Amber Rose Barnes Montana hunter pleads not guilty to animal cruelty after killing and skinning Siberian husky she says she mistook for a wolf. Social media responds.
‘Safety was my top priority…’ A Montana woman who has repeatedly defended ‘accidentally shooting dead’ (and then skinning and photographing) a husky pup that she mistook for a wolf while hunting has caused further outrage after pleading not guilty during a Friday court appearance.
Amber Rose Barnes, 36, of Martin City, responding to charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty told a court she was not guilty of the citations against her KPAX reported.
The woman’s response only served to further antagonise social media users who have criticised the hunter for failing to tell the difference between a wolf and Siberian husky dog since shooting the animal in the woods in early September.
Perhaps also serving to antagonise social media users is Barnes seeming reluctance to apologise for her actions and going the extra mile to celebrate her ‘kill’ by skinning the Husky and then gloating in images she shared on Facebook. Barnes has since removed all social media postings.
Retorted one social media on Friday, ‘She knew what she was doing all along. If she couldn’t tell the difference between a young husky and a wolf… she has no business hunting.’
‘I would do it again!’ Montana woman defends shooting Siberian husky as internet hates her https://t.co/AenNHC4qLz #Amber Rose Barnes #Frank Tallent #hunting
— Scallywagandvagabond (@ScallywagNYC) September 27, 2022
Did Montana hunter have a valid hunting license?
Wrote another commentator, ‘The thing is she said that she shot the dog because it was running at her but then she spent a whole day skinning it … like ok , you shot it by mistake but then went on to skin it still not realizing it’s a dog ?’
At the time of the husky kill, Barned maintained she was forced to shoot the animal cause her life was in danger.
Posted Barnes previously: ‘During this time, safety was my top priority this animal was growling howling and coming at me like it was going to eat me.
‘Yes I made a mistake…either way yes I would still have shot it because it was aggressive and coming directly for me!’
‘Safety was my top priority…’
Barnes avoided being charged with a hunting violation – because ‘the incident did not involve an animal under the agency’s jurisdiction’, confirmed The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities worked to determine whether Barnes had a license to hunt wolves, which she said she did.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks later confirmed to FoxBangor that Barnes had purchased the appropriate license.
In Montana, wolf hunting is legal with a license. An individual is allowed to legally kill or trap 20 wolves a season.
Barnes is due back in court on December 20.
