(Another) Social Media Influencer Implicated in Illegal Hunting Scandal 🤳

In the event that the weekend wasn’t quite long enough for you, here’s to hoping that your favorite dispatch from the outdoor world can give you 5-or-so minutes to prep yourself for yet another week.

So, without further adieu, let’s grab that coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past few days. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• Influence me not - Another social media guy goes down 👏

• New opportunities - Sec. of Interior announces 42 new hunting opps 🏔️

• Big bears - Pa. shares some of the state’s biggest bears from last season 🐻

• CWD update - Kentucky wraps up CWD testin’ season and comes up with no bad news 🤮

• Houndin’ for you - I’m fascinated by hounds and mountain lions this morning 🐶 

THESE GUYS…
(ANOTHER) SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER IMPLICATED IN ILLEGAL HUNTING SCANDAL

In true hypocritical social media influencer fashion, a 29-year-old with a massive online following has gone ahead and proven to all of us that the depths to which some will sink for a few more likes, knows no bounds.

In a case coming out of the beautiful and bucket-list worthy Yukon Territory, a young man by the name of Tristan James Hamm has been implicated in an illegal bear hunting scandal that put him up against over a dozen territorial and federal charges.

Hamm, also affectionately known as "Mr. Adventure," has built a significant following through his outdoor-focused content. With over two million Instagram followers (before privatizing his account in November 2023) and around 100,000 TikTok followers, Hamm (formerly) showcased activities like trail running, helicopter jumps, and exploring abandoned sites. A native of Winkler, Manitoba, he founded Revived Outdoors in 2016, an adventure tourism company emphasizing wellness and mental health. 

And in the event that wasn’t enough to make his followers feel worse about themselves, Hamm also advocated for ethical wildlife interaction, launching the “Explore, Don’t Exploit” movement to promote sustainable outdoor practices and discourage geotagging on social media - odd requests out of someone making a living off those very activities.

And yet, despite claiming residency in Whitehorse, Yukon, his actual residency was a key point of contention in the legal case that has since brought all of his actions under scrutiny…

QUICK HITS // ^{_{FROM AROUND THE WEB}}

Department of the Interior Announces Expansion of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities: In a major step to expand recreational access to America’s public lands, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum today announced 42 new proposed hunting opportunities across more than 87,000 acres within the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System.  Read the full story.

Utah Wildlife Board approves 2025 big game hunting permits, other rule updates: The Utah Wildlife Board approved the big game hunting permit numbers for 2025, as well as a few other changes to big game hunting rules in Utah, during its public meeting Thursday.  Read the full story.

What are the biggest bears harvested by Pa. hunters in 2024?: Pennsylvania has some of the biggest black bears in the world. Every time I hear that, I still find it hard to believe, yet the harvest numbers from the 2024 bear seasons released by the state Game Commission this week bear that out – if you’ll pardon the pun. Three bears shot last fall weighed over 700 pounds and nine topped 600 pounds.  Read the full story.

MN Turkey Hunting Pace Similar to Last Spring: Minnesota is into the 3rd wild turkey hunting season this spring.  Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News says final numbers for season 1 showed just a 75 bird difference as opposed to last season.  The second season showed a harvest number of 3,649, which was nearly identical to the 2nd season last spring. Read the full story.

Kentucky Provides Update on CWD Testing Efforts for 2024-25 Deer Season: The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has completed its Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance and testing for the 2024-2025 deer season. Testing of 9,204 samples statewide found no new cases of the disease in wild deer.  Read the full story.

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

🐺 These hound videos always fascinate me. And I say this as someone with zero experience with lions and limited experience with hounds. But I always wonder why these big ol’ cats just don’t tear these noisy buggers up, it seems to me like a couple of quick swipes would lead this cat to freedom, yet he’s holed up and awaiting his fate.

Either way, those hounds are braver that I am…

Summer in the American west is calling.

📸 : @kelseacallister

Oh, and one more thing…