- The Venatic
- Posts
- Coeur d'Alene Man Convicted of Illegal Killing of Trophy Elk š§āāļø
Coeur d'Alene Man Convicted of Illegal Killing of Trophy Elk š§āāļø
+ New snakehead record snagged in Florida, Tiger King star hit with Lacey Act violations, BBB eliminates $200 tax stamp on suppressors and see if you can catch this

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:
Canāt fool us - Idaho manās cover-up attempt foiled in trophy bull case š§āāļø
New record, who dis? - Florida anglerās snakehead officially certified as a world record š£
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 š«
Just feeding the birds - Bet this dude couldnāt do this twiceā¦š¦
Miss something this week?

Listen to our Week in Review episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
HOPEFULLY THEY HAMMER THIS GUY
COEUR DāALENE 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 stateās Game and Fish Department, it was announced that 61-year-old Joel Rose from Coeur dāAlene 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 stateās 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 investigationā¦
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS

Alvarez and his new world record | Facebook
š£ 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 Countyās 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, Alvarezās fish was killed for the record certification.
š Bhagavan "Doc" Antle gets jail time and fines for Lacey Act violations. Remember the āDocā Antle guy from the Tiger King show? Ya, me neither really. But much to the surprise of virtually no one, another ācelebrityā from the show is now embroiled in illegal activity disguised as philanthropy.
Following in the footsteps of season oneās 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 lawyersā 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 Antleās conservation efforts. Antle expressed remorse, acknowledging his āstupidā mistakes.
š« Congress Passes Bill Eliminating $200 Tax on Suppressors and Short-Barreled Firearms in YUGE Gun Rights Win. On July 10th President Trump signed the āOne Big Beautiful Bill,ā 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 āany other weaponā 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 enforcementās 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 NFAās constitutionality, aiming to dismantle it or in the very least, de-claw it as it pertains to suppressors.
Miss something this week?

Listen to our Week in Review episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
QUICK HITS // FROM AROUND THE WEB
Government Budget Cuts Might Bring the End of Bird Banding : āWaterfowlers 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.ā 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, itās 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.
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
š¦ Throwing one up for the birds. Alright, this is rad. Iāve dropped footballs that Iāve had two eyes and two hands on and this bird is catching dinner with its feet, mid-air, while in flight.
Bet you canāt do that twiceā¦
Miss something this week?

Listen to our Week in Review episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
WEEKEND MEME // DONāT LET THEM GET TO YOU

WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
You might have experienced Route 66, the Overseas Highway or maybe even the Pacific Coast Highway, but have you taken the Loneliest Road in America? Itās known as Highway 50 and itās not for everyone. Growing vegetables, having a picnic, front porch sittinā and a few other summer pastimes we seem to have abandoned but shouldnāt have. Back in the 1700s, rabies was treated by covering the wound with raw veal and ingesting boiled badger poop. Hay fever could be addressed with cocaine. Hell, even some asthma suffers in the late 19th century were advised to start smoking. Sure, most of these treatments were crazy, but Iāll admit, some of them would probably still work today. We go through a ton of coffee and hence, coffee grinds in my house. And while I think those grinds do little to affect the environment, thereās a group of scientists in Australia that using grinds to create concrete thatās up to 30 percent stronger than what we are used to. Strong coffee, strong buildings.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS

The pull of the weekend.
šø : @wadamczakphoto
Oh, and one more thingā¦
What did you think of today's newsletter? |