The Making of the Montana Mountain King 👑

The weekend might not be here 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 few days. 

Here's what caught our eye this week...

• The making of a King - Montana rancher nailed for incredible Supersheep scheme 🐐

• PETA making the call - The group is lobbying for removing coyote hunting in Michigan 🐺

• Kangaroos in Okie - An Oklahoma collision ends with one kangaroo dead 🦘

• Gator takes a hand - Chubbs Peterson Florida fisherman loses hand to gator 🐊

• Bullsh*t horse - Canadian man proven not to have been attacked by cougar, despite convincing story 💩

DETHRONING THE KING
THE MAKING OF THE MONTANA MOUNTAIN KING: ILLEGAL SHEEP BREEDER FACING JAIL TIME

Standing upwards of four feet at the shoulder and carrying around horns that measure over five feet wide, the Marco Polo argali of the Pamir region of Central Asia are a specimen to behold. Weighing upwards of 300 pounds, these sheep are the largest in the world and now find themselves at the center of a massive wildlife scandal.

While the Pamir region might sound like a long way from Montana, one rancher set out on an outlandish adventure to close the gap. Looking to commercialize these sheep, or something very similar to it, 80-year-old Arthur “Jack” Schubarth set out to create his own supersheep to be hunted and sold via his 215 acre ranch.

Located just outside of Vaughan, Montana, Schubarth Ranch exists to engage in the purchase, breeding and sale of “alternative livestock,” which includes species such as mountain goats and mountain sheep. With his eyes set on the Marco Polo argali, Schubarth and at least five others conspired to design and create a larger hybrid species of sheep that would fetch big dollars from hunters and game ranches across the country...

🐺 Coyote szn under attack: Despite a unanimous vote against shortening coyote hunting seasons in Michigan, there still remains one staunch opposer to the proposal. The group, famously known as PETA, is attempting to interfere (no, really??) with state hunting seasons and abolish coyote hunting all together. Stating that it's impossible to eradicate coyotes due to their breeding habits, the organization's Emergency Response Team believes we shouldn't even bother. Go figure.

🤦‍♂️ That's wasn't no deer: A man traveling a stretch of highway in Oklahoma hit what he beloved to be a whitetail deer. He later found out it was anything but. According to the Sequoyah County Sheriff's Office, the driver was shocked to learn that he what he hit was not a deer, but a kangaroo. A Deputy was fortunate enough to watch the event unfold as the kangaroo exited the woods and leapt across the road before getting smoked by the oncoming vehicle. Police are still looking for the owner of the 'roo, which is suspected to have escaped form a local farm or zoo.

🏌️ Another hand to the gator Gods: A Florida man is in hospital after a gator went full Chubbs Peterson on him and devoured his hand. According to reports, the man was fishing in a golf course pond when the massive gator clamped on to his hand and rolled him alongside the pond. He was able to escape but left behind his hand which was airlifted to the hospital in the rare event that it could be reattached.

💩 Calling bullsh*t: It's been nearly a month since we heard the story of a young Canadian man single-handedly fighting off a mountain lion in a seemingly deadly attack in Banff National Park. While the story was clickbaity enough to lure us all in, forensics have since proven a bit of fowl play. According to an investigation by Parks Canada, they found zero evidence of cougar activity or cougar DNA on the 'victim'. A quick review of the photos from the 'attack' look like the 23-year-old was in an altercation with a toddler, not a mountain lion. For anyone who's seen the true damage those cats can inflict, this was kind of a no-brainer.

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

🇨🇦 Ice fishing for...deer?!?!: Canadians pull full deer rack and skeleton from icy lake while ice fishing. 

🐈 Callin' in the tomcats: Watch as a Florida turkey hunter gets up close an personal with a Florida Panther while calling from his blind.