NY Man Charged with Poaching Over 30 Deer 👊

While we continue to slowly inch towards the weekend, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get into what this beautiful Tuesday has to offer.

Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:

THROW THE BOOK AT HIM
OSWEGO COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH POACHING OVER 30 DEER

In a story surrounding yet another serial poacher, a New York man ended up in cuffs earlier this month on allegations of poaching upwards of 30 deer. The unnamed man was arrested on August 6th by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) police after a lengthy investigation provided enough evidence for the arrest.

The arrest followed an investigation that began on November 7th of last year when a landowner reported hearing gunshots on county-owned property near Rikers Beach Road in Scriba. State troopers initially responded to the scene, where they encountered two individuals claiming to be sighting in their rifles…

🦞 California Poachers Busted with Over 200 Illegal Spiny Lobsters in Midnight Sting. On the night of August 1st, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers were on a routine patrol near Royal Palms Beach in Los Angeles, when they found themselves smack dab in the middle of massive poaching operation. Around 11 p.m., they observed four individuals in diving gear illegally harvesting spiny lobsters, despite the season having closed more than four months ago. The suspects continued their activities for hours until approximately 3 a.m., when they attempted to flee on foot upon being approached by officers. Following a brief search, all four were apprehended without further incident.

The group had illegally caught 236 spiny lobsters, 210 of which were undersized, far exceeding the legal limit of seven per person during the open season, with a minimum size requirement of 3¼ inches. Most of the lobsters were still alive and were returned to the ocean after being documented for evidence. The poachers faced multiple misdemeanor citations, including taking lobsters out of season, possessing undersized lobsters, fishing without licenses, and lacking a measuring device. No word on why the agency decided to forgo felony charges despite the large number of lobsters the suspects attempted to poach.

🐻 Hiker Mauled to Death by Brown Bear on Japan’s Mount Rausu in Tragic Attack. Japan’s got a real bear problem and it was on in full display last Thursday after a hiker in his 20s was fatally attacked by a brown bear while hiking on a trail at Mount Rausu in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula. The incident occurred when the hiker, walking ahead of his companion, shouted his friend’s name, prompting the friend to rush to his aid just in time to witness the man struggling to fend off the bear, which then dragged him into the bushes. The friend, who was unharmed, fled the scene and reported the attack to the police, leading to the immediate closure of all three trails leading to Mount Rausu and the evacuation of over 71 hikers by helicopter to the Okhotsk Observatory for safety.

The following morning, police initiated a search and discovered the hiker’s body, along with personal items including a blood-stained shirt, wallet, hat, and watch, scattered dozens of meters from the trail at an elevation of 550 meters. Bloodstains were also found on nearby trees and the ground. Hunters searching for the missing man killed three brown bears—an adult and two cubs—near the site, citing their potential danger to the rescue team. Mount Rausu, a natural habitat for brown bears, has seen increased bear sightings recently, prompting officials to issue a bear warning that evening and conduct practice drills following a string of bear attacks across Japan in the last few months.

📸 Michigan Deploys 200 Cameras to Track Elusive Elk Herd. Following in the footsteps of not-so-nearby Montana, The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is intensifying efforts to monitor the state’s elusive elk population in the Lower Peninsula, primarily within the 1,100-square-mile Pigeon River Country State Forest. Facing challenges in tracking the estimated 1,146 elk, the DNR is deploying 200 infrared and motion-detecting cameras across state and private lands from 2025 to 2027. These cameras aim to supplement biennial winter aerial surveys, which have become less reliable due to unpredictable snow cover, to provide more accurate population data for managing the herd, which the DNR seeks to maintain between 500 and 900 animals to reduce elk-human conflicts.

In addition to cameras, the DNR will analyze teeth from harvested elk starting this fall to estimate population size, potentially reducing the frequency of aerial surveys to every three to five years. Michigan’s elk, reintroduced in 1918 after disappearing in the late 1800s due to overhunting, have faced habitat challenges, including recent ice storm damage in the Pigeon River Country State Forest.

💪 This is an incredible encounter, and luckily it turns out well for the fawn. Watch as this young deer does its very best to keep the fox at bay. When it is finally overpowered, out comes mom from the top ropes!

Always stick close to mama…

Oh, and one more thing…