Idaho’s Fish and Game commissioner Blake Fischer resigned Monday after facing backlash for sharing photos he took with animals he killed during an African hunting trip.
Fischer said in his resignation letter to Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) that he “made some poor judgments.”
“I recently made some poor judgments that resulted in sharing photos of a hunt in which I did not display an appropriate level of sportsmanship and respect for the animals I harvested. While these actions were out of character for me, I fully accept responsibility and feel it is best for the citizens of Idaho and sportsmen and women that I resign my post,” Fischer wrote in the letter.
Fischer faced calls to resign after sharing the photos from an African hunting trip, including one showing him smiling next to a dead family of baboons.
Several former Fish and Game commissioners were among those who called for Fischer’s resignation, the Idaho Statesmen reported at the time.
Otter, the governor, said in a statement Monday that Fischer did not “exercise good judgment.”
“I have high expectations and standards for every appointee in state government,” Otter said. “Every member of my administration is expected to exercise good judgment. Commissioner Fischer did not. Accordingly, I have accepted his resignation from the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.”
Fisher had served as commissioner since 2014.