Arizona Outfitter Gets Prison Time for Lacey Act Violations 🧑‍⚖️

I’m currently at the “it’s Thursday already?” phase of the workweek and am unsure as to whether or not that is a good thing as of yet.

With that in mind, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get this Thursday morning dispatch out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about today:

YOU FOOL
ARIZONA HUNTING OUTFITTER SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR LACEY ACT VIOLATIONS

Facing charges for orchestrating an extensive illegal hunting operation that violated not only local wildlife laws but also included Lacey Act violations, a 56-year-old hunting outfitter has officially faced the music. Timothy Rawlings of Laveen, Arizona was up against a laundry list of charges that included (but was not limited to) illegal outfitting, shooting from vehicles and hunting in unlicensed and unpermitted lands in a scandal that has since resulted in jail time for the disgraced outfitter.

The probe began when Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers got wind of Rawlings' activities in Colorado, where he was providing outfitting services through his company Old West Guides and Outfitters. According to reports he had facilitated illegal hunts over several years for paying clients targeting big game species such as mountain lions, deer, elk, and bears…

👏 In the Face of Fierce Opposition, Florida Officials Unanimously Approve the State’s First Bear Hunt in a Decade. Amid all of the protests, backlash and threats, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission went ahead and unanimously approved rules to reinstate a black bear hunting season in the Sunshine State - the first since 2015. The decision aims to manage the state’s growing black bear population, estimated at around 4,000, which has led to increased human-bear conflicts, including a rare attack in April that claimed the life of a Naples-area man. The hunt will be highly regulated, with 187 permits issued via a lottery system across four Bear Management Units in 31 counties, allowing one bear per permit. Methods include archery, guns, and, starting in 2027, hunting dogs, with baiting allowed on private lands. Permit costs are $100 for residents and $300 for nonresidents, and hunters must report kills within 24 hours.

“I am proud that Florida is joining the majority of states that manage black bears with regulated hunting,” said Rodney Barreto, Chairman of the FWC. “The components of the hunt are conservative and prioritize conservation, with a limited number of permits only being issued in the areas of the state with the largest bear populations.”

The decision has obviously sparked (even more) controversy, with strong opposition from environmentalists and animal rights groups, who argue the hunt is cruel, unnecessary, and driven by political motives rather than ecological need. Critics, including Bear Warriors United - which filed a lawsuit to block the hunt - contend that habitat loss and human encroachment, not bear overpopulation, are the root causes of conflicts. Proponents, including hunters and some local officials, argue the hunt is necessary to address rising bear sightings in neighborhoods and ensure public safety. As of right now, the hunt is set for December 6 to December 28th and FWC plans to monitor the hunt closely and adjust future seasons based on population data.

🏟️ Atlanta Braves Set to Host Inaugural Hunting and Fishing Night at Truist Park. Coming up towards the end of the month, the Atlanta Braves, in collaboration with Realtree and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, have announced that they will host the inaugural Hunting and Fishing Night at Truist Park in Atlanta. In an effort to celebrate the deep connection between sports and outdoor traditions in Braves Country, the event aims to offer fans a unique blend of baseball and outdoor-themed activities. Pre-game festivities at The Battery Atlanta will include educational exhibits, interactive stations, and family-friendly experiences such as a trailer aquarium, a touch tank with crustaceans, live animal encounters with Georgia’s native wildlife, and a virtual reality “Reef Experience.” Fans can also try their hand at archery, explore fishing gear, and learn about wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation opportunities in Georgia.

In an event where baseball is set to meet the back country, the first 15,000 attendees will get their hands on a limited-edition Atlanta Braves Camo Rope Hat and planners are encouraging everyone in attendance to sport their Realtree camo. The inaugural event is slated for August 23rd. Those looking for more information or tickets out to head on over to Braves.com/HuntingandFishing.

