During the past few years, I have had an unbelievable privilege. This privilege was meeting and knowing Marc McKinney.

During the past few months, I have been worried about him, due to the situation he is in right now. Well, I am here to tell everyone who is against this great man to speak with him yourself. For you will see no guilt in his eyes, only passion and love toward friends, family and the sport he adores known as hunting. He can sit down and tell me unbelievable stories for hours, and yet I cannot even think about getting bored.

The one thing that bugged me the most about this whole case was that a man, who Marc has known for years, had written a paper about him, only to shame him and bring him down. Well, now I am here to match this guy’s letter, and only for good.

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Marc would never do anything like that. And did you know that the elk that Marc shot was the biggest one he has ever shot? Maybe there was some instant jealousy toward him from a few different people.

The Division of Wildlife is trying to get Marc, with no mercy whatsoever. I am a hunter, and this would be one of the scariest things to go through. My first thought toward the DOW was how could they be so cruel to someone? To strike at him, trying to jail him or fine him for thousands, is actually beyond cruel.

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Now let me tell you about some unbelievable things Marc has done in the past. For one, as we speak, he is involved in the 4-H Club. He teaches minors how to shoot a bow. He painted the old Emma Schoolhouse this summer, and believe me, nobody else would have gotten out there and done it.

He has taken kids out hunting. He has taken handicapped people out hunting. And the one that hits my heart every time I hear it is the story about him taking a single mother out hunting for an elk, to feed her daughter due to a money situation. Are you feeling anything toward him yet? Hopefully you do.

Every year, Marc’s family and my family camp on the beach in Southern California. I wish that everyone could see his eyes light up when he sees the ocean. He waits all year long for the next trip there.

He is a surfer, and a pretty good one, too. He teaches his little girls how to surf, and he always keeps me company while I am out there enjoying a few waves myself. We sit around the campfire at night and hear of new stories that we didn’t hear the year before. He makes an unbelievable elk burger patty.

Marc has never done anything illegal while hunting, which leads me to believe that this was not his fault. Go ahead, DOW, and attack this man if you really want. Marc is an unbelievable man, and this will not bring his spirit down. Guilty or not, when I grow up I want to be like Marc McKinney.

Zane Bloomer

Carbondale