah Indian tribe declared it dead, Eggert said.

Tribe members were being held by the Coast Guard but had not been charged, said Mark Oswell, a spokesman for the law enforcement arm of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

A preliminary report said the whale was shot with a .50-caliber machine gun, Oswell said.

Coast Guard officials created a 1,000-yard safety zone around the injured whale, which was shot about a mile east of Neah Bay in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The whale had begun heading to sea Saturday afternoon, Oswell said.

Though the tribe has subsistence fishing rights to kill whales, Oswell said preliminary information indicates the whale may have been shot illegally.

"We allow native hunts for cultural purposes. However, this does not appear to be of that nature so far," he said.

The Makah Tribe has more than 1,000 members and is based in Neah Bay.

A call to tribal officials was not immediately returned on Saturday.

Tribal Chairman Ben Johnson told The Seattle Times that the tribe has been seeking an exemption from the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act so that it could take up to five gray whales per year. However, Johnson said the tribe had not yet secured that exemption for a new hunt.



Ok, they may be indians, but, I thought machine guns were illegal for EVERYBODY. My god, if they have a 50 cal machine gun, we need to revoke their tribal rights and throught those assholes in jail!

Whats next? Depth charges?

[Mighty Mini]

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[Wagon Mafia]

seriously like there should be limits on what they can do... soon they will kill other humans

[Mighty Mini]

seriously like there should be limits on what they can do... soon they will kill other humans

the whales? people kill each other every day - and we have laws to limit us

[ginz111]

Flamethrower rentals available Friday, Saturday & Sunday

I am going either sat or sun 

[Mighty Mini]

on a hover-round? LOLOL

[LSixer]

NOTE: hanidcap individuals can rent flamethrowers

My leg is botherin' me. Im going for my napalm breather tomorrow. There are a few drivers I am sure that could use a hotfoot.

[LSixer]

Double post, I know.

I am sure my marine friend can relate. I spent four years in the Navy, the diving team to be specific. We learned every kind of ordanace the military had at the time. If it killed something, we learned how to use it. I for the life of me cannot see what these morons get out of these shooting/gun club weekends. They MUST be military wannabes. I read through the itenirary, and what made me choke with laughter was the breakfast layout, followed by gunfire. I really believe this is where we should be watching for our next mass murder suspect or home-grown terrorist.

I still shoot, frequently, but, at the coyotes that are in my backyard. When Im done, the firearm gets put back.

Folks, we need to be really worried here. Trust me.

[Bill-B]

thought you may enjoy this additional read!  http://machinegunshoot.com/shootinfo.htm

NOTE: hanidcap individuals can rent flamethrowers

I am legally handicaped!!!!!!  Flamethrower here I come

[LSixer]

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

It is pretty clear and in my opinion NOT open to "interpretation"

Not machine guns. ESPECIALLY 50 cal machine guns.

[LSixer]

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

It is pretty clear and in my opinion NOT open to "interpretation"

Not machine guns. ESPECIALLY 50 cal machine guns.

If they apply for and get Federal permits as well as go through some sort of training why not? The Government has 'em no sense in being out gunned by the very people a militia is supposed to guard against.

Well, Im ok with ownership in theory. Here is the major problem. It is not the person licensed, trained and responsible person that is at issue. It is the person(s) that invariably steal said ordanance that become the problem. Wont happen? We cannot be that stupid. Take a look (if you can get in) to a large metropolitan police departments lock-up where confiscated weapons are held. The bulk of them are stolen, fact. I have a personal experience which I will not elaborate on in an open forum as it were, and in personal I do not mean any of my weapons were stolen.

It is highly unlikely that some one will attack me or my family with a fully auto weapon, unlikely, but, not 100% certain. Less likely that I or my family would be threatened with a fully auto 50 cal machine gun, just too large to carry around for hold ups. Rather it is the general safety of others that is and should be a concern. Especially police officers. They, more than likely would become the target if there is a botched robbery, or some other infraction. And as well any civilian that happens to be in the cross fire. Anyone remember that FBI incident several years ago (actually about 20 years ago), where about a dozen agents acosted two armed bank robbers carrying fully auto AK-47s AND sporting flak jackets? They annihilated the agents who had 38 revolvers. Sad.

I have had the opportunity to fire a double barrel 50 cal in training along with a large variety of other ordanance, even though the training crap we had was vintage WWII and was so warped the tracers looked like spiraling clouds of smoke, truly hysterical. I am sure others have had the opportunity to do this as well, those that served in the military. I have personally fired a 50 cal (single shot) rifle that one can buy at Wal-mart legally. To me, that in itself is dangerous simply because of the range. Incredible range with that, totally unnecessary anywhere around Chicago, that should be restricted in my opinion.

No, I dont believe in banning firearms, but, fully automatic weapons are magnets for criminals, and unnecessary as long as there is an armed forces.

[Bill-B]

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

It is pretty clear and in my opinion NOT open to "interpretation"

Not machine guns. ESPECIALLY 50 cal machine guns.

If they apply for and get Federal permits as well as go through some sort of training why not? The Government has 'em no sense in being out gunned by the very people a militia is supposed to guard against.

Well, Im ok with ownership in theory. Here is the major problem. It is not the person licensed, trained and responsible person that is at issue. It is the person(s) that invariably steal said ordanance that become the problem. Wont happen? We cannot be that stupid. Take a look (if you can get in) to a large metropolitan police departments lock-up where confiscated weapons are held. The bulk of them are stolen, fact. I have a personal experience which I will not elaborate on in an open forum as it were, and in personal I do not mean any of my weapons were stolen.

It is highly unlikely that some one will attack me or my family with a fully auto weapon, unlikely, but, not 100% certain. Less likely that I or my family would be threatened with a fully auto 50 cal machine gun, just too large to carry around for hold ups. Rather it is the general safety of others that is and should be a concern. Especially police officers. They more than likely would become the target if there is a botched robbery, or some other infraction. And as well any civilian that happens to be in the cross fire. Anyone remember that FBI incident several years ago (actually about 20 years ago), where about a dozen agents acosted two armed bank robbers carrying fully auto AK-47s AND sporting flak jackets? They annihilated the agents who had 38 revolvers. Sad.

I have had the opportunity to fire a double barrel 50 cal in training along with a large variety of other ordanance, even though the training crap we had was vintage WWII and was so warped the tracers looked like spiraling clouds of smoke, truly hysterical. I am sure others have had the opportunity to do this as well, those that served in the military. I have personally fired a 50 cal (single shot) rifle that one can buy at Wal-mart legally. To me, that in itself is dangerous simply because of the range. Incredible range with that, totally unnecessary anywhere around Chicago, that should be restricted in my opinion.

No, I dont believe in banning firearms, but, fully automatic weapons are magnets for criminals, and unnecessary as ong as there is an armed forces.

Very well said