Survey says: Westerners want public lands in public hands 🏔️

Welcome to 4th best day of the week besides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. As we dig into another week, there’s plenty to talk about in terms of poaching, poisoning and public lands.

So, while continue to slowly inch back 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:

• Hands off my public lands - A new survey illustrating the same story 🗻

• Sharked - The tax man is alive and well, especially in Florida 🦈

• Forbidden fruit plants - Multiple elk die after eating yard plants 🌿

• $3K reward - Tennessee is paying for answers in elk poaching case 💰

• C’mon in - A family of bears wanders into a home when homeowner takes a nap 🧸

A TIMELY SURVEY
NEW POLL SHOWS THAT 65% OF WESTERNERS WANT TO KEEP PUBLIC LANDS UNDER FEDERAL MANAGEMENT

In a debate that is seemingly as old as time, a new poll conducted by the folks over at Colorado College has solidified (once again) the west’s general view of public lands.  With hundreds of millions of acres under federal management, our public lands are truly a national treasure and are something that are ubiquitously American.

But as President Trump and his right-hand-man continue to dismantle bureaucratic government agencies, the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, and hence, public lands, have also since come under attack. With the news of the recent layoffs of around 4,400 people from the aforementioned agencies, the results of this annual survey can be seen as incredibly timely, to say the least.

The recently released annual State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll indicates that Western voters continue to express strong support for robust conservation policies. These findings represent a potential conflict with the agenda of the new administration, which has signaled an intent to roll back existing environmental regulations, implement budget cuts to conservation programs, and promote increased energy development. This misalignment between public sentiment and administrative policy could lead to significant discord and opposition from Western voters who prioritize environmental protection and conservation efforts…

☠️ Multiple elk have died after eating poisonous yard plants in Montana. This seems to pop up every few years and is always concerning. As we continue to dress up our yards with ornamental plants (not to mention pesticides and other chemicals), sometimes there is some collateral damage to be had. In the case of the Japanese yew, it is now responsible for the death of at least five elk calves in the Bitterroot Valley this winter. An evergreen shrub native to East Asia, the plant is commonly used around homes and walkways, but can become dangerous to wild animals during the winter months. In search of available forage, ungulates descend on neighborhoods in search of easily accessible food sources, which in many cases ends up being noxious plants such as Japanese yew. 

The plant has been implicated in several ungulate-related die-offs in the past, including the death of 23 elk and 50 pronghorn in the winter of 2016-17. According to FWP, homeowners in areas where wild ungulates roam, such as the Bitterroot Valley, should inspect their yards for the plant and remove it if found.

🤑 $3,000 reward offered in Tennessee elk poaching case. A $3,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible for poaching an elk in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area. The elk was found in the Caryville area of Campbell County, in a location known locally as the "Red Ash" or "Wheeler Gap" area on the Royal Blue Unit of NCWMA.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) received a call on Saturday afternoon reporting the discovery of the elk carcass. Wildlife Manager Darrell England arrived first and determined that the elk appeared to have been shot within the last few days.  Officers also arrived on the scene and found that multiple parts of the elk had been removed from the body. 

They collected several pieces of evidence and the incident remains under investigation.

🦈 Study shows that nearly half of all Florida anglers are losing their catch to sharks. As we approach tax season, there’s perhaps no group that fears the aquatic tax man as much as Florida anglers. As someone who lives and fishes off the coast of Florida, I can personally attest to the accuracy of the claims in this particular study recently published in the Journal of Marine Science. 

According to the shark depredation study, which focused more specifically on recreational fishing rather than commercial operations, it found that nearly half of all Florida fishermen are losing their catch to blood-thirsty sharks. The study, which ran from July 2020 to June 2022, highlighted that 43% of anglers reported losing a fish to a shark or other predator, bull sharks were responsible for 38.5% of incidents, with sharks overall accounting for 86% of fish losses. The study also highlighted that snapper and grouper species were the most frequent targets, comprising nearly 75% of all lost fish.  Depredation incidents were highest in the Florida Keys and tended to increase during the spring and summer months. 

Dr. Matt Ajeiman, who led the study, stressed the significance of public participation in scientific research to fully comprehend the complexities of Florida's shark situation. He stated that anglers' observations played a pivotal role in shaping their findings and that their research will soon lead to better fishery management.

1. You can waste your potential but you can't lose it - that shit’ll follow you to the grave.

2. Grapes + pineapple = a great food combo

3. We are never dedicated to something that we have complete confidence in.  Like if I knew I’d drop a 10-point every season, it just wouldn’t be as fun.

4. Put your hand to the plow and do not look back  🙏

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

🏠 You come home and find a family of bears in your house (but your porridge is fine) Alright so the story is, this guy came home and found that his roommate had fallen asleep and left the door to the house open. Well, didn’t momma bear and cubs just walk on in…

No word on how the hell they got them out.

Oh, and one more thing…