80-year-old man hit with murder charge after shooting another hunter in the head 🙏

Welcome to 4th best day of the week besides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

So, while we continue to slowly inch back towards the weekend, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get into what this beautiful Tuesday has to offer.

Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:

• In the head - Cali man facing murder charges in turkey hunting incident 🦃

• Don’t do it for the ‘Gram - Mass. officials clamp down on shark fishing 🦈

• Permit details - Florida eyeing a possible 187 bear tags if hunt approved 🏷️

• Moving moose - Idaho has had a busy spring season 🫎

• Chasing bighorns - Who says coyotes don’t chase full-grown bighorns? 🐏 

TOO MANY STORIES LIKE THIS
80-YEAR-OLD CALIFORNIA MAN FACING MURDER CHARGES AFTER SHOOTING TURKEY HUNTER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD

Given that many hunters are posted up in close proximity to one another, fully decked out in camo, calling in unsuspecting birds or even moving around to get a little closer to the action, turkey hunting season always results in a few unfortunate accidents.

Despite many of these accidents being non-fatal, mistaken identity and shooting at unconfirmed targets are among the leading causes of injury in the spring woods. 

Unfortunately, this same story line has followed an 80-year-old California man who is now behind bars after shooting another hunter on Sunday morning...

🦈 No More Sharks for the 'Gram: Massachusetts Cracks Down on Influencer-Fueled Fishing Frenzy. Fisheries officials in Massachusetts have gone ahead and approved new regulations aimed at curbing land-based shark fishing, especially targeting great white sharks, ahead of the upcoming summer season. The state’s Division of Marine Fisheries, supported by the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, implemented these measures to improve public safety and close existing regulatory loopholes. Under the new rules, shark fishing from land is now banned along much of Cape Cod and the surrounding coast, particularly in areas where great white sharks are most common. Chumming during daylight hours, as well as using drones or mechanized devices to fish, is also prohibited statewide. Although it's been illegal to keep or even target great white sharks in Massachusetts since 2005 and 2015 respectively, enforcement has proven to be difficult.

Public safety concerns were a major factor driving the changes. A notable incident in September 2024, in which surfers clashed with anglers using drones and bait to attract sharks off LeCount Hollow Beach, highlighted the risks of land-based shark fishing near populated beaches. No charges were filed in that case, but it underscored the tension between recreational anglers and beachgoers, particularly during the busy summer season when shark activity is also high. Officials argue that human and shark fishing activity simply can’t safely coexist in the same coastal spaces. The new rules reflect a broader trend seen in other coastal states, where the rising popularity of surf shark fishing, fueled in part by social media, has led to increasing restrictions due to safety and conservation concerns.

🐻 Update: Florida’s possible 2025 bear hunting season. Florida wildlife officials are considering a controversial plan to allow black bear hunting this December, announcing the possibility of issuing 187 permits as part of an effort to control the growing bear population. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will present formal rules in May, with a vote scheduled for August. This proposal is the latest development in Florida’s ongoing effort to re-institute a bear hunt, following a brief and contentious season in 2015 that sparked years of debate. Supporters of the hunt point to a sharp rise in human-bear conflicts with more than 7,000 nuisance calls in 2023 alone. This follows the passage of the 2024 Self Defense Act, which allows Floridians to kill a bear without a license if they feel an imminent threat.

Opponents argue the proposal prioritizes “trophy killing” over true conservation and are pushing for alternatives such as land conservation and better enforcement. Critics have also taken issue with the FWC’s language around “harvest” and “management,” seeing it as a downplay of what they call unnecessary killing. The Florida black bear, once listed as a threatened species, has rebounded from about 500 in the 1970s to over 4,000 today, largely due to conservation efforts. The proposed hunt, which would require a $5 application and cost $100–$300 if selected, aims to keep population growth at zero but continues to stir passionate debate over how best to balance wildlife management with ethical concerns.

🫎 Idaho Fish and Game Busy with moose relocations in not two, but three separate incidents. Idaho officials have been on a wildlife relocation streak this spring, handling three separate moose incidents in just over a week—including multiple cow-calf pairs and a young bull moose wandering into populated areas. The surge in activity highlights both the challenges of managing wildlife-human interactions and the adaptability (and curiosity) of Idaho's moose.

The most recent case occurred on the morning of March 27 in Chubbuck, when a 2-year-old bull moose was reported running near Chubbuck and Yellowstone roads. After a collaborative effort between Idaho Fish and Game, Chubbuck Police, and the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, officials guided the moose into a more secure area. By 7:30 a.m., the bull had ended up inside a fenced storage facility, where Fish and Game safely tranquilized and relocated it.

A day earlier, on March 26, another moose relocation took place at the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, where a cow and her calf had taken up residence for several days. Their growing comfort with campus life raised safety concerns, prompting officials to safely dart and transport the pair to a more suitable, remote habitat.

And on March 19, a third operation unfolded in Riverside, near Blackfoot, where a cow moose and her calf were tranquilized and relocated after spending several days in a residential neighborhood. A third moose, a yearling, was also in the area but eluded capture. Officials had received multiple reports of moose sightings near homes, roads, and even a school in Bingham County leading up to the intervention.

In all three cases, Idaho Fish and Game underscored the same message: moose may appear calm, but they are large, fast, and unpredictable—especially protective cows with calves. Officials encourage residents to report sightings promptly, give animals space, and never feed or approach wildlife.

1. The grass is always greener and there’s always a bigger boat.

2. If you’re going to eat shit, get good at it.

3. No one ever died of embarrassment.

4. ‘I am here today to cross the swamp, not to fight all the alligators.’

5. To those who knock, He opens🙏

VIDEO // ^{_{SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN}}

🐏 Watch this incredible footage of a coyote in full pursuit of an adult bighorn. According to the post, this proves that coyotes are not only a hazard to sheep lambs, but adults as well.

Watching these two streak across that landscape is something else…

Oh, and one more thing…