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West Virginia mascot shoots bear with school's musket

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY Sports
This Saturday Sept. 22, 2012 file photo shows West Virginia University Mountaineer mascot Jonathan Kimble is seen during the NCAA college football game between West Virginia University and University of Maryland in Morgantown, W.Va.

Jonathan Kimble swears he's just like any other West Virginia mascot -- he dresses up in Mountaineer garb, pumps up fans on game day and hunts animals with his school-issued musket.

Wait, what was that last one?

Yes, the 24-year-old has put his firearm to use on hunting trips -- and now the evidence is all over the internet.

The school has asked Kimble to stop using the musket after a video (warning: graphic) surfaced in which the student shot and killed a black bear.

"While Jonathan Kimble's actions broke no laws or regulations, the University has discussed this with him and he agrees that it would be appropriate to forego using the musket in this way in the future," West Virginia spokesman John Bolt said in a statement, according to Dr. Saturday. "There are some provisions regarding the gun, but none that prohibit its use outside of University-sponsored functions or for hunting purposes. It is also worth noting that powder is used when the musket is discharged at public functions."

I can't tell you how to feel about the video. But how does the school issue a student a weapon and allow it to be used for anything other than an ammunition-free firing at school gatherings? It's hard to imagine the university's lawyers standing for this much longer.

"Hunting can be a controversial topic," said Kimble, who also noted that his predecessors used the musket for hunting. "I apologize to any of those who took offense to the video. It definitely wasn't my intent to offend anybody."

Kimble won't change anyone's feelings about hunting with words. But he'd probably be best off using the firearm solely in the role for which it was issued.

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