Cali Officials Sound the Alarm After Pigs Turn Up with “Slushie Blue” Meat 🤮

As most of you let us know yesterday, we experienced some sort of a technical glitch in some email clients. The text was over-sized and in some cases unreadable and we’re going to go ahead and apologize for the mishap. We have ZERO idea what happened and unfortunately cannot turn back time to make it right. That said, after some testing, we remain hopeful that today’s edition will display properly in all it’s glory . But if not, we trust that you’ll all let us have it - just like you did yesterday.

Thanks to everyone who let us know that something was royally screwed up. It sounds funny, but we’re honored that so many of you were pissed off enough to make a stink about it. It serves as a reminder not only that we should avoid f*cking up at all costs, but also that all of you really like what we’re putting out there for the most part.

So, thank you. Now, let’s get on with it.

As we continue to slowly inch 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:

I’M OUT
CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS SOUND THE ALARM AFTER MULTIPLE PIGS TURN UP WITH “SLUSHIE BLUE” MEAT

In another episode of things I wish I never discovered about our food system and supply, a California trapper has uncovered a number of pigs sporting “slushie blue” fatty tissue. In something that is better suited for the makings of a sci-fi flick, one pig turned into many, prompting a full-scale investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and what they found was disturbing to say the least.

It all started back in March of this year when Dan Burton, a trapper with Urban Trapping Wildlife Control, was working a commercial farm near the Salinas River when he stumbled across this neon nightmare. The pigs he was pulling from the traps had fat that looked like it belonged in a rave, not a ribcage. Suspecting something was seriously off, Burton pinged the guys and gals over at CDFW, who ran tests and confirmed the culprit: diphacinone, an anticoagulant rodenticide, laced in the pigs’ stomach and liver. The Slurpee-blue hue? That apparently came from dyed oats in ground squirrel bait stations, which these pigs were scarfing down like it was their last meal on the planet (it was)…

💵 $25,000 Reward Offered for Tips on Elk and Bighorn Sheep Poaching in Arizona’s White Mountains. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of poachers responsible for killing seven elk and two bighorn sheep near Big Lake in Arizona’s White Mountains. The incidents occurred on July 20, when three cow elk were shot near Forest Roads 249E and 24, and on July 27, when three more cow elk, a bull elk, and two bighorn sheep rams were killed. No suspects have been identified, and the AZGFD has labeled these acts “despicable,” highlighting their devastating impact on Arizona’s wildlife and future ecosystems.

The AZGFD is urging the public to provide tips through the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700, referencing case #25-002276, with the option for anonymity. The reward, increased from an earlier $20,000, is supported by contributions from the Arizona Elk Society and the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society.

🔍 Five Relatively Unknown Wyoming Elk Herds Are Now Being Tracked. In a groundbreaking effort to better understand Wyoming’s lesser-known elk populations, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, in collaboration with the Wyoming Military Department, conducted a study from 2018 to 2021, fitting GPS collars on 42 cow elk from the Rawhide Herd. This herd resides in the Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center in Platte County, where elk navigate not only hunting pressures but also military activities like artillery fire and aerial training. The GPS data revealed that the herd does not follow traditional migration patterns, often seeking rugged, higher-elevation areas in winter to avoid military disturbances, providing critical insights into their behavior in a unique, human-altered environment.

The study is part of a broader shift in Wyoming’s wildlife management, moving away from “satisfaction-based” metrics which rely on hunter and landowner surveys, toward population-based management for five elusive elk herds including the Rawhide, Targhee, Uinta, Petition, and Pine Ridge. These herds, often on private land or crossing state lines, have been historically difficult to count due to their diffuse distributions and low densities. Using technologies like infrared imaging and AI-assisted aerial surveys, Game and Fish is working to establish population objectives, such as a proposed 1,800 elk for the Rawhide Herd and 1,500 for the Pine Ridge Herd, to improve management despite challenges like uneven distribution and limited access to private lands.

💪 I’m a straight up sucker for this kind of stuff. Watch as these two bulls absolutely get after it in what looks to be somewhere around Estes Park (correct me if I’m wrong).

Is it September yet???

Oh, and one more thing…