A lot of people still remember Duane Chapman as Dog The Bounty Hunter, and there’s good reason. The guy made a show out of bounty hunting, one of the most dangerous professions out there for anyone that isn’t a cop and somehow isn’t afraid to track down some of the worst individuals in the world. Bounty hunters aren’t exactly given their due respect all the time as they operate under the same laws that law enforcement does but aren’t as bound by jurisdiction and can run down a suspect wherever they happen to be. Chapman made a pretty good living doing this but lately has been taking a break and has stepped back from bounty hunting. At least two of his kids, having worked with him, severed all ties and went into business for themselves, taking on the challenge of creating their own bounty hunting business. It would seem that Chapman is almost thinking about retiring at this point, but there’s a small chance he could come back.
There are however reasons why he should consider staying away.
He’s in his 60s.
Chapman was great back when he was a younger man, but this far into his life he’s not quite the man he used to be. No one starts getting stronger as they get older. They tend to slow down, they start to find it harder to perform certain actions, and their body begins to break down a little. That’s not say that Chapman is a weakling, hardly that, but it is to say that those he goes after could very well be his physical match if they’re not tougher as bounty hunting seems like a trade for those that are in their forties or younger unless they happen to be very fit. He can still rely on his team no doubt, but the chances of getting through a moderate to major skirmish without being able to draw down on someone (he’s banned from carrying firearms) is seeming like it might get tougher with each passing year. It might be time for the Dog to finally retire and watch from the sidelines.
The bounty hunting game has changed a bit, so has law enforcement.
With the way that law enforcement has changed throughout the years bounty hunting is perhaps even less safe than being a police officer. People nowadays don’t have much respect for the law for various reasons which means that those that work outside of it can’t have much hope that they’d be treated any better. Beth has been worried for a long time that there might come a day when her husband wouldn’t be able to make it back from a job, especially given that bounty hunters tend to go after some of the worst people on record. But now that people are actively against law enforcement in some parts of the world it seems like the danger level has been kicked up a few notches and people are more than willing to do what it takes to keep out of prison and away from those that can put them there.
His wife’s health should be top priority.
Beth was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017 and as a result Chapman decided to sit out from the bounty hunting gig for a while to take care of her. It was the right choice obviously, he’s doing the right thing by staying at her side and is proving that no matter what’s been said about him that he is a caring individual. There have been a number of stories on Chapman throughout his career and his life about who he is, what he does, and what he’s been like to his kids and to the women he’s been with and married throughout the years. But at the very least he’s shown, with Beth, that he’s willing to be by her side as she goes through this rather than make her continue to worry as he goes after another bounty.
Chapman has had a long and storied career as a bounty hunter but his personal life is something that’s been more than a little spotty. From his stint in prison back in the 70s to the many women he’s had in his life to the 12 kids he’s had, some of whom unfortunately passed away far too young, he’s had a rather spotty past. There’s nothing to say that he’s one way or the other since a lot of what goes on with the show and a lot of what has been seen in his personal life are highly questionable when it comes to what’s real and what’s not. But one thing that can be said about Chapman is that his life has been very colorful and that if he does decide to finally retire it will be something he’ll have earned.
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