New Mexico officials warn hunters about cancer-causing chemicals found in waterfowl 🦆

The weekend might not be here just yet, but your favorite dispatch from the great outdoors is. And let me tell you, this one’s juicy.

So grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let's get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past 24-or-so hours. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• Duck with a side of cancer - NM officials issue stark warning to waterfowlers 🦆

• License and registration - Idaho officials remind shed hunters to bring their license 🪪

• Loose lips - Louisiana poaching rumors bust trio of illegal hunters 🤫

• Price hikes - Washington set for big increases for license fees 💰

• Perfect symmetry - Mississippi hunter nails a beautiful buck 🦌

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SCARY SH*T
NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS ARE URGING HUNTERS TO GET CHECKED OUT AFTER FINDING RECORD-BREAKING LEVELS OF CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS IN HOLLOMAN LAKE

As we continue to wait upon the delays that are currently being inflicted upon the health of Americans, the Make America Healthy Again brigade can’t seem to be confirmed quickly enough.

As studies continue to fill headlines about the cancer-causing chemicals that are seemingly all around us, New Mexico’s Department of Health issued a staggering warning this week. Inside the in-depth report, the Department sent a stark warning to anyone who may have hunted or consumed game from Holloman Lake over the past decade. After finding what they referred to as “record-breaking levels” of forever chemicals (PFAS) in ducks and other birds, mammals and plants, the Department has given strict marching orders to waterfowlers to seek immediate medical attention in light of the discovery…

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🪪 Idaho officials reminding non-residents that they now need a valid license to collect antlers. With spring on the horizon, many folks are turning to the once old and now incredibly popular pastime of shed hunting. As if we needed more people to avoid while out in the woods, the sport activity has attracted thousands of new ‘hunters’ over the past decade - many of whom have commercial interests in mind. 

Given shed hunting’s commercially-focused shift, state fish and game departments in the west have been trying to get a handle on the volume of folks in search of discarded bone. In addition to stricter seasons so as to not harass animals coming off harsh winter conditions, states like Idaho now require a valid big game licence for out of state shed hunters to collect antlers during the spring season. Officials are reminding inbound out-of-staters that according to Idaho code 36-508, “A nonresident collecting, possessing, or transporting antlers or horns shed from deer, elk, moose, or pronghorn in this state shall be required to first procure a license entitling the nonresident to hunt big game.”

🤫 Three Louisiana men busted after officers investigated poaching rumors. According to reports, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officers received an anonymous tip that led them to one dead deer and some illegal duck hunting. Fielding the report of an alleged illegal take of an antlered deer near Lake Arthur, officers responded to the scene and found two subjects heading out of the woods from an apparent duck hunt. As officers questioned the two men, they not only found out that they had been using lead shot for duck hunting, but that one of the two men was also without a license.

As officers continued to question the two duck hunters, they soon learned of the location of their third accomplice who was believed to have shot the buck a few days earlier. Heading to the residence of 27-year-old Nathan Rogers, they soon got him to admit to illegally taking the deer that was now laying in his backyard. He told officers that he shot the deer on Jan. 22 and left it in the field while his buddies, Randal Boudreaux and Gavin Price, were duck hunting.  The trio went back to the location the next day and retrieved the deer.

The three men were charged with a slew of offenses including taking a deer during a closed season, hunting without a license, and for violating non-toxic shot requirements, among others. Officers seized the deer, two wood ducks and a teal and donated them to a local charity. 

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😳 My question is: have you ever seen a buck jump that high?!?!  I haven’t…

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Mississippi House passes mandatory deer harvest reporting, turkey stamps. What's next?: Two bills dealing with hunting in Mississippi that have failed to make their way through the Legislative process in the past have passed in the House of Representatives this week and did so by wide margins.  Read the full story.

Tribes, wildlife officials oppose proposed hunting bill for Flathead Indian Reservation: Tribal advocates argued during a Tuesday evening hearing in Helena that a proposed hunting bill could jeopardize tribal-state relations and result in years of costly litigation. Read the full story.

Mississippi deer hunting: Hunter in MS takes huge 10-point buck:  'After I shot, I came to pieces. I called every hunting buddy I have and said, 'Hey, I smoked a good one.'' Read the full story.

Washington Senators Propose Sharp Fishing, Hunting License Fee Hikes: With a large budget deficit forecasted and calls from Olympia for reduced spending on state programs, a pair of Washington legislators have introduced a bill that would sharply increase the cost of sportsmen’s licenses, though seniors would at least get a break on the hunting side. Read the full story.

Iowa DNR to hold town hall meeting to recap hunting seasons:  To review the recently completed hunting season in Iowa and discuss possible changes to rules and regulations, staff with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is inviting the public to a collection of meetings. Read the full story.

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Good mornin’ from Idaho

📸 : _ektacobes

Oh, and one more thing…

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