Slap on the Wrist for Washington State Serial Poacher 😑

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:

• Punishment don’t fit the crime - Washington State poacher gets a slap on the wrist 😑

• Mistaken identity - Michigan hunter cleared after shooting wolf 🐺

• Self defense holds - Another grizzly has been shot after charging a man’s girlfriend at their home 🔫

• Mountain lions…in Alaska?!? - A lion was killed for only the 3rd time in state history 🐈

• Tough lesson - A young hunter is facing charges after accidentally killing his friend 🙏

• Choking hazard - Saving choking raccoons in the campfire light 🦝

  Thanks for following along. Don't forget to tell your friends.

ANNNND HE’LL PROBABLY DO IT AGAIN
SLAP ON THE WRIST FOR WASHINGTON STATE SERIAL POACHER

While the cards were certainly stacked against Jason Smith after he was charged with 32 criminal counts, including two felonies, 27 gross misdemeanors, and three misdemeanors relating to wildlife crimes committed between 2021 and 2022, he somehow came out smelling like f*cking roses.

After being accused of poaching 13 animals around his home including deer, elk and a sow black bear and her cubs, the 29-year-old also was accused of hunting during closed seasons, hunting over the bag limit, retrieving animals from private property without permission, and leaving game meat to rot.

Given the slew of crimes, Smith was facing upwards of 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines for the combined felony charges. Tack on additional 364 days of jail time for each of the 27 gross misdemeanor charges and with 90 days for each of his three misdemeanors with potentially tens of thousands of more in fines and this guy really should have been done for.

But he wasn’t…

🐺 No charges for you - The Calhoun County prosecutor and Michigan’s DNR have confirmed that a hunter who accidentally shot a gray wolf during a coyote hunt in January won’t be charged for any crimes. According to reports, the man was on a guided coyote hunt on the Lower Peninsula (LP) when he shot what he believed to be a coyote - and with good reason. As per the state’s DNR, wolves haven’t been present on the LP for around 100 years, hence the mistaken identity. The specimen was taken for genetic testing after the hunter admitted to wrongly identifying the animal, which later confirmed that it was, in fact, a gray wolf.

“Those involved appear to have reasonably believed they were shooting a coyote,” DNR spokesperson Ed Golder said. “The investigation revealed no information to indicate they should have expected there would be a wolf in the part of Michigan where they were hunting.”

⏱️ Timing is everything - This year’s second case in which a grizzly bear has been killed in self defense is now in the books after an Idaho man shot and killed a bear that was charging after his girlfriend. After arriving at their home in Island Park, in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the pair were exiting their vehicle when the driver’s girlfriend suddenly shrieked. The man, who was unloading the trunk, which had a shotgun inside, spotted the charging bruin, grabbed the gun and blasted the yearling male bear as it charged at his female companion. 

In what is being ruled as a ‘surprise encounter’, officials deemed that the bear was killed “in defense-of-life,” but investigators remain puzzled as to what prompted the bear to attack.

🐈 A mountain lion killed…in Alaska?!? - That’s right. According to reports, a mountain lion was killed earlier this month on Wrangell Island located in the southeastern region of Alaska near the British Columbia border. If you’re still scratching your head and wondering what all the fuss is about, it’s because mountain lions are non-native to Alaska and are seldom seen within its borders. 

In fact, this is only the third instance of a lion being killed in Alaska in state history. The details are few and far between at the moment, but we do know that the lion was killed on US Forest Service land and remains in their possession as they investigate in tandem with Alaska Wildlife Troopers and the Department of Fish and Game.

🙏 Tough lesson - A 20-year-old hunter is facing charges after accidentally shooting his buddy in the stomach on a recent hunting trip. The incident took place on January 20th of this year when Gaige Zook and Jackson Harbor recruited their friend Maurizio Justiniano, an unlicensed hunter, into the duck blind. With a curiosity around duck hunting, Zook and Harbor surely had the best of intentions by bringing a friend out afield, but the trip, unfortunately, ended in bloodshed for the new hunter.

According to reports, the trio were sitting in the blind hunting ducks when one of the shotguns Zook and Harbor were using misfired. Leaning the gun against a tree, Zook asked Harbor if he could use his 20-gauge instead. He took a couple of shots and missed and then returned to the misfiring gun, trying to diagnose the problem. Suddenly the gun fired, this time into the abdomen of Justiniano, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Zook is now up against involuntary manslaughter charges and could face up to 20 years in prison for the unfortunate, but preventable accident.

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

🦝 Choking hazard: Well, the boys were sitting around the campfire and out of the shadows appeared a raccoon in distress. Yes, appearing to be choking on something, the fat raccoon sat up on his hinds while one of the men got up to see if he could help. Watch as the man performs a little anti-choking maneuver to the animal, as the hairball (or whatever it was choking on) comes flying out.