Sunday hunting in PA is one signature away ✍️

I’m currently at the “it’s Thursday already?” phase of the workweek and am unsure as to whether or not that is a good thing as of yet.

With that in mind, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get this Thursday morning dispatch out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about today:

• Possible Sunday hunts - Pennsylvania hunters are closer than they’ve ever been ⛪️

• Moose poacher nailed - An Ontario man gets $8K in fines for abandoned moose 🫎

• Be careful out there - Georgia man dies while riding in the back of a pickup hanging on to a hunting blind 🙏

• Euthanized bear - Idaho officials make the call on problem grizzly in Island Park 🐻

• Bring the whole crew pride - When the entire mountain lion pride shows up to the house 🐈

IS IT TIME?
SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA IS JUST ONE SIGNATURE AWAY

The long, drawn-out process to bring Sunday hunting back to Pennsylvania is finally at a point where it can be sealed with the stroke of the governor’s pen. 

House Bill 143 passed both chambers with bipartisan support, with a 131-72 initial vote in the House and a 34-16 vote in the Senate. The bill - which would effectively lift any and all bans on Sunday hunting across Pennsylvania - now sits atop the governor’s desk in Harrisburg.

In an effort to provide more hunting opportunities to the state’s working class, many believe the expansion of Sunday hunting, which currently allows for the hunting of foxes, coyotes, and crows on Sundays, would also result in additional revenue for the state’s Game Commission. While the state added three additional Sunday opportunities in 2019; including one during archery deer season, one during rifle deer season and another during bear rifle season, a full repeal of the ban has been in the works for the better part of a decade…

👮 Northern Ontario Man Fined $8,000, Suspended for Illegally Killing and Abandoning Moose. A poacher from Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, has been nailed with an $8,000 fine and has received a one-year hunting suspension after pleading guilty to illegally killing and abandoning a moose in Sargeant Township.

The incident occurred in October 2023, when the man shot a cow moose without a valid license and left it to spoil, violating regulations under the province’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. After receiving an anonymous tip about the incident, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conducted an investigation involving the ministry’s canine unit, multiple interviews, and the execution of a search warrant at the suspect’s residence.

The court bulletin later revealed that the accused, Roger Thibeault, eventually confessed to abandoning the cow moose and was handed his sentencing in a Cochrane court earlier this spring.

🙏 Man Dies After Being Blown Off Truck While Holding Hunting Blind in Georgia. In a rare and tragic accident in Hartwell, Georgia, a man has lost his life after being blown off the back of a moving truck. According to the Hart County Sheriff’s Office, the incident took place around 8:30 p.m. Monday evening when 59-year-old Matthew Hill was riding in the bed of a truck while holding onto a camouflage hunting blind. Witnesses who saw the event unfold told deputies that the wind blew the blind from the back of the truck and carried Hill with it.

The injuries sustained were severe enough that he was transported by LifeFlight for advanced medical care. The sheriff’s office reported that Hill had passed away from his injuries on Tuesday and has stated that the incident remains under investigation.

🐻 Idaho Fish and Game Lethally Removes Grizzly Bear from Island Park Community. Outside of being known for its proximity to Yellowstone National Park, the Island Park neighborhood is also known for its healthy population of bears. Serving as home to both grizzly and black bears, residents are frequently reminded to keep their clawed neighbors in mind when it comes to properly storing would-be attractants.

Despite their best of intentions, some bears simply cannot be thwarted when it comes to the appeal of human food. After recording one grizzly bear in particular on various doorbell cameras and across multiple sightings, Idaho Fish and Game, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made the call to dispatch of one problem bear who’s insatiable appetite just couldn’t be fulfilled. With reports of breaking into numerous garbage receptacles, vehicles and even homes in an effort to score some easy calories, officials made the call to euthanize the adult male bear last Thursday, as announced by officials this week.

🐈 When a whole damn pride of mountain lions show up to the cookout. I know, I know, we’ve been sharing a lot of cat content lately, but they’re active right now and I’m super intrigued by them, ok? According to reports, this entire pride hung out at this residence in La Plata County, Colorado for quite some time.

Here, kitty, kitty…

🥃 The Unsung Heroes of the Whiskey Trade - The Coopers: As you sit on your porch, the sun sinking below the horizon, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves, and a Kentucky Straight Bourbon held gently in your hand, have you ever paused to think about the craft and tradition that has been poured into your glass – literally? Behind every excellent whiskey is a silent artisan, honing a skill that is as integral to the spirit as the grain, fire, and copper stills. They are the unseen heroes of the whiskey industry – the coopers. 

A cooper isn’t some old-fashioned term lost to history. It is a noble, ancient profession that fabricates the soul of every good whiskey – the oak-aged barrel. Coopers create, repair, and ensure the integrity of the wooden casks in which whiskey slumbers and matures, transforming from clear distillate into the golden nectar we relish.   Read the full story.

🔪 The Red Knife : Knives are like friends: you know many over the years, but it’s rare to keep one for life.

My first was my father’s folding Camillus. I was ten when he gave it to me, and saw it as a rite of passage, a sign that I was finally trusted with the accruements of manhood.

“Don’t be an idiot and cut yourself,” Dad said.

My father was an electrician who used the knife to strip miles of insulation from electrical cables. He also used it to scale a million perch, clean a thousand pheasants and skin hides from untold numbers of deer. He constantly whetted the knife to keep it sharp, and a lot of steel was worn away. By the time he gave it to me the single blade resembled a porcupine quill.  Read the full story.

🫎 A Once-In-A-Lifetime Encounter with a Moose:  It was just another day at work when a colleague approached me with a picture that left me in awe. Two adult bull moose were locked up from fighting, floating dead in a lake. I couldn’t shake the thought of not at least trying to find them, so I decided to take a day off work and investigate. I grabbed my truck and asked my wife if my daughter could tag along. To my surprise, my wife said no, but my daughter used her puppy dog eyes to convince her. We loaded every tool we might need and headed out.

As we approached the lake, our hearts and minds were racing. We saw three moose on the shoreline, and my daughter was amazed to see her first moose in the wild. We let them pass and jumped out of the truck to start getting ready for the big job at hand. Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…