A Thanksgiving treaty over 300 years in the making 🦃 🤝

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there on this beautiful November day. As many of you know, this holiday is about taking a deep breath, spending some time with those we hold dear and enjoying some laughs and good food.

I, for one, hope you experience all of the above and more today and throughout the weekend. We’re a small, tight-knit team over here and we’re thankful that there’s tens of thousands of you (seriously?!?) that read and listen to our ramblings on the outdoor world each day. It’s a privilege we won’t soon forget.

I started this thing banging away on my old laptop back in 2016 while my baby daughter “slept” in the crib beside me. To sit here this morning and think of what you’ve all helped the Venatic become today, I am speechless.

The truth is, these stories aren’t as fun without all of you here and for that I give thanks. Thank you to those of you who have been here from the beginning and those that continue to pour in each day.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get this Thanksgiving dispatch out the door so we can move on to the aforementioned laughs and food.

-Ryan

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• Traditions old as time - Virgie Tribe continues to make good on treaty 🤝

• Mystery on camera - Washington man captures ‘wolf spirit’ on trail cam 📸

• Grand Teton moose magnet - And how people can will ruin it 🫎

• Last minute recipe - If you’ve got grouse on hand 🍽️

A TRADITION STRONGER THAN OAK
VIRGINIA TRIBES HONOR 347-YEAR TREATY BY DELIVERING HARVESTED DEER TO GOVERNOR

While not quite a Thanksgiving ceremony, the upholding of the annual tradition of gifting the Governor of Virginia is something we all ought to be thankful for.

In a world where honor can be stripped away by a few key strokes on a keyboard, it can be refreshing to see that some things never change. Despite having been through the ups and downs of colonialism, a retreating King and the first and second World Wars, the Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes continue to hold up their end of their bargain to this day.

As part of the great Powhatan Confederacy, the tribes made a number of deals with the then British Government to help avoid and end violent conflicts with colonialists. As part of a pair of treaties, the two tribes came to agree upon the offering of wild game to the governor each year and have done so for more than 100 governors since…

Indiana Conservation officers arrest four for hunting violations in Daviess County: Indiana Conservation Officers arrested four men for numerous misdemeanor hunting violations following a poaching incident on Nov. 23 in Daviess County. At approximately 10 p.m., officers were patrolling County Road 900 East when they heard a gunshot in the immediate area. Officers located Biak Sang, 40, and Muang Hu, 40, both of Greenwood, and Ro Hmung Lian, 34, and Biak Hu, 48, both of Indianapolis.  Read the full story.

Hunters harvest 62 moose during Vermont’s annual northeast hunt:  Moose hunters in Vermont this fall harvested 62 moose, which is below the targeted 94 wildlife officials had aimed for. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department issued 180 moose hunting permits this year for both an archery and rifle hunt. Read the full story.

Hunting camera in Newport captures strange encounter: Marco McDewey captured an unusual event on his hunting camera in the forests of Newport, Washington. McDewey shared his thoughts on the mysterious sighting. "I’m thinking it’s a wolf spirit guarding my property," he said. Watch the footage.

Missouri hunters harvested fewer deer in 2024 firearms season than in years past: Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 159,120 deer during the November portion of firearms deer season, Nov. 16 - 26. Of the 159,120 deer harvested, 82,613 were antlered bucks, 13,203 were button bucks, and 63,304 were does. Read the full story.

🫎 Spot Near Grand Teton Is A Moose Magnet, But Too Many People Could Ruin It: It’s the classic Wyoming wildlife photographer’s dilemma — how to share the state’s special places and amazing creatures with the world without those places getting overrun by people and the animals driven away.  Photographer Deb Richardson of Star Valley knows of one such place and is facing that dilemma. She fell in love with a spot in the general vicinity of Grand Teton National Park that during November and December draws huge bull moose by the dozen. 

One of the regulars is Wyoming’s best-known moose, a gigantic bull called Hoback.  Read the full story.

🇨🇦 Whitetail Time Machine: Canada on Kodak: These photos came to us from hunters across the continent. And trust us when we say they’re “old school” cool. You’ll see everything from vintage camo patterns, classic pickup trucks, retro hairstyles, hunting bows and guns from yesteryear . . . and of course, big whitetail bucks!

This week we rewind the clock and steer the time machine way up north to Canada. You can’t help but admire these rich, color photos of three monster bucks, two of which were taken in Saskatchewan, and the other, Alberta. Personally, I’m as drawn to the sheer size of these stud buck’s antlers as I am the raw, wild countryside that’s visible in the background. I spy snow-covered conifers, white-barked aspens and rolling canola grain field. Read the full story.

🍽️ Roasted Ruffed Grouse with Whiskey Cream Sauce Recipe: People often look at me askance when I say that I pluck the grouse that I shoot. Even the guys I’m hunting with think it’s kind of funny, though I’ve made converts out of a few of them over the years. When people try this recipe though, they stop laughing, realizing that texture and flavor are great reasons to pluck grouse! Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…