Coeur d'Alene Man Convicted of Illegal Killing of Trophy Elk 🧑‍⚖️

The weekend might not be here just yet, but your favorite dispatch from the great outdoors is. 

So grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let's get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past 24-or-so hours. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• Can’t fool us - Idaho man’s cover-up attempt foiled in trophy bull case 🧑‍⚖️

• New record, who dis? - Florida angler’s snakehead officially certified as a world record 🎣

• Tiger King star jailed - Another Tiger King celeb is heading to prison, this time for Lacey Act violations

• Shhhhhhhh - BBB eliminates $200 tax stamp on suppressors 🔫

• Just feeding the birds - Bet this dude couldn’t do this twice…🦅

Miss something this week?

HOPEFULLY THEY HAMMER THIS GUY
COEUR D’ALENE MAN CONVICTED OF ILLEGAL KILLING OF TROPHY BULL ELK

A northern Idaho man has been convicted for unlawfully killing a beautiful bull elk and attempting to cover it up.  In a press release from the state’s Game and Fish Department, it was announced that 61-year-old Joel Rose from Coeur d’Alene was convicted on felony charges towards the end of last month.

The case dates back to September 10th of last year when an anonymous tip came into the state’s Citizens Against Poaching line after Rose had turned over a bull elk to a local taxidermist.

According to the department, Rose killed a trophy-class bull elk using a suppressed 6.5 Creedmore rifle during the archery-only season in the Panhandle Region.  The incident, which took place on private property in the Wolf Lodge area near where Rose lives, sparked a massive investigation…

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🎣 Florida Angler Sets New World Record with 17-Pound, 1-Ounce Snakehead Catch. On April 23rd, Florida angler Ryan Alvarez caught a 17-pound, 1-ounce bullseye snakehead (also known as great snakehead) in a Pompano Beach canal, setting a new all-tackle world record recently certified by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). The fish, measuring 37.5 inches long, was caught using a Z-Man chatterbait after a brief but intense fight. Alvarez, a former camper at the IGFA Fishing Summer Camp, brought the fish to IGFA headquarters in Dania Beach, just 16 miles from the catch site, for official weighing on a certified scale. This record surpassed the previous world record held by Corey Nowakowski, a Florida fishing guide who had set multiple snakehead records, including a 15-pound, 8-ounce bullseye snakehead.

Bullseye snakeheads, an invasive species in South Florida, are concentrated in Broward County’s canal systems and are popular among anglers for their aggressive strikes and strong fights. Native to tropical Asia, these fish are air-breathers with a distinctive black spot rimmed in orange near their tail. While Florida encourages killing invasive snakeheads to protect native species, regulations allow their release back into the same waters where caught. In the case of this new world record, Alvarez’s fish was killed for the record certification. 

🐅 Bhagavan "Doc" Antle gets jail time and fines for Lacey Act violations. Remember the “Doc” Antle guy from the Tiger King show? Ya, me neither really. But much to the surprise of virtually no one, another ‘celebrity’ from the show is now embroiled in illegal activity disguised as philanthropy. 

Following in the footsteps of season one’s star Joe Exotic, Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, another central figure in Netflix's Tiger King show, was sentenced earlier this week to one year and one day in federal prison in Charleston, South Carolina, for wildlife trafficking and money laundering. Antle, who owns Myrtle Beach Safari and founded The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), pleaded guilty in November 2023 to violating the Lacey Act and conspiring to launder over $500,000 tied to a human smuggling operation. His illegal activities included trafficking endangered animals like chimpanzees, cheetahs, lions, and tigers without proper documentation, using his nonprofit, The Rare Species Fund, to disguise payments as donations.

The court ordered Antle to pay a $55,000 fine, $197,000 in restitution, forfeit three chimpanzees, and serve three years of supervised release post-incarceration. Despite his lawyers’ plea for probation, citing his care for 150 exotic animals at his zoo, Judge Joseph Dawson III imposed a lighter sentence than the two years recommended, influenced by testimony from 25 supporters about Antle’s conservation efforts. Antle expressed remorse, acknowledging his “stupid” mistakes.

🔫 Congress Passes Bill Eliminating $200 Tax on Suppressors and Short-Barreled Firearms in YUGE Gun Rights Win. On July 10th President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a budget package that included (among many other things) a provision eliminating the $200 tax stamp and registration requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and “any other weapon” under the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934. This change, supported by gun rights groups like the NRA and Gun Owners of America, aligns these items with standard firearm purchase processes, requiring only a background check. The move is seen as a victory for Second Amendment advocates and hunters, with the firearms industry expecting a surge in suppressor sales, which already reached 4.5 million registered units in 2024.

Gun control advocates, including Everytown for Gun Safety and Brady, opposed the provision, arguing that deregulating suppressors could complicate law enforcement’s ability to detect gunshots and pose risks to public safety. Critics also noted potential industry benefits, as suppressors, priced between $200 and $1,200, often require compatible firearms. Although full deregulation of suppressors was initially proposed via the Hearing Protection Act, Senate rules limited the provision to tax elimination. 

Gun rights groups are now digging in and continue to pursue a federal lawsuit to challenge the NFA’s constitutionality, aiming to dismantle it or in the very least, de-claw it as it pertains to suppressors.

Miss something this week?

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

Government Budget Cuts Might Bring the End of Bird Banding : “Waterfowlers need to realize banding is still a valuable source of information that allows the USFWS to gain information needed to know how to set bag limits, how to monitor bird numbers, and how to know when certain species of ducks and geese are being threatened by over-harvest or any other number of possible threats. Bands are vital to knowing how to properly allow hunters to chase ducks.”  Read the full story.

Michigan 2025 deer hunting season rules and key changes to know: Michigan's 2025 deer hunting regulations are now available and while the season opener is still months away, it’s never too early to know this year's key changes to antlerless harvest rules, firearm seasons, and reporting requirements. Read the full story.

WGFD announces changes to National Elk Refuge hunting season: The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has made adjustments to hunting regulations on the National Elk Refuge (NER), including updated season dates, the addition of a new license type and modifications to the permission slip application process. Read the full story.

Florida Python Challenge begins July 11. Where will hunt be and what is the cash prize?: Python hunters will slither their way into eight competition locations across Florida for this summer's Florida Python Challenge. From July 11-20, participants will be able to take part in a competitive hunt organized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to manage the population of the invasive species. Read the full story.

Enrollment now open for Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership: Landowners may now enroll their property in the Ohio Landowner-Hunter Access Partnership, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Enrollment in the program is open until Thursday, July 31, and incentivizes property owners to provide land access to hunters. Read the full story.

Mountain goat and moose hunters must take written tests to continue hunting in Alaska: The Alaska Board of Game passed a new statewide requirement to quiz mountain goat hunters, which went into effect on July 1. The requirement has been in effect in Southeast since 2023.  Read the full story.

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🦅 Throwing one up for the birds. Alright, this is rad. I’ve dropped footballs that I’ve had two eyes and two hands on and this bird is catching dinner with its feet, mid-air, while in flight.

Bet you can’t do that twice…

Miss something this week?

The pull of the weekend.

📸 : @wadamczakphoto

Oh, and one more thing…