Anti-Hunters Planning to Flood Florida Bear Hunt Lottery in Protest

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:

• Can’t beat ‘em? Join ‘em - That’s the thought of one Floridian anti-hunting group 🖕

• Cali poaching busts - Wildlife officials snap up sturgeon and salmon poachers 🍣

• Self defense - Another Montana grizz is killed in self defense 🔫

• I’m a photographer now - Watch as this bear tries to focus on his next photo 📸 

WEASEL-LIKE ACTIVITY
ANTI-HUNTERS PLANNING TO FLOOD FLORIDA BEAR HUNT LOTTERY IN PROTEST

In addition to joining state wildlife boards or just straight up trying to create their own, the anti-hunting crowd’s insatiable appetite for ruining what we hold dear seems to know no bounds. 

In an if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em kind of move, a group of anti-hunters down in Florida is mobilizing in an effort to disrupt the state’s upcoming bear hunt. In the event you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard that the Sunshine State is planning on chasing black bears this December for the first time in about a decade. As anyone can imagine, those with an undying appreciation for anything fluffy and cuddly are doing everything they can to change that.

After spending their days on street corners scattered throughout the state in protest, one group has publicly announced their plans to foil, or at least disrupt the bear hunt practice. According to the group, known as Speak Up Wekiva, the ant-bear-hunting crowd is mobilizing in an attempt to buy up the available bear tags by flooding the state’s lottery system…

California Poachers Busted with Illegal Sturgeon and Over 150 Pounds of Illegally Harvested Salmon Roe. In a significant bust out in California, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife recently uncovered a poaching operation involving over 150 pounds of illegally harvested salmon roe. The case kicked off with an investigation into a Dungeness crab trafficking ring, which led officials to a suspect who was poaching chinook salmon from the American River, a tributary of the Sacramento River. The individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, was later found with the substantial haul of roe from an estimated illegal harvest of upwards of 75 salmon, destined for the black market. This incident comes at a time when salmon fishing has been closed for over two years in California due to low population estimates, though a highly regulated recreational season is set to begin in mid-July on select rivers.

The department’s efforts didn’t stop there, as their Special Operations Unit and Delta Bay Enhanced Enforcement Program also targeted white sturgeon poaching, which are prized for their caviar and are currently restricted to catch-and-release due to potential listing under the California Endangered Species Act. Two angling groups on the Sacramento River were cited for illegally tying off sturgeon, and two others faced charges for taking endangered or threatened species.

“Wildlife officers’ patrols confirm sturgeon and salmon poaching continue during the fisheries’ closures,” a CDFW spokesperson said. “Well-organized criminal networks were observed employing advanced counter surveillance techniques, underscoring the continued high demand and profitability of illegal caviar trafficking.”

🐻 Another Montana grizzly is shot in self defense.  In the Swan Valley between Condon and Seeley Lake, a landowner shot and killed a grizzly bear that charged him near his residence on the night of June 3rd, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The incident began when the man heard noises and noticed disturbances involving his livestock and dogs. Upon investigating, he encountered the bear, which charged at him, prompting him to shoot and kill the animal in self-defense. The landowner was unharmed, and the incident was reported to state wildlife officials.

This incident marks the the third instance of a grizzly bear being shot within the last several weeks.

1. I went to my first concert in years this weekend.  Live music always reminds me that we’re going to be alright.

2. Die with memories not fantasies.

3. You probably don’t need a wearable to tell you when you are hungry or sleepy.

4. Delaying decisions is not discernment.

5. A small amount of unhealthy food is probably healthier than eating a surplus of “healthy” food. 

6.  Reach for Him the same way you reach for your phone 🙏 

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

📸 Not sure if this fella was glassing up the far ridge for his next meal or contemplating a new career as a nature photographer. Either way you slice it, this curious fella gave the camera’s owner a slight scare.

He kinda looked like he was getting the hang of it for a minute there…

Oh, and one more thing…