The curious case of the serial poacher turned dog killer 🤦

If you’re still with us, that means you’ve made it to the middle of yet another week.

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

Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:

• How does it get this bad?- Minnesota man caught poaching and killing dogs 🧑‍⚖️

• Speed demon - Woman joyrides her new car through Grand Teton and smokes an elk 🏎️

• 3 year-old mauled - A black bear attacked a young girl in her tent (she’s ok!) 🐻

• Michigan sh*ts the bed (again) - They’re trying to do the right thing, they’re just doing it all wrong 🙈

• Water buff in Nash- Yes, that’s right 🐃

LOCK HIS ASS UP
THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE SERIAL POACHER TURNED DOG KILLER

A 26 year-old Minnesota man is facing a plethora of charges after a poaching case was blown wide open, revealing other nefarious activities including the killing of a neighboring pet dog. 

The investigation kicked off last November in Beltrami County, Minnesota after conservation officers got wind of some possible funny business through their Turn in Poachers tip line. According to the tip, 26 year-old Brandon Mutchler had allegedly shot more than his fair share of deer in the previous year’s hunting season. Luckily for conservation officer Demo Regas, he had this information top of mind when he stopped a pair of hunters donned in blaze orange last fall.

After getting identification from the pair, he noticed the name right away. Brandon Mutchler and his father were heading out of the woods when Regas began questioning them both about the allegations stemming from the 2022 season. According to reports, DNR records showed that Mutchler had sent two sets of antlers to two different taxidermists, which wouldn’t typically raise any flags other than the fact that Beltrami County has a one-buck limit…

🏎️ A 58-year-old Wyoming woman has been convicted after blasting through Grand Teton National Park at 127 MPH  in her new whip and hitting an elk along the way. Enjoying a nighttime drive through one of America’s most stunning National Parks, a 58-year-old woman stated she “wanted to go fast” in her brand new car and did just that. 

While many visitors were enjoying the Northern Lights, Robin Thoenig blew by them at breakneck speeds and was only slowed down (read: stopped) when she struck and killed an elk. Sentencing documents revealed that she “drove her vehicle several miles from the scene, left it near the Gros Ventre Campground and obtained a ride out of the park,” following the collision.

Thoenig pleaded guilty to all charges. She was sentenced to three days of incarceration and was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines, a $750 community service payment and $70 in court fees.

🐻 Young girl mauled by black bear while inside her tent near Yellowstone National Park.  A 3-year-old girl has survived a harrowing encounter while camping near Yellowstone National Park last weekend. The attack happened while the young girl was inside the tent and fortunately left her with treatable injuries.

"A bear attacked a child while in a tent," the agency said in a statement. The victim was transported to a medical facility in Billings but additional information about her status was not immediately available. FWP is reporting that they have captured and euthanized a bear near the location of the attack that matches the description of the bear in question.

NOT SURE HOW THIS HELPS
EVEN WITH DWINDLING NUMBERS OF DEER HUNTERS, MICHIGAN YOUTH AND DISABLED HUNTS ARE RESTRICTED TO ANTLERLESS TAGS ONLY

In a world where not much seems to make a hell of a lot of sense, a decision out of Michigan is falling right into line and making waves among hunters of all ages. After approving changes last month to help with the state’s booming deer population, a wave of controversy has swept over the Great Lake State as changes to the state’s youth and disabled hunts leave those hunters with antlerless only tags.

Prior to this year’s changes, the state’s Liberty and Independence hunts allowed participants to kill both bucks and does. Going after these small, limited hunts has drawn criticism from many who think the new regulations are going to end up hurting the prospect of future hunters in Michigan.

“Many youth in my district would prefer you told them Santa was not coming for Christmas this year rather than telling them they could not harvest a buck this September,” state senator Thomas Albert said in a letter to the Natural Resources Commission…

State limits Interior Alaska hunt after dozens of bison drown in frozen pond: “We don’t 100% know what happened, but it is very highly likely that they fell through the ice,” said Jason Caikoski, management coordinator for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks. Read more at Anchorage Daily News.

Hunters with disabilities blast new Michigan deer hunting rules:  “Haven’t our handicapped and 100% disabled veterans done enough to be able to have an option to shoot an antlered deer in the special hunts that have been made available to us?” Hopkins wrote in a letter outlining his disappointment, read to the state Natural Resources Commission as he faced the panel during a meeting in Detroit on Aug. 8. Read more at MLIVE.

Hunter Bags One Of Wyoming’s Biggest Bears Ever With Traditional Recurve Bow:  A Wyoming hunter bagged one of the state’s biggest bears ever with a traditional recurve bow. Owen Miller started off with a rifle, then a compound bow, but finally switched to the more challenging recurve bow to get his black bear. See the property at Cowboy State Daily.

New Sage Grouse Permit Requirement For The 2024 Hunting Season : Starting this year, all licensed sage grouse hunters will be required to carry a free, annual sage grouse hunting permit. This new regulation aims to enhance the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s efforts to survey sage grouse hunters and gather valuable data on their hunting experiences.  Read more at WGFD.

Eligible hunters in Wisconsin sign up for fall gun deer hunt for hunters with disabilities: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds eligible hunters hoping to participate in the Gun Deer Hunt For Hunters With Disabilities to contact and confirm a location with a hunt landowner sponsor before Sept. 15, 2024. Read more at WisPolitics.

What hunters should know for the 2024 Utah deer and elk hunts: If you are going to hunt deer or elk in Utah this fall, here is some important information and tips that will be helpful when planning and preparing for your hunt. Read more at UDWR.

THE POD // ^{_{LISTEN UP!}}

Well, it’s been a couple of weeks since we released our first edition of Stories from the Field on the Venatic Podcast and y’all wasted no time making it our most popular episode.

I appreciate everyone who’s taken the time to listen along to the Weekly Roundup episodes as well. I sure do love hearing all of the feedback and I look forward to producing more of these (and hopefully improving) as we carry on down the road. If you missed the episode or haven’t yet subscribed, hit the button below and let’s get you sorted out!

VIDEO // ^{_{SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN}}

🐃 A heard of water buffalo roam the streets of Nashville...wait, what? I’m sure Nash residents are used to seeing all kinds roaming down Broadway, but earlier this month residents were warned about a herd of water buffalo that had escaped from a nearby farm.

🦁 California fisherman has to keep swimming mountain lion away from his boat using a paddle. Nothing ruins a good day on the water like an ornery mountain lion wanting to climb aboard your vessel.

CAMP TALK // ^{_{BEFORE YOU GO}}

We get a lot of questions and comments on here, and we figure it’s time to repay the favor. As part of our new Camp Talk section, we’re going to ask you, the reader, your opinion on some serious (and not so serious) topics to close out each newsletter.

Last week I asked, There's a lot of hunting contest cheating going on out there. Do you think these guys actually need the money?

To which you unanimously responded with:

1. No, they’re just idiots

Here’s today’s question…

Oh, and one more thing…