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- Hunting Show Host Caught Poaching, Pays the Price 🧑⚖️
Hunting Show Host Caught Poaching, Pays the Price 🧑⚖️
+ Colorado halts trapping, Alaskan Air grounds flights due to deer, Alaskan hiker survives brown bear attack, Wyoming's big backs and when fawns get the zoomies.
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:
What a goof - Influencer and host of The Game loses everything for whitetail poaching scheme 🤦
No trapping- Colorado suspends trapping after wolf dies in coyote trap 🐺
Grounded - Alaska Air grounds all flights in Kodiak after jet hits two deer 🛬
Survivor - Alaskan hiker survives brown bear attack 🐻
The kids are alright - SC DNR puts on free youth hunting clinic 👍
Big backs - Wyoming range mule deer fawns are hefty and healthy 🦌
It’s called the zoomies - Watch this little fawn gets the lead out in someone’s backyard 🤪
Miss something this week?
CONGRATULATIONS, IDIOT
THE GAME’S OVER: HUNTING SHOW HOST CAUGHT POACHING, PAYS THE PRICE
Popular YouTube and CarbonTV personality Matt Jennings, who hosts The Game - a popular hunting show - has found himself in the middle of a legal firestorm after illegally blasting Kansas whitetails as part of his show.
In addition to the internet dragging this guy through the dirt like a gutted deer, after spending a day in court on Tuesday, the outlaw influencer from Bowdon, Georgia, has also been shackled with a lifetime Kansas hunting ban and $25,000 in fines and restitution. The 35-year-old’s saga is the ultimate lesson in how to shoot yourself in the foot while foolishly aiming for internet glory.
The Jennings debacle kicked off back in November 2022, after the seemingly untouchable influencer dropped a nice whitetail buck near Florence, Kansas. The problem with the kill, which was showcased in an episode in season 4 of The Game, was that the deer was killed in a hunting unit where his tag was invalid…
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS
🪤 Colorado Halts Trapping Permits After Wolf Dies in Coyote Trap. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has suspended statewide 30-day trapping permits following the death of a female gray wolf in May 2025, caused by injuries from a lawful foothold trap set for coyote control at a livestock operation. The wolf, part of a group translocated from British Columbia in January, was found in the trap on May 14, released by CPW officials, but died the next day after its GPS collar signaled mortality.
The trap was legally permitted under an exception allowing livestock owners to use foothold traps for predator control, and no legal action will be taken against the trapper. However, CPW has paused issuing permits for traps targeting coyotes or other terrestrial species, pending further guidance. With a third wolf death under investigation and another euthanized for livestock depredation, Colorado’s collared wolf population stands at an estimated 22, with signs of natural reproduction offering hope for the species’ recovery despite additional calls for better management.
🛬 Alaska Airlines Jet Hits Deer on Kodiak Runway, Grounds Flights. On Thursday morning, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 struck at least two deer while landing at Kodiak Airport in Alaska around 8 a.m., according to airline spokesperson Tim Thompson. The collision occurred during the plane’s rollout, damaging the aircraft’s landing gear but causing no injuries to passengers or crew. The jet safely taxied to the terminal, but the incident led to significant disruptions, with all Alaska Airlines flights to and from Kodiak canceled for the day as the plane required extensive repairs.
The cancellations left passengers stranded, and Alaska Airlines is working to rebook those affected, with Thompson issuing an apology for the inconvenience and thanking customers for their patience.
🐻 Hiker Survives Brown Bear Mauling on Alaska Trail, Rescued by Helicopter. On Tuesday of this week, a female hiker was mauled by a brown bear on the Dome Trail in Anchorage, Alaska, approximately two miles from the trailhead, prompting a swift response from the Anchorage Fire Department and local police. The hiker, whose identity has not been disclosed, called 911 around 3 p.m., reporting severe injuries that prevented her from leaving the trail. Using her directions and drones to pinpoint her location, rescuers deployed a helicopter to extract her, and she was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, where she remains in stable condition as of Wednesday.
According to reports, the bear fled after the attack, and Alaska Fish & Game officials are still searching for it. Authorities emphasized safety precautions, urging hikers to file trip plans with friends or family, leave route details in their vehicles, and follow bear safety protocols, such as traveling in groups, making noise, carrying bear spray, leashing dogs, and never running from a bear.
Miss something this week?
QUICK HITS // FROM AROUND THE WEB
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board approves new deer rules, adding does to the regular rifle season: The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board approved new deer hunting rules last week including one that will allow hunters to harvest does with rifles during the regular November season. 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. Since the program’s launch in 2021, nearly 31,000 acres have been enrolled. Read the full story.
Ohio DNR Adjusts Waterfowl Hunting Zones After Public Input, Awaiting Final Approval: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife recently made amendments to the waterfowl hunting zone map, following a round of public comments. This update, which affects the 2026-2030 hunting seasons, sees alterations to zones in three counties that may influence when hunters can anticipate heading out for fall and winter seasons. Read the full story.
SCDNR program teaches kids hunting and life skills for free: A unique program in South Carolina is offering children the chance to learn about nature and wildlife through hunting, while instilling values that organizers say last a lifetime. Read the full story.
Wyoming Range mule deer see second year of fat deer, big fawns following harsh winter: As the herd bounces back from the brutal winter of 2022-2023, wildlife biologists tallied record-high fawn birth weights for a second year running. Herd-wide, the average birth weight was 7.7 pounds in 2024, nearly a pound larger than the fawn’s historical average heft. Read the full story.
Wisconsin woman released from hospital nearly 2 weeks after bear attack: A western Wisconsin woman is out of the hospital after a bear attacked her earlier this month. The 69-year-old woman was attacked outside her home near Cumberland on July 12. She was able to call 911 and was taken to a local hospital for treatment with severe injuries. Read the full story.
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🏃 It’s called the Zoomies and sometimes you gotta just let them get it out. As a father of four, I can attest to the accuracy of the aforementioned statement. Watch as this young fawn absolutely gets the lead out in someone’s backyard.
Still probably couldn’t get him to bed that night…
Miss something this week?
WEEKEND MEME // CHEAPER THAN A DECOY COP CAR
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
I live in Florida where now damn near everything is dominated by oceanside and beach-front mega mansions. Sure, they’re cool…to a point. But what about the days of the simple and small modernist beach shacks? Unfortunately for much of America’s shorelines, they’re all but gone. Back in the day I used to do consulting work for a chain of bird stores in my home town. The birding world blew my mind when I was first exposed to it and I can honestly say that, having had that experience, I am not surprised how this pastime has exploded over the past decade or so. Way back in the early days of Happy Days, Tom Hanks took a swing at the Fonz and it ignited some real-life animosity off the screen as well. And all of the animals that inspired mythical creatures in movies.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Rest easy, Hulk.
Oh, and one more thing…
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