Behind Blondie Park

Mascot Shot Bear With Musket: Mountaineer Jonathan Kimble Posts Picture Of Kill, Reprimanded By West Virginia 

What does the WVU Mascot Jonathan Kimble do with his musket when he’s not firing at the opponents on the field?  He takes on black bears in the back woods of West Virginia….and…according to photographs…he has a great aim.

Kimbell, 24,  along with some friends and family went on an outing to “who knows exactly” where.  Kimbell, who must have expected trouble took his “musket” with him. 

It was then that he  shot and killed a bear with his  “bona fide” weapon….actually…it couldn’t have been too hard to miss since the bear was perched in a tree…minding his own business and didn’t have time to get away…

A video and photos of Kimbell firing his musket were posted online…

The WVU mascot wears buckskin and a coonskin cap and fires the musket – loaded with black powder but minus ammunition – at home athletic events and other sponsored activities. Hunting isn’t one of them.

According to sources…the University wasn’t amused by his hunting skills and ordered him to stop using the “prop” on his hunting excursions.

“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,” said WVU spokesman John Bolt.

The Mountaineer Mascots Tradition…

The Firing of the Rifle is a tradition carried out by the Mountaineer Mascot to open several athletic events. The Mountaineer points the gun into the air with one arm and fires a blank shot from a custom rifle, a signal to the crowd to begin cheering at home football and basketball games. The Mountaineer also fires the rifle every time the team scores during football games.

 Video Bear Falls out of Tree and More

Top 25 Most Unusual College Mascots…

Tigers, lions, bears, and birds of prey are among the most popular college football mascots.

 Conventional wisdom dictates that a good college mascot should evoke strength and power, but some schools defy traditional thought.

25) Rowan University. The Rowan Profs (that’s short for Professors) are represented field-side by an owl named Whoo RU. While the owl itself is not an intriguing mascot, you have to give Rowan credit for the naming pun, which comes with a dash of irony, seeing as they are the Professors.

 24) University of Texas at El Paso. The Miners’ mascot, Paydirt Pete, looks like Woody from “Toy Story” hung out with Burt Reynolds for a little too long. Watch him with the Miners.

 23) West Virginia University. The Mountaineers’ mascot is not merely a furry facsimile of a mountaineer, but is an actual human dressed up in full Mountaineer regalia, including the coon-skinned hat and rifle. Points for keeping it real.

 22) University of Akron. Zippy the Kangaroo makes me wonder why we don’t see more marsupials on the sidelines on Saturdays.