Judge slaps feds over grizzly decision 👋

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 and get another mid-week dispatch out the door.

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

• We doing this? - Wyoming judge calls out feds over grizzly bears 🐻

• Bring your wallet - Tennessee approves increases in license fees 💵

• Good to be a Buckeye - Ohio’s deer harvest was 🔥

• Record bear - Louisiana lad tags second bear in inaugural hunt 👍

• Heck of a rescue - A group of fellas band together to rescue elk 💪

‘HIBERNATION’ IS OVER
SH*T OR GET OFF THE POT SAYS JUDGE TO FEDS REGARDING YELLOWSTONE GRIZZLIES

With recovery goals long since met and a deadline that is a year overdue, a Wyoming judge has ordered federal wildlife officials to finally make the call on delisting Yellowstone grizzly bears. 

The decision, ordered by a U.S. District Court of Wyoming Judge on Friday, is a move many are hopeful will end up with state-level management of grizzlies in the new year. With a new administration set to take over in a little over a month, Judge Alan Johnson is giving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 45 days to honor their end of the bargain - which they have been sitting on for over a year now.

The decision was issued after a petition, led by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, accused federal officials of ‘hibernating’ on the issue this past June. In the event that the federal agency is somehow able to meet the newly imposed 45-day deadline, it would have taken them nearly three times as long as originally scheduled…

Increased Hunting, Fishing And Boating Fees Approved In Tennessee: As expected, the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission (TFWC) voted to raise hunting & fishing licenses in the state, along with an increase in boat registration fees. Read the full story.

Indiana man shot by fellow hunter in Montgomery County: Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating after a man was shot by a fellow hunter in Montgomery County over the weekend.  Read full story.

Ohio's 2024 weeklong deer gun hunting season yields most takes in over a decade: For the season that concluded on Sunday, Dec. 8, hunters checked 87,192 white-tailed deer. That marks the highest total since 2011 (when 90,282 deer were checked), according to ODNR. Read full story.

West Monroe boy harvests second bear of Louisiana’s first bear hunting season in nearly 40 years: On December 7, 2024, Louisiana kicked off its first Black Bear Season since the late 80’s, and one young West Monroe, La. resident harvested the season’s second bear.  Read full story.

Name of Iowa duck hunter who died on Lake Red Rock released:  Authorities say 37-year-old Matthew Bettes of Des Moines was duck hunting when his boat began to take on water. A friend reported Bettes missing but authorities weren’t sure on which body of water that Bettes had been fishing. Read the full story.

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

💪 Hell of a rescue fellas. Well, it goes without saying, that in most cases, the very same men and women that hunt these majestic creatures are the same ones who care for them the most. And this video is more proof of that. Watch as a group of Wyoming resident band together to help a bunch of cow elk that found themselves on the wrong side of the ice.

Oh, and one more thing…