Minnesota DNR Sues Kittson County Sheriff Over Unauthorized Elk Permits 🧑‍⚖️

In the event that the weekend wasn’t quite long enough for you, here’s to hoping that your favorite dispatch from the outdoor world can give you 5-or-so minutes to prep yourself for yet another week.

So, without further adieu, let’s grab that coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past few days. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

SHERIFF MADE A BAD CALL
MINNESOTA DNR SUES KITTSON COUNTY SHERIFF OVER UNAUTHORIZED ELK PERMITS

On Thursday of last week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources filed a lawsuit against the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Mat Vig, seeking to halt the issuance of "elk possession tags" that allow individuals to take and possess elk. The legal action, first reported by the Star Tribune, stems from an incident that took place in January 2025, where Sheriff Vig allegedly issued such a tag to a local farmer, identified only as CC, who shot an elk after it damaged his crops, including hay and beet pulp.

The DNR’s civil complaint alleges that Sheriff Vig lacks the legal authority to issue elk possession tags, asserting that the agency holds exclusive jurisdiction over elk management in Minnesota. According to the complaint, the farmer reported the elk shooting to Vig, who advised that shooting elk to protect his property was permissible and issued the tag on February 3, 2025, without charging the farmer with a crime. The DNR contends that the farmer neither applied for a license beforehand nor reported the incident to the agency, as is required by state regulations…

Unlock post-Christmas deer hunting across Pa. with these permits going on sale Monday: Sales open at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11 for property-specific deer-hunting permits that will open up nearly a month of opportunities to get into the woods after Christmas across Pennsylvania. Read the full story.

Dwindling quail numbers mean dwindling quail hunting opportunities in Ohio: The limit is two a day, not much of a payoff for a robin-sized bird that, in flying shape, weighs about 7 ounces. Quail may not be taken on public land with the exception of two wildlife areas where considerable efforts have been made to keep quail on the premises. Read the full story.

Washington County deer sample tests positive for EHD: A sample taken from a dead deer in Washington County tested positive for a disease found recently in Athens County.  Read the full story.

Montana FWP using hundreds of cameras to count deer, elk: Biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the University of Montana have put out hundreds of remote cameras in an attempt to get a better picture of ungulate populations across Northwest Montana’s Region 1. Read the full story.

Wisconsin DNR asks citizen scientists to count deer and game birds: The Department of Natural Resources wants your help tracking wildlife this time of year. It’s simple: if you spot deer or game birds, report it to the DNR. Two surveys — Operation Deer Watch and the Game Bird Survey — rely on public sightings to measure reproductive capacity for deer and popular game bird species. Read the full story.

Minnesota deer farmers have one more chance to overturn CWD law: Minnesota deer farmers are making a last ditch effort to overturn a 2023 aimed at curbing Chronic Wasting Disease in deer population. Read the full story.

🦬 I can’t believe we are still seeing stuff like this in 2025. Watch as this fella quite literally taunts this big ol’ bison and luckily lives to tell about it.

I suppose one of these days things like this will work themselves out…

Facing off with another week.

📸 : @matt_tumlinson

Oh, and one more thing…