Businessman Charged After Viral Video of Abusive Pheasant Hunt

On October 29, 2025, charges were filed against Mitchell, South Dakota businessman Cory Cumings following a viral video that showed him yelling at his 12-year-old son during the pheasant hunting season opener weekend. The Aurora County indictment includes two counts of possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony drug conviction, as well as one count of child abuse.

The video, which Cumings had originally posted on Snapchat, depicts him repeatedly using profanity and threatening to leave his son behind while pressuring the child to fire a shotgun. Cumings later claimed the post was a deliberate "rage baiting" attempt to provoke emotional reactions online. However, the video quickly went viral after a viewer shared it on Facebook, leading to numerous calls to local law enforcement.

The Aurora County Sheriff's Department has taken over the investigation, as the incident occurred on Cumings' property in Aurora County near Mount Vernon. The video has garnered over 72,000 views since it was posted.

Cumings is also facing a separate federal case in U.S. District Court, where he is accused of unlawfully possessing more than 100 firearms and ammunition in December 2023. That federal case followed a raid on Cumings' roofing business in Mitchell and his residence. Cumings has pleaded not guilty to the federal charge and is scheduled to stand trial in December 2025.