Matthew McConaughey is under attack by animal rights activists for allegedly owning a “canned” hunting ranch. The Magic Mike star does not own a captive hunting ranch, according to statements by his representatives. “Get your facts straight,” a representative for the Oscar winning actor said after a petition calling for McConaughey to rescind his ownership in the hunting ranch began circulating online.

Animal rights activists posted this message about Matthew McConaughy under the YouSign.org Twitter account, “Did you know that Matthew McConaughey is co-founder of a canned hunting ranch in Texas?” The LP Ranch in Texas encompasses approximately 22,000 acres. The activists claim that despite the massive size of the ranch deer are an easy target because they congregate at feeding stations.

Matthew McConaughey under attack by animal rights activists.

The petition concerning the commercial hunting ranch the animal rights activists claim Matthew McConaughey has an ownership interest in, reads:

“The ranch’s website provides numerous pictures of how the whitetail deer is hunted for fun, even by children. We strongly feel that this is not the message that such a good actor should be sending his fans and the entire world in general. Is this the image someone would lie to be associated with? A beautiful white deer taken down by a bunch of children?”

The LP Ranch is reportedly owned by Matthew McConaughey’s brother Mike, and his nephew, Madison, is the cattle manager at the facility. Matthew McConaughey’s name reportedly appears as a co-owner on the property only through 2011, when he sold his interest in the ranch. The main function of the LP Ranch is reportedly focused on the cattle herd and horse breeding. According to the ranch website, hunting trips are a popular sideline activity.

During an interview with TMZ, Matthew McConaughey defended the hunting ranch and family business and revealed that he has even received death threats from animal rights activists who do not understand what the LP Ranch is all about. “People are disgusted with us but we’re disgusted with them. We’re proud of what we do,” McConaughey said.

“We chose to high fence headquarters in Irion County which allows for better management and maintenance of our deer herd. With a young deer herd, we feel extremely blessed to have had a great gene pool from the beginning,” a post on the LP Ranch website says. The post also adds a message to hunters informing them that the deer are fed a high quality feed year around to keep the animals in top condition.

What do you think about the LP Ranch and the backlash Matthew McConaughey has received from animal rights activists?

[Image via: Collider]