Pre-Paid Debit Cards Now Available for Hunters Using Non-Lead Ammo on These 7 Refuges

If you’re still with us, that means you’ve made it to the middle of yet another week. And the good news is, tomorrow is a holiday.

With that in mind, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey and get another mid-week dispatch out the door before we enjoy some time with family, a big ol’ bird and some football.

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

• Show me the money - USFWS rolls out pre-paid debit card program 💵

• Taking to the skies - Colorado officials clear low-level mission to assess populations 🚁

• Albino spotting - Wisconsin hunter captures albino deer on opening day ⚪️

• Tank rescued - A hunting dog is heroically rescued after falling into a pit 🐕

• Two bucks, one arrow - Amazing footage of crossbow hunter in the crossfire 🦌

CASH ON THE DASH
PRE-PAID DEBIT CARDS NOW AVAILABLE FOR HUNTERS USING NON-LEAD AMMO ON THESE 7 REFUGES

After announcing a new incentive-based program back in July, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is backing it up by putting their money where their mouth is. In an announcement made last week, the Service launched a brand-spankin’ new website that was built to allow eligible hunters to log their non-toxic ammo purchases and get reimbursed for them.

The pilot program is being rolled out across seven refuges scattered across the country for those choosing to chase whitetails, waterfowl and small game using non-lead ammunition. While each refuge comes with its own unique set of rules and regulations, USFWS is offering up pre-paid debit cards to cover the costs of ammo if the dates, ammunition and firearms used check a number of pre-determined boxes…

Deer registration lags slightly for start of Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season: Hunters registered 89,203 white-tailed deer over the first two days of the 2024 Wisconsin gun deer hunting season, a 2% year-over-year decline, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Read more at Valley News.

Bullet hits California R-1 school, believed to be a hunting accident:  California R-1 School officials said a hunter’s bullet was to blame for a shattered trophy case inside their school. In a post on their district’s Facebook page, Superintendent Daniel Williams said they found the shattered glass mid-morning on Saturday.  Read full story.

What hunters should know as Ohio deer gun season starts Dec. 2: The gun season traditionally begins the Monday after Thanksgiving, is open to all hunters, and this year runs until Sunday, Dec. 8. An additional deer gun weekend runs Dec. 21 and 22. Read full story.

Rare albino deer spotted in Wisconsin at start of hunting season:  A Wisconsin hunter captured a truly extraordinary moment on camera as a rare albino deer was spotted in the wild.  The breathtaking encounter was captured on camera on the opening day of gun season on Saturday near the Illinois border. Read the full story.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife to use helicopters to assess deer, elk, bighorn sheep and moose: Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has announced plans to conduct low-altitude helicopter flights to assess big game herds across the Southeast Region from Leadville to Trinidad and east of Interstate 25, beginning Dec. 2.  Read full story.

THE GOOD NEWS // ^{_{JUST BECAUSE}}

Tank the hunting dog rescued from fall into 50-foot pit. There’s hazards to almost any job (other than slinging newsletters) and for hunting dogs, that is most certainly true. Whether they fall victim to wolves or bears or simply run off into the next county, their job security depends on them coming back in one piece.

As this story goes, Tank was out running raccoons Monday afternoon when a whitetail popped up and captured his attention. Bailing on the prey he had set out to tree, he instead bounded after the deer, which lead him a bit off-course, and eventually, in the bottom of a 50-foot pit. After hearing about the trapped hound, the good folks at the Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue Service got together and planned a rescue for the trapped pooch.

After setting up camp overtop of the pit, volunteers rappelled inside the hole, secured the hound and were hoisted out to safety. With a couple of small scratches and some treats to help him get through the trauma, it’s safe to say Tank is ready to run again.

That dog’ll hunt alright.

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

🤥 Your buddies will never believe you… You’re sitting on your deer blind finishing up that Little Debbie snack and suddenly a doe comes right at you with not one, but two bucks in hot pursuit. So, you sh*t your pants and fling an arrow from your crossbow (what?!?) as some sort of Hail Mary.

Good luck explaining this to the boys…

Oh, and one more thing…