KLAS TV
July 25, 2021
By LuAnne Sorrell

Officials Call Bambi Hunting Business a Hoax




  The Hunting for Bambi story became an international sensation. Now, the business which promised to let men hunt naked women with paintball guns is under the microscope.

The city of Las Vegas has cited the founder of Hunting for Bambi for doing business without having the proper license. Michael Burdick does have a business license but it's for selling nature videos via the Internet.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman made it clear Thursday at a news conference that he does not think women were ever being hunted as portrayed in the videos.

"The reported Hunting for Bambi was a scam. It all was staged. They were actors and actresses and that there wasn't even the real shooting of paintballs," said Mayor Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas

A video shoot that Eyewitness News was invited to three weeks ago did involve a naked woman getting shot by a paintball.

Gidget even told the news crew, "It hurt more than I expected." The mark the paintball left was also real. The question though now looms over whether the event was staged for the cameras.

Eyewitness News requested an interview with Hunting for Bambi founder Michael Burdick on Thursday. He initially agreed but after an appearance on a national station, his attorney advised him to remain quiet.

Burdick did tell Eyewitness News that his attorney is trying to clean up these mess with city officials. Not only is Burdick trying to clear things up with the city but the company is also falling apart internally.

Burdick's photographer David Krekelberg is now handling the company's public relations. Eyewitness News is told that his real name is Paul Dymon. Thursday, he released a statement saying the so-called hunts were staged for the cameras.

Burdick says he's suing Dymon and that all of the hunts were booked through Dymon. But according to Burdick, Dymon has yet to turn over the money from several of the hunts.

Eyewitness News tried to get ahold of Dymon but he did not return our phone calls. Eyewitness News is aware of at least one other hunt attended by media.

Because of the trouble he is in, Burdick says there will not be anymore hunts. The city of Las Vegas is holding a news conference Friday morning. Eyewitness News will bring you the latest on this story.