October 30, 201411 yr I'm not going to post a picture of the image but it's in the link to the story. Bobcat found hanged from goalpost at Tennessee high school days before Wildcats' heated football game against century-old rival - NY Daily News WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES The Coffee Pot rivalry has pitted the Tullahoma High School Wildcats against the Coffee County Central High Red Raiders for 89 years. Harmless pranks always fill the week leading up to the annual match, but the tradition took a dark turn Tuesday when Tullahoma students found an actual bobcat shot and hanged on their football field. PETA is offering up to $2,500 for tips leading to the culprits’ identities. A historic Tennessee high school rivalry took a ghastly, cruel turn Tuesday. Tullahoma High School — home of the Wildcats — found a bobcat shot and hanged on its football field goalpost just days before it was sent to play its top rival, the most horrific prank in the two schools' 89-year rivalry. The opposing school, Coffee County Central High, is investigating the complaint, the Tullahoma News reported. The two middle Tennessee schools' nearly century-old football rivalry, nicknamed the Coffee Pot, is a celebrated tradition full of spirit and pranks. Friday will mark the 89th annual Wildcats vs. Red Raiders game. Last year, a jokester cut the power during the band's halftime performance, WSMV reported. Another time, someone put a toilet in the middle of the field the week of the game. But this cruel act is a new low, Coffee County High School Principal Joey Vaughn said. "There have been various events throughout these years, but this week someone took a high school rivalry and took it too far," he said in a statement. The bobcat was shot dead before it was hanged from a goal post, school officials said. Tullahoma students found it Tuesday morning. At first they thought it was just a stuffed animal, but school officials quickly realized they were dealing with a much more serious stunt. Neither school knows who is behind the sick prank. PETA is offering up to $2,500 for tips leading to the perpetrators’ identification, Kristin Simon, a cruelty case work manager for the group, told the Daily News. Once the pranksters are found, the animal rights organization will advocate for law officials to press whatever charges may be applicable. If the culprits are students, the group will support their expulsion, Simon said. “This stunt shows a lack of concern for life,” she said. “If it was intended to be funny, it was not funny at all. We are extremely concerned about it.” The principals at both schools are investigating the prank. Since bobcat-hunting season doesn't start until November, the joker could face charges for hunting out of season. "At no time is hate acceptable and that's what this is," Vaughn told the TV station. The Friday night game will go on as scheduled, despite the disturbing field find. "Rivalries are good but this isn't healthy," Coffee County Director of Schools LaDonna McFall said. "We can behave better than this. We will behave better than this." Vaughn said the stunt was likely the work of one or two students — or even adults — and didn't reflect the good-hearted nature of the long-standing rivalry. "This does not represent our student body as a whole. We have great kids at our school and Tullahoma has great kids at its school," he said.
October 30, 201411 yr These are the morons that make it more difficult on responsible hunters and gun enthusiasts.
October 30, 201411 yr Small world. My nephew graduated from Tullahoma. We were just there a month ago, stayed with he and his father as we traveled to Wisconsin. According to the report, the worse thing the perp(s) can be charged with are hunting bobcats out of season and hunting without a license, if that is the case.
October 30, 201411 yr Small world. My nephew graduated from Tullahoma. We were just there a month ago, stayed with he and his father as we traveled to Wisconsin. According to the report, the worse thing the perp(s) can be charged with are hunting bobcats out of season and hunting without a license, if that is the case. Not sure how it is there, but here there are issues with illegally transporting the carcass. KY will stack some stuff on you for that show.
October 30, 201411 yr If I'm not mistaken they can revoke their hunting rights permanently for hunting out-of-season, correct?
October 30, 201411 yr If I'm not mistaken they can revoke their hunting rights permanently for hunting out-of-season, correct? I only know of one person in KY who got caught with a deer out of season, and he got a 5 yr ban.
October 31, 201411 yr What a waste of life of a beautiful creature. To be able to see these animals roam around in the woods or meadows is a great sight. Whoever the evil person was who did this should be fined and jailed. Edited October 31, 201411 yr by rockmom
October 31, 201411 yr And to think people used to get worked up about Trinity and St. X hanging bedsheet banners in the parks.
November 2, 201411 yr This was a terrible thing to do. I hope they find the ones who did it. A rivalry is a good thing for schools, but keep it reasonable. I remember back in the early '80s my school's biggest rival, Lee County (Bobcats), had someone dress up in their Bobcat mascot outfit and ride a horse around our high school (Owsley County). It was on a Friday and the district basketball tournament game between the two schools was to be that night. I got a good laugh out of the stunt, as did most of our students watching the Bobcat from the windows. That's an example of a harmless prank. What happened in Tennessee is flat out wrong.
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