International borders spoil epic sheep hunt for three Americans 🐏

Another weekend has come and gone and hopefully we’re all better for it on this glorious Monday morning.

With the weekend now in the rearview, let’s focus solely on coffee for today and get another Monday edition of your favorite outdoors newsletter out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• International incident - Dream sheep hunt foiled by illegal take 🐏

• Another accident - Kansas hunter dies in hunting accident 🙏

• Let’s go, girls - Women are a big part of hunting’s growth 👱‍♀️

• 500-yard buck - Montana man drops a dandy 🦌

• A few extra - Georgia men nailed with 28 ducks over limit 🦆

AN ‘UNUSUAL AND UNFORTUNATE’ EVENT
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS FOIL DREAM HUNT AS THREE HUNTERS ARE CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY KILLING YUKON SHEEP

In an incident involving some mistaken identity, at least with regards to international borders, three men have been fined for the illegal taking of Yukon sheep.

Stemming from an incident that took place back in 2022, a trio of hunters embarked on what they referred to in court as a ‘hunt of a lifetime.’ Planning what was intended to be a once in a lifetime Alaskan sheep hunt, the three men found themselves in the middle of an international incident after chasing Dall sheep a little too far off course.

According to court docs, Kenneth and Nathan Ereble, a father-son duo from Florida met up with Justin Nagel, Nathan’s friend from college, at High Culvert Camp in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Situated close to the Canadian border, the trio set out in search of sheep and finally got into some animals after a mile or two of hiking. 

According to reports, Nathan shot and killed one of the sheep, while Kenneth took a shot at another sheep, but only hit it in the animal’s hind quarters. As the three men closed in on the injured animal, Nagal then made the call to pull out his firearm and finish the job…

Man dies after hunting accident in Kansas: The man was was shot by another person he was hunting with south of Burrton, according to Harvey County spokesman Kyle McCaskey. Read the full story.

Women are a growing segment of hunters. But keeping them in the sport remains a challenge:  Many Midwest states and outdoor organizations are now trying to reach groups that haven’t historically participated in hunting — including women. But while women make up about a third of new hunters, many face barriers to break into and continue with the sport.  Read the full story.

Montana Hunter Shoots Massive Whitetail at 500 Yards: Montana hunter Bret Pullman harvested a remarkable 200-inch whitetail buck on his family’s ranch near Caldwell. Read the full story.

Group of GA hunters cited after taking 28 ducks over legal bag limit: Georgia wildlife agents have cited multiple people for hunting violations. Twiggs County Game Warden Wes Freeman was patrolling the area on Saturday when he encountered a group of duck hunters on a private pond. Read the full story.

🪄 The Magician: Big alpine muley bucks have occupied my mind since I was a little kid. It seems the entire world is against the mule deer, yet they still find ways to thrive. Whether dodging hunters and other predators or migrating over 100 miles crossing highways and fences, life for an alpine muley isn’t easy. 

It’s a rarity to find an old buck in the high country and even more special to get the opportunity to hunt one. Wyoming’s high country houses some spectacular bucks and every year you hear of at least one true giant that got killed. It always comes back to the popular saying, “Big bucks don’t get big by being stupid.” They are more often found hiding out in a dark canyon, thick timber, an old burn or thick aspen stands in lower elevations trying to avoid relentless hunters.  Read the full story.

❄️ Leon Crane Survived a Terrifying Plane Crash, Then 80 Days Alone in an Alaskan Winter:  Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is a land of river canyons, flatlands, and gently-sloping mountains due east of Fairbanks, smack in the middle of Alaska’s long eastern flank. It’s very remote, it’s very rugged, and it gets very, very cold. To properly outfit yourself for an expedition there, you’d want plenty of wool baselayers, rain-proof outer shells, a four-season tent, a packraft, and, of course, plenty of food. And that’s just in shoulder season. In winter? Forget it. Let it snow, leave it to the bears.

From December 1943 until March 1944, Leon Crane spent nearly 3 months, through the dead of winter, in that land of icy rivers and freezing winds with almost none of those things.  Read the full story.

🪵 A Weekend at the Shack:  When Caleb Leto’s friend Bill Scott invited him to his deer shack near Orr in northeastern Minnesota, Leto jumped at the chance to join a small hunting party. A freelance photographer, Leto brought his camera along to document the gathering, which took place the second weekend of firearms season in November 2021. Rounding out the hunting party were Scott’s grandson and three other friends and family members. The crew’s focus would be on hunting white-tailed deer, but they’d also carve out time for card playing, storytelling, and snacking on venison.  Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…