Former Beauty Queen Cited for Illegal Bear Kill

Theresa Vail, the former beauty queen who hosted a reality TV series this year for the Outdoor Channel, has been cited by Alaska State Troopers for illegally killing a grizzly bear. 

The hunt took place during the taping of the first season of the show Limitless with Theresa Vail. The episode itself never aired. It was reported that the film crew alerted law enforcement to the incident shortly after the hunt in late May, according to a report by the Alaska Dispatch. 

The incident appears to be an accident, but it was the  cover-up that allegedly got them into trouble. Vail, 25, and her guide Michael “Wade” Renfro, 45, were charged with misdemeanors for unlawfully taking a bear without a hunting tag and providing false statements to authorities.

State Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen explained the violations in an email to KTUU Channel 2 in Anchorage.

“Vail first shot a boar, and in the haste to finish her kill, instead of finishing off the boar, she shot a nearby sow… Not only did Renfro and Miller not report the violation as required by big game guides, they conspired to cover up the illegal activity by obtaining a second brown/grizzly bear tag and a blank big game record that was then submitted with the wrong information following the hunt.” 

To minimize the damage, Vail suspended her Twitter and Instagram accounts. So far, it does not appear that Vail will lose her support by the Outdoor Channel. She is reportedly still set to host the fifth season of NRA All Access beginning Dec 30.

Tom Caraccioli, director of communications for the Outdoor Sportsman Group networks, wrote to ABC News in an email that the network is committed to legal and ethical hunting.

“We have strict policies and procedures in place that require all of our talent and producers to abide by all hunting regulations,” he said. “In June, Theresa Vail and the ‘Limitless’ production team alerted the authorities of the situation. The hunt never aired on Outdoor Channel.”

In 2014, Vail was crowned Miss Kansas and finished in the top 10 of the Miss America pageant. She also served in the National Guard, according to a bio on the television show’s web site.

This is not the first time a hunting reality TV star has been charged with violations. Earlier this year, the Sportsman Channel was forced to suspend the hosts of Syndicate Hunting. Ted Nugent was also once fined for a hunt that took place on television. 

Photo credit: Facebook – Limitless with Theresa Vail