Conn. dad ends up in cuffs for shooting a bear that came 'within feet' of his kids🤔

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:

• Dad in cuffs - Connecticut man arrested after shooting bear that threatened his family 🤔

• Bobcat attack - 82-year-old turkey hunter blindsided by bobcat 🐈

• The kids are ok - Idaho officials report strong winter survival rates 💪

• Revenge of the gobblers - The turkeys are coming for us, one motorcycle at a time 🏍️

WAIT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS LEGAL?
CONNECTICUT FATHER ENDS UP IN CUFFS AFTER SHOOTING A BEAR THAT CAME ‘WITHIN FEET’ OF HIS CHILDREN

Todd Topicz, a 39-year-old father from Bethlehem, Connecticut, found himself in handcuffs for doing what any parent would: protecting his children. This incident, which took place last August, involved a black bear that had wandered into his garage where his two children were playing and began rummaging through the trash. With his pregnant wife sounding the alarm and the family dog chasing the bear up a tree, Topicz grabbed his firearm as an act of self defense, fired warning shots at the bruin, which unbeknownst to him at the time, ended up being fatal. 

Yet, instead of being hailed as a hero, Topicz was slapped with charges by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for illegal taking of a bear, negligent discharge of a firearm, and breach of peace. This incident isn’t just a miscarriage of justice—it’s a glaring symptom of Connecticut’s refusal to manage its exploding bear population through sensible wildlife management methods.

Like a regulated hunting season…

🐈 Alabama turkey hunter blindsided by bobcat attack while turkey hunting. Perfectly camouflaged and using his trusty turkey call, 82-year-old Claude Strother inadvertently lured more than he bargained for while turkey hunting on his property earlier this month. Strother, a seasoned turkey hunter from Selma, Alabama, was attacked while hunting on his land in Wilcox County, after a bobcat, which mistook him for prey, struck him from behind, biting the back of his head and narrowly missing both his eyes. Despite the shock, Strother sustained minor injuries, sought medical attention, and even returned to the same spot the next day, undeterred by the incident or his ongoing cancer battle.

The attack, a first in Strother’s nearly 50 years of hunting, went viral after his daughter shared the story on Facebook, drawing hundreds of supportive comments that helped lift his spirits. Strother, who has hunted 247 turkeys across 18 states, took the incident in stride, humorously noting the bobcat likely mistook his head for a turkey due to his convincing calls.

🌿 Idaho Mule Deer Fawns and Elk Calves Show Strong Winter Survival, but Spring Challenges Still Loom. A recent report from Idaho Fish and Game has reported that 67% of collared mule deer fawns and 93% of collared elk calves have survived the winter season. These statistics, which align with previous year’s data, indicate how milder winter conditions play an important role in calf mortality rates, but state biologists are cautioning against any celebration as of yet.

Weather conditions through late March and into April are pivotal, as young animals’ fat reserves deplete, and their digestive systems struggle to adapt to fresh forage, factors that could potentially spike mortality rates.

“Right now, in the middle of April, things are looking promising for both deer and elk,” said Toby Boudreau, Fish and Game’s Deer and Elk Coordinator. “We’ll know for sure what survival will look like in the coming month, after we’ve tallied up the final numbers.”

Fawn and calf survival directly impacts herd growth and fall hunting harvests, particularly for mule deer, where yearling bucks constitute a significant portion of the take. Given that biologists can still see some winter-related mortality as late as May, officials typically remain in a holding pattern regarding overall population estimates at least until then.

🦃 The turkey’s are starting to fight back and they’re coming for our motorcycles. Watch as this angry young gobbler takes it upon himself to assault the first motorcyclist he came across at this busy intersection.

It looks like neither party sustained any injuries during the altercation…

🐐 Fortress of the Goats: Sometimes, as hunters, we apply for draws that take us to entirely new areas, states, or even countries. Our application strategy can be as diverse as species, hunting area, and statistical advantage or as simple as a habit, blindfolded dart throw, or spine tingle. For me, drawing a mountain goat tag in my home state of Colorado would come from the former; a statistical number-crunching game with some weighted preference points and luck sprinkled in.

Before drawing a mountain goat tag, I had never been in the Maroon Bells/Snowmass wilderness. This area of Colorado remains a stronghold for the mountain goat. If you’ve ever watched goats on the mountain or been in the “Bells” wilderness, you’ll know why. On this hunt, I observed goats in places that are completely unreachable short of tying into ropes to get up, let alone back down. Read the full story.

💁‍♀️ Woman’s Work: While wandering around the fascinating Cowgirls of the West museum in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming, recently, I came across a photo that stopped me in my tracks. The blurry black-and-white image showed a display of mounted mule deer, elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep to rival any trophy room in the Great Hunters books, all of them arrayed in natural-looking habitats. Next to this photo was a studio shot of the taxidermist who had created the display—an intrepid-looking woman leaning on a rifle, a hound at her feet.

Reading the accompanying text, I learned that the taxidermy display was featured at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and was one of the most popular exhibits at the international fair. The woman’s name was Martha Maxwell, and she was, like me, a native Pennsylvanian who ended up living and hunting in Colorado. Intrigued, I set out to learn more about her. Read the full story.

🥃 The Gospel According to Jim:  I’m sitting at the Hitchin’ Post in Melrose, Montana, drinking vodka with Jim Harrison, who between sips steals a scant glance at his beloved barmaid Nicole’s rear, puffs from his American Spirit and says: “Do you want to know how you can believe in God?”

Smoke purls thickly from his cigarette, and in the window- parried shaft of evening light his face looks quite conjured, with his bad eye wandering opposite his working eye, one of them — I’m not sure which — attracted to some bird or small god darting just beyond my mortal perception.

“Absolutely,” I say, swirling two soon-to-be-delicious cubes of vodka-and-lemon-soaked ice around my tumbler, “I totally want to know.” Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…