Let's hunt some Connecticut black bears, shall we? 🐻

I’m currently at the “it’s Thursday already?” phase of the workweek and am unsure as to whether or not that is a good thing as of yet. For those of you who have also made it through, a pat on the back is deserved.

With that in mind, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get this Thursday morning dispatch out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• Try, try again- Connecticut lawmakers eyeing another bear hunt 🐻

• Mistaken identity - La. man busted for shooting a bear he thought was a hog 🐗

• Florida Man Woman - Fl. woman amputated a deer’s leg she kept as a pet 🙈

• Felon busted for headshot - If you’re a convicted felon, you should refrain from poaching 🎯 

• Playing dress up - A North Carolina man takes an unconventional approach to bear hazing 🎭

• Lion trifecta - Watch as these lion hunters hit the jackpot 🎰 

WE MIGHT BE CLOSE THIS TIME
CONNECTICUT LEGISLATORS CONSIDERING A BEAR HUNT (AGAIN)

As with any uncontrolled population of large apex predators, black bears in Connecticut have been busy tearing into crops, overturning trash cans, and even breaking into homes. Adding insult to injury, over the last year, reports out of Connecticut have also confirmed at least two bear attacks on people. The absence of a hunting season for large mammals like bears often contributes to increased human-wildlife conflicts, and a regulated hunting season can effectively manage populations and mitigate risks to both humans and bears. As such, this growing trend has lawmakers, once again, eyeing a solution that makes absolutely perfect sense—a regulated bear hunting season.

While it might sound like a novel idea in the Constitution State, the truth remains that the idea’s been kicked around for years, splitting opinions among farmers, wildlife advocates, hunters, and suburban homeowners. On one side, supporters argue a hunt would target bears too cozy with populated areas, thinning out the boldest of the bunch. Opponents, on the other hand, are sticking with the idea that anything as fuzzy and cuddly as a black bear ought to be left alone, dismissing the need for action…

🐻 Louisiana man cited for illegally killing a bear in mistaken identity case. In a recent incident in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has cited 50-year-old Shannon Parker of Abbeville for illegally killing a 10-year-old female black bear weighing 200 pounds. Corporal Derek Logan reported that agents identified Parker as the sole shooter following his full confession during an interview at his residence.

Parker explained that he fired at what he mistook for a wild hog in the dark, only to realize soon after that it was a protected bear. Further investigation revealed he lacked written permission to hunt at night on private property and failed to notify the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, both mandatory under state hunting laws.

Parker now faces significant penalties: fines up to $950, potential jail time of up to 120 days, and a $10,000 civil restitution payment for the bear’s loss. Corporal Logan stressed the critical need for hunters to confirm their targets, calling this a costly lesson in responsibility.

“It’s not just about the bear or the fine—it could have been a far greater tragedy,” he noted.

🙈 Florida woman arrested for amputating her “pet” deer’s leg. Karen Purvis James, 65, found herself in handcuffs earlier this month and charged with animal cruelty and illegal possession of a deer after a disturbing discovery in Lee County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), with help from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, swooped in after reports of a white-tailed fawn being kept illegally at James’ home since September. There they found a young deer, missing its lower back leg, hobbling in a backyard pen with a 4-foot fence, its exposed bone dripping reddish fluid as it licked its untreated wound.

James claimed she was caring for the fawn, insisting it had chewed off its own leg—which she kept in her freezer—and that she’d sought help from agencies and a deer farmer, who suggested treating the animal using Motrin. After investigating, FWC biologists immediately called foul, pointing to evidence of a crude amputation with a sharp object and tourniquet, rather than a self-inflicted injury. They say the fawn suffered prolonged pain, malnourishment, and neglect—hardly the “care” James described. The deer, tame enough to eat grapes from her hand, was seized and sadly euthanized due to its dire condition.

Wildlife expert Ned Bruha called it “horrific,” stressing that keeping wildlife as pets demands proper permits—none of which James had. With a history of animal-related citations and a 2018 drug arrest, James now faces three counts of animal cruelty and two FWC violations. Her family insists she meant well, but as this grim tale unfolds, the courts will ultimately decide her fate.

🚔 Convicted felon now facing charges in illegal bear hunt. In a story coming out of Jasper County, Missouri, 47-year-old Jimmy Wayne Lee of Reeds is in hot water after allegedly killing a black bear during an illegal hunt last December. Authorities say Lee was prowling private land southeast of Reeds on December 1, 2024, when he spotted a bear through his rifle scope, took aim, and shot it dead with a single headshot. Following the lethal kill, Lee proceeded to snap a few selfies with his new prize and didn’t hesitate to share it with friends.  

Well, one thing led to another and he was eventually found out. Illegal marksmanship aside, Lee also happens to be a convicted felon with a rap sheet a mile long, including charges for forgery and resisting law enforcement. As such, he isn’t supposed to have a firearm in his hands, let alone point one at an animal he did not have a tag for. Add that to the charges of illegal hunting, trespassing, and possessing black bear parts, and he’s facing quite the legal stew. Conservation agents tracked down the bear’s remains in January, right where Lee said he’d left it. He’s since been slapped with a citation and is due in Jasper County Court by late April. 

😾  POV: You hit the mountain lion hunting trifecta.  Talk about a good day in the lion woods! These fellas tripled up on a trio of cats and managed to get them all in one tree.

A lot of folks seem to think it was a mama and a pair of cubs…

🐇 Jackrabbit Genocide: Our buddy “T” was out on an early season mule deer scout and happened upon Dell, a 5th generation cattle rancher who was standing alongside the rural Oregon road adjacent to his property looking at a flat on his farm truck. Of course, T offered to help with the inconvenience and the two became friends. As a sign of appreciation, Dell invited our whole group to help cull rabbits on his cattle ranch in southeastern Oregon during the blistering summers when the rabbits had procreated to numbers only rabbits could. 

The invitation for our group (SWAT cops and former action guys) to shoot rabbits, sounded fun enough to get our attention but we were a bit naïve to the difference between cute cottontails and mangy jackrabbits in the desert. Read the full story.

🤲 Communion: The elk hair caddis sinks at the end of its swing, and I strip the fly back through the pool dug by falling water. Two brook trout strike but can’t bury the hook into their mouths. Dark bodies like commas pausing the sentence of my offering. After three more casts, neither strikes again, and I climb out of the streambed to Nikea. I tell her I missed, not wanting to blame these native fish for my returning without a trout in my hand.

Five years ago, I met Nikea on a dead stream. Water as orange as her hair. The rhododendron leaves green as her eyes. Read the full story.

🦌 A Trophy Buck Makes a Surprise Appearance:  Five years ago, I got a buck mule deer resident tag for northeast Nevada. I hunted hard and was rewarded with a large 3x3. I loved the area and kept applying for both buck and doe tags. My wife joined me by applying for doe tags. Each year we were able to hunt the same general area and harvest does. We then spent a few days looking for bucks to see what the area holds. We always put in for the late season.

Five years later, I finally got another buck tag. Read the full story.

A North Carolina man took a more creative approach to scaring off a black bear in his yard. There’s no shortage of bears in western North Carolina and apparently, there’s also no shortage of ideas to scare them off. Dressed in what looks to be a high school mascot costume, this fella lays it all out on the line and successfully manages to haze the bear off, at least for the time being.

Oh, and one more thing…