"Egregious" poacher in hot water - and rightfully so 😡

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...

• "Egregious" poacher in hot water- In addition to charges, animal right activists are coming for this young man's head 🫣

• Honor roll - Kentucky takes the cake when it comes to elk restoration 🎂

• They call him Gamblore - Ontario man skips moose hunt, kills amazing whitetail 🎰

• EVERYONE GETS A DEER! - Mississippi hunters encouraged to "take an extra deer"  🦌

• Mule deer movement- Wyoming monitoring project tracks winter mortality ❄️

BRING ‘EM ON
VERMONT POACHER WHO VIDEOTAPED HIMSELF PETTING WOUNDED DEER COULD FACE ADDITIONAL CHARGES

Cell phone video acquired by Vermont wildlife officials that depicts a 21-year-old Vermont man petting a deer he illegally wounded, while saying “good boy” just before killing the animal, has gotten himself into even more hot water with animal rights advocates.

The video taken last year has been integral to the slew of charges brought against the young man for a number of incidents taking place in October and November of 2022. In addition to the violation charges, including hunting with a revoked license, he is now set to square up against animal rights groups for possible animal cruelty charges.

According to an affidavit, state game warden William Seeger plainly states that the buck was still alive while the accused treated it like a pet of some kind.

“The buck can be seen panting, likely with some type of spinal trauma from a broadhead or bullet wound, rendering it mostly paralyzed,” Seeger wrote. The hunter and a friend can be heard in the videos, with the hunter “petting the deer and saying, ’Good boy’, as if it were a dog or other pet,” the affidavit states. Photos were also taken of the deer alive in the barn and then later of a deceased deer hanging in what appeared to be the hay barn, Seeger wrote.

HEADLINES // ^{_{DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS}}

🎰 The gamble paid off: Ontario man skips moose hunt, kills incredible whitetail instead.

🦌 You get a deer, EVERYONE GETS A DEER!: Mississippi deer population is at all-time high, hunters encouraged to "take an extra deer" this season.

💰 Take my money: 1,200 hunting ranch in Alabama hits the market. It ain't cheap.

🐻 Everyone wants a bear hunt: After Louisiana green-lit a bear hunt, Mississippi is thinkin' on it too.

🤢  CWD rears it's head in NC: The state's 11th infected deer tested positive this week.

🙏 Animal rights group sues Montana FWP: Claims FWP violated laws in relaxing wolf hunting regs.

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

🥶 Deer in an ice bath: Alaska wildlife troopers rescue pair of deer from freezing water.

😤 Cut 'er loose!: Utah guide frees moose calf from fence as angry mother watches.

🥴 Another Friday night: White moose catches a buzz on fermented apples, charges lawnmower.

ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY
KENTUCKY TAKES TOP HONORS FOR ELK RESTORATION

It was 1997 when Kentucky’s elk restoration program officially kicked off and when it comes to wildlife conservation success stories, Kentucky’s elk are tough to beat.

Originally transporting just over 1,500 elk between 1997 and 2002 from western states such as Arizona, Kansas, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah, the state’s herd is now at an all-time high in terms of health and population numbers.

In an announcement this week from The Wildlife Society, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has earned the organization’s annual Wildlife Restoration Award. Set to be presented at their annual conference in Nashville next month, the award recognizes outstanding projects supported by Wildlife Restoration funds, also known as Pittman-Robertson funds, and associated non federal matching funds.

WEEKEND MEME // ^{_{THE SEASON IS UPON US}}

WANDERINGS // ^{_{A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY}}

We've all done it. How long you can drive on empty. Remembering Schmidt Beer - the brew that grew with the North West. F*ck it. How to make a breakfast martini. If you have invested any money into youR knives, it's time to take care of them like an adult. Eight tailgating traditions that cannot be beat.

EYE CANDY // ^{_{PICTURES > WORDS}}

More nights like these.
@eastmanshuntingjournals