Alabama man nailed on poaching charges 26 years after the fact ⌛️

Welcome to 4th best day of the week besides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. As we dig into another week, we’ve got the crazy story of a 26-year-old cold case in Wyoming, Alaska’s clearance to protect caribou and more updates out of Washington State.

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:

• Busted decades later - Wyoming officials play the long game 🧑‍⚖️

• All clear - Alaska gets clearance to continue predator-cull 👊

• No bait for you - Washington cuts baiting for deer and elk 🍎

• Show me your dens - Wisconsin officials want to see your bear dens 💤 

• Pure athleticism - Watch as this bobcat painlessly leaps across a bridge 😼 

NEVER FORGET
ALABAMA MAN NAILED ON A WYOMING POACHING CHARGE 26 YEARS LATER

They say the perseverance pays off and this recent conviction is proof of that statement to the letter. In a decades-old case coming out of Wyoming, an Alabama man has finally been convicted of a wildlife crime he committed back in October of 1998.

After being on the lam for about 20 years, 53-year-old Kenny Craig of Elkmont, Alabama was arrested after a traffic stop in Crook County, Wyoming in March 2024.  The arrest was made based on a bench warrant that was issued in February 2000 after the accused failed to appear in court stemming from a number of wildlife violations.

The original incident dates back to October 24th, 1998 when Craig illegally killed a 5-by-5 buck mule deer on the Sand Mesa Wildlife Habitat Management Area…

👊 Alaska gets clearance to carry-on with controversial predator-culling program aimed at saving caribou. The Alaska Board of Game has approved a controversial predator control program aimed at protecting the declining Mulchatna Caribou Herd by shooting bears and wolves, despite a recent court ruling that deemed the program unconstitutional. Last week, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game requested emergency action to continue the program for a third season, citing the herd's drastic decline from 200,000 in the late 1990s to just 13,000 animals currently. The board quickly answered the call later in the week by voting 6-1 to resume the program, with plans to start imminently during the late spring and early summer calving season.

Opponents, including the Alaska Wildlife Alliance’s Nicole Schmitt, condemned the decision as a betrayal of public process, arguing that emergency regulations have historically been used to close hunting, not enable predator control. A Superior Court judge ruled on March 14 that the program violated Alaska’s constitution by bypassing public notice and comment requirements and failing to assess impacts on bear populations, following a 2023 lawsuit by the Alliance. Critics also contend that habitat changes, not predation, are the primary cause of the herd’s decline, and they worry about effects on bear populations near Katmai National Park.

Despite debates over adequate public input at the board’s weeklong Anchorage meeting, the majority pushed forward, prompting the Alliance to consider further legal action. The department, however, is ready to act quickly, with contracts and logistics already in place.

🍎 Washington State deer and elk hunters can no longer hunt over bait. Washington State’s new rules, effective April 24, aim to curb chronic wasting disease (CWD) with a statewide ban on baiting and feeding elk, deer, and moose, though the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) exempts its own winter feeding operations—used to support elk in areas with lost range or crop damage—while promising ongoing evaluation. This exemption does, however, draw some scrutiny, as similar feeding in Wyoming has been proven to have fueled the spread of CWD. Additional regulations include banning urine-based scent lures statewide, mandating CWD testing for all hunter-killed cervids in the Eastern Region (requiring heads or lymph nodes), and restricting transport of carcasses from that region to deboned meat or taxidermy, with these rules set to expand if CWD appears elsewhere.

The changes align Washington with neighbors like Montana, Idaho, and Oregon, where baiting is banned or restricted. Oregon has also preemptively prohibited the use of urine attractants despite having no CWD cases.

The baiting ban did manage to spark some backlash from some hunters during online comment sessions, with some critics accusing WDFW of curbing hunting opportunities. Despite the controversy, the department is standing by its commitment to enhancing CWD prevention efforts following the disease’s confirmation in the state eight months ago.

🧸 Wisconsin’s DNR wants to see your bear dens (and baby bears). The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is wrapping up its black bear den survey season and is urging the public to report den locations to aid the department’s Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey, which is used to study reproductive rates and diet impacts on cub survival across bear management zones. While game officials recommend that people spotting dens remain at least 30 yards away from entrances and submit GPS coordinates, photos, site descriptions, and bear activity details using the DNR’s online submission form. DNR staff will assess reported dens for safety and use, prioritizing active ones, though not all may be visited this season.

At surveyed dens, DNR collects data like sex, weight, and measurements, equipping mother bears with GPS collars to track foraging and monitor future reproduction, including litter size and cub survival. All bear den reporters will also receive a detailed report regarding their den including the tenants sex, age and other information as a thanks for their participation in this important survey.

1. Die with your quiver empty.

2. JOMO > FOMO - Joy of Missing Out

3. You are as old as the risks you take.

4. Everything is dose dependent.  For example; a bit of alcohol is a stimulant, a lot is a depressant. This applies to everything in life. Act accordingly.

5. Don’t treat people as bad as they are. Treat them as good as you are.  🙏

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

😼 Watch this lonely bobcat doing bobcat things. The footage was taken unbeknownst to the unsuspecting cat out on Pecan Island, Louisiana.

The athleticism of these animals is truly remarkable…

Oh, and one more thing…