🐻 Montana Outfitter Faces Charges for Illegally Killing Grizzly Bear. On May 27th, Bryant Mikkelson, a Montana outfitter with Timber Mountain Outfitters, allegedly shot and killed a grizzly bear while hunting for black bear in the Highwood Mountains of Chouteau County, just east of Great Falls. According to federal investigators, Mikkelson knowingly killed the protected grizzly, a fact that was proven by reviewing text messages and photographs he sent of the bear to others. In the case of accidental shootings, hunters have five days to report grizzly kills to authorities, but in Mikkelson’s case, he chose to come forward nearly two weeks after the shooting after learning of an anonymous tip being received by wildlife officials on June 2nd.

Mikkelson has been indicted on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report the taking of a grizzly bear. He has entered a plea agreement with prosecutors, who recommend one year of probation and a $10,000 fine. A change of plea hearing is scheduled for September 9th, at the Missouri River Courthouse in Great Falls.

🚲 The lake doesn’t care that the truck is in the shop. When the fish are biting, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Dude’ll be in great shape by the end of the summer….

🃏 Parking Lot Poker - Kenya Style: The sun hung high overhead, burnished rays illuminating the waves of dust lifting as each old safari-rigged Land Cruiser rumbled past. Whenever someone walked from their transportation into the small, tin-roofed ranger station the same dust clouds arose, only on a smaller scale, as fluffy puffs of red dust instead of the surf-like drafts crated by the vehicles.

The dirt coated everything: my skin, my hair, my camera, my duffel. After five days camping in the African bush without a shower, it had all taken on a slightly reddish tinge. The camera I’d cleaned religiously. The rest of it… eh. The job wrapped that night, and I’d see if I could find a quick shower before boarding the long flight back to Dubai and then on to the U.S.; if nothing else I’d haunt an airport lounge in Jomo Kenyatta, Nairobi’s international airport, and wash off the red before the flight. For the moment I just grinned, content in my griminess, feeling the dirt on my face crackle a bit with the motion. This—dirt and dust and a memory card full of images in my camera with more yet to come—was Africa at her finest, and I was happy.  Read the full story.

🐕 4 Italians, 2 Shorthairs, a Ukrainian, a Setter, and a Munster walk into a Bed and Breakfast:The white-tailed jackrabbit took off through the sage, disappearing into the sandhills of southern Saskatchewan with no shots fired.  After a week of truck camping out on the prairie, it was vegetables I was low on and not protein. Two Huns and a Sharptail sat in the cooler and with a day of windshield time ahead of me tomorrow it would have been foolish to pull the trigger.

And yet doubts lingered as I walked back through the buckbrush and released the dog from an awkward back foot raised point on the other side of the scrub willow. It had been a slow day and the few coveys we did locate had been busted by a combination of an over-eager dog and poor handling on my part.   Maybe I should have rewarded the dog for the steady work on the rabbit?  Then again, the last thing I wanted was his mind distracted away from birds? However, Rossano, whom I was meeting tomorrow, might have a nice recipe for Hare?  I took the phone out of my back pocket to ask and there was already a message waiting from him.

An image of an older gentleman clad in blaze orange, proudly displaying the largest Jackrabbit I had ever seen with the attached message "No birds yet. But on the board."  Read the full story.

🐟 Layover Bones: Most anglers who chase bonefish often seek out exotic destinations: flights to the Bahamas, lodges in Mexico, five nights in Belize. I didn’t have that privilege. When my plane landed in Honolulu this past March, I had a 10-hour layover, not five days. Just enough daylight to hope for the best on the Oahu flats.

I was in the liminal space between dirtbag and desk job particular to one in his 20s, with a checking account that totaled two digits. My saltwater skills were on par with my financial ones, but when a guide emailed back to say he could fit me in, hope and self-delusion somehow melded into one word: yes.

Ten minutes from the airport, I walked down a dock and met Capt. Chris Wright, a 40-year-old fish whisperer born and raised on Oahu. He put a 7-weight fly rod in my right hand, shook the other and emitted a reassuring level of infectious enthusiasm. Wright, who appeared on the fishing show Top Hooker, describes Hawaiian bonefish the way surfers hail waves: “They’re hard. They’re wily. They’re big.” Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…