Hunters putting in the work for conservation 👊

The weekend might not be here 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 few days. 

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

• Workin’ our butts off - Montana hunters put in the work for moose study 🫎

• Self defense killing - Another grizz bites the dust, this time in Idaho 🧸

• No eating beaver - Bizarre new rule introduced in Minnesota 🦫

• Do not import - Arkansas man charged after illegally entering big buck contest 👮

• PA’s big ol’ elk - ‘twas a great season this year 👍

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A ‘TREMENDOUS WORKFORCE’
BIG GAME HUNTERS CONTRIBUTE INVALUABLE DATA TO 10-YEAR MONTANA MOOSE STUDY

In what has been described as a ‘tremendous workforce,’ big game hunters in Montana contributed invaluable data to a decade-long moose study that was just recently completed. Kicking off in 2013, the results of the 10-year research project aimed at studying cow moose is giving wildlife officials and hunters alike, a lot to look forward to.

With hunter success rates being the only gauge which wildlife managers could effectively use to track moose numbers, managers began a series of aggressive cuts to moose tags as rates continued to fall. After a few harsh winters combined with increases in predation, moose tags in Montana were eventually slashed by up to 50 percent.

In an effort to better understand what was ailing Treasure State moose, researchers in this study focused on cow moose in particular across three regions which included the Cabinet and Salish Mountains, the Big Hole Valley, and the Rocky Mountain Front.

Basing their study around 193 collared cow moose, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists watched their subjects closely over the ten-year period, paying close attention to key factors affecting moose survival. While researchers kept a watchful eye on predation from lions, bears and wolves, they also looked into possible diseases, the effects of weather, habitat and available forage…

🧸 Idaho hunter kills sow grizzly in self-defense incident. Another close call was thwarted in eastern Idaho after a local man was confronted by a large grizzly bear and used his rifle as his last line of defense. According to reports, 27-year-old Dylyn Carter was chasing after cow elk when he encountered a large female grizzly late in the afternoon of October 26th. After having very little luck, he made the decision to head back to his truck when suddenly he was confronted and charged at by the bear.

Despite having bear spray on hand, the young man opted for a more lethal approach to his on-coming threat. With a chambered round from his 7mm-08, he let it fly at the fast-approaching bruin, catching it right below the eye. The animal dropped immediately, but still continued to threaten Carter and as he worked his way around the animal, he put another round in it and continued his retreat.

After making the 1.5 mile trek back to his truck, he phoned in the incident where investigators later ruled his actions lawful and within his right to self defense.

👮 Arkansas man in hot water after illegally transporting a deer into Louisiana and entering it into a hunting contest. A big fine and possible jail time is on the menu for a 27-year-old Arkansas man after he allegedly killed a buck and illegally entered it into a contest in neighboring Louisiana. 

According to Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Andrew Riels of Crossett, Ark., was cited for hunting contest fraud and violating interstate commerce regulations on November 1. According to the release, Louisiana officials were tipped off from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission about the young man and his big ol’ buck. The investigation later revealed that Riels killed a 15-pointer during illegal hours in Crossett, Ark., before later entering it into the Simmons Sporting Goods Big Buck Contest in Bastrop, La., that very same day.

Hunting contest fraud brings up to a $3,000 fine and one year in jail. Violating interstate commerce regulations carries a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.

🦫 Minnesota says eating beaver is a no-go. A Minnesota Statute regarding nuisance beaver removal was recently amended and no one can quite figure out how or why. According to the recently made amendment to Minnesota Statute 97B.667, which details all of the rules surrounding beaver trapping and removal, a new sentence has been added that quite frankly, doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense. The addition reads that “human consumption of a retained beaver is prohibited,” meaning that any beaver that is trapped cannot legally be consumed - at least by humans. 

While feeding the meat to dogs doesn’t seem to be out of the question, many are puzzled about the amendment including Senator Nathan Wesenberg.

“We can’t eat beaver? That’s just ridiculous,” Wesenberg said during the Senate floor debate on May 17. “I eat beaver. It’s fine, no one is going to get in trouble for doing it…I don’t know why this is in the bill.”

According to reports, there’s no real clear-cut account of who introduced the new language and beaver meat does not typically present a large risk of foodborne illnesses, the reasoning behind it remains a mystery.

At this point, it’s looking like legal compliance with the new law will lean heavily on the honor system. And while I don’t foresee many SWAT-style raids on remote trappers cabins, after what we witnessed last week with an incident involving a squirrel in the state of New York, anything is possible.

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

More than 48,000 deer checked so far during Ohio's bow hunting season, ODNR says:More than 48,000 deer checked so far during Ohio's bow hunting season, ODNMMore than 48,000 deer checked so far during Ohio's bow hunting season, ODNR says.:  The statewide archery season began Sept. 28 and will end Feb. 2, 2025. Of the 48,321 deer checked so far, there were 23,311 antlered deer and 25,010 antlerless deer (includes does and button bucks), according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Read more at Spectrum News.

Coyotes Are Thriving in New Hampshire:  Once a rare sight in the northeastern United States, the eastern coyote has become a common presence across New Hampshire’s forests, farms and suburbs. Read more at Applied Science.

Pennsylvania elk hunters share about their 'magical' once in a lifetime hunts for bulls: The general elk season started Monday in northcentral Pennsylvania and continues through Saturday. The Pennsylvania Game Commission awarded 30 tags for bulls and 38 licenses for cow elk for this one-week season. By Wednesday morning, 15 bulls and 12 cows were checked by the Game Commission’s staff. Read more at GoErie.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Finalizes New Public Access to Hunting and Fishing in National Wildlife Refuge System: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Wednesday the finalization of 52 new distinct hunting and sport fishing opportunities on approximately 211,000 acres nationwide in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Read more at Sierra Sun Times.

Rising water threatens to close deer hunting in portions of east Arkansas : Hunters heading out for opening weekend of modern gun deer hunting season this weekend are urged to keep a close eye on river gauge readings to ensure the area they are hunting is open. Read more at Arkansas Game & Fish.

First CWD case in Montana's Ruby Mountains detected in elk: An elk in Montana's Ruby Mountains has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a first for Hunting District 322, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reports. Read more at CIDRAP.

THE POD // ^{_{THANKS FOR LISTENING}}

When I started recording this thing, I thought no one would listen. But just in the same way that this newsletter keeps growing, so too does our podcast and for that, I am grateful.

Be sure to tune in for each week’s Week in Review episode where I break down the week’s top stories. I keep promising more Stories from the Field episodes and I do have them in production, so please stay tuned for that. One of these days I’ll get off my ass and finish them. Pinky promise.

Until then, thanks for subscribing, thanks for listening and thanks for supporting my bad habits.

-Ryan

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

🐊🍺 A Louisiana bachelor party got creative and used a wild gator to shotgun a beer. Celebrating a bachelor party in the bayou has its perks and one of them is most definitely the utilization of a gators tooth to shotgun an ice-cold domestic beer. Watch as the group uses a curios gator to puncture a beer can before putting it away in style.

🦅 This video of a bald eagle swooping down for its dinner is mesmerizing. Maybe I’m feeling all red, white and blue this week, but this video does a great job of showing the true beauty and power of our national bird.

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.

Look for all of the answers in the next edition of the newsletter.

Here’s today’s question…

Oh, and one more thing…