Texas Rep. and deer breeder intro's bill aimed at abolishing TPWD 🤔

Welcome to 4th best day of the week besides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. As we dig into another week, we’ve got some serious attempted protectionism in Texas, Elon’s opinion on one pet deer and how selective breeding genetics could weed out CWD.

So, while we 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:

• Conflict of interest - Texas Rep. protecting his own interests 🤔

• Elon’s opinion - He’s fighting for Baby the deer (although he shouldn’t be) 🥊

• Farming for a cure - One Michigan farmer might have found a cure to CWD 🚜

• Common sense regs - Alberta wants to give 12 year-olds and those in wheelchairs the ability to hunt 👍

• Follow commands - Watch as this hunter tells this bear to get out of his stand - and it works 👂

YOU DON’T SAY…
TEXAS REPRESENTATIVE AND DEER BREEDER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO ABOLISH STATE AGENCY THAT REGULATES DEER BREEDING

They say that the true measure of a man is looking at what he does with power and in the case of one Texas lawmaker, it looks as though he’s using it for personal gain. As we all gasp in surprise at yet another brazen move by an elected official, Texas Rep Pat Curry (R-Waco) has proposed some ballsy legislation aimed at overhauling the state’s Parks and Wildlife Department.

Stating that the agency has “lost its way”, the bill is among many others that have been introduced in the state legislature aimed at reducing regulations surrounding Chronic Wasting Disease - particularly surrounding management at captive deer breeding facilities.

🚀 Elon chimes in on the fate of pet deer confiscated by Pennsylvania Game Wardens. If you’ll recall, we covered the story of a Pennsylvania woman who was caught living with a wild deer she had captured from the wild last month. In response to their findings, state officials were forced to confiscate the “pet” as it remains against state law to keep a wild-born deer as a pet. In the wake of the arrest and confiscation of the deer, many news outlets covered the story, which eventually tugged on the heart strings of the world’s richest man.

Taking some time out of his daily schedule of reforming the electric automobile, sending rockets to space and completely dismantling government agencies, Elon tweeted that “authorities need to stop doing this.” While to some, this could seem like brazen overreach by government officials, to others, it is maintaining and adhering to laws that are in place not only to protect citizens, but our precious wildlife. None of us want government officials busting in our doors and confiscating our property, but then the same should be said of our natural resources.

This deer was captured in the wild, castrated and collared by a citizen unlawfully and without its consent. It seems incredible to me that anyone, especially the bleeding hearts of the world, would stand for such unethical treatment of any wild animal. According to reports, state officials have decided not to euthanize the animal and it will be placed in a licensed facility for the remainder of its life.

🧑‍🌾 Michigan deer farmer using specific breeding genetics proven to resist chronic wasting disease. After having his farm completely shut down after one of his captive deer contracted CWD, Michigan deer farmer Dan Harrington began exploring new and innovative approaches to managing the disease's impact. Harrington’s research has found that humic acids, or natural compounds found in certain fertilizers have been proven to significantly reduce the amount of CWD prions found in soil. Given that these prions are the infectious agents responsible for spreading the disease, Harrington's farm is conducting a comprehensive study to demonstrate that they can successfully breed CWD-resistant deer. 

“We did a large study out of Ames, Iowa that’s still ongoing, to prove that we can breed these deer,” said Harrington.

If successful, this breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for CWD management. The ultimate goal is to release these CWD-resistant deer into the wild, allowing them to interbreed with wild populations and spread their resistant genetics. This approach, known as genetic biocontrol, offers a potential long-term solution for controlling CWD in wild cervid populations.

In the wake of these findings, state representatives are actively considering legalizing the release of CWD-resistant deer at some point in the near future.

👨‍🦽‍➡️ Alberta's government has proposed new legislation to allow 12-year-olds and those in wheelchairs to hunt. Alberta's government has proposed new legislation that would legalize hunting in a wheelchair and allow children as young as 12 to use guns without adult supervision. The bill, introduced by Parks Minister Todd Loewen, also includes two dozen other changes aimed at modernizing hunting laws under the Wildlife Act. 

One of the proposed changes is the removal of the requirement for hunters to wear high-visibility clothing, although officials say this rule hasn't been enforced for years. The bill would also allow hunters to kill black bears and cougars for meat without preserving the hides likening the regulations to other big-game animals also hunted for meat such as deer and moose. 

“If we have somebody that wants to hunt (black bears and cougars) just for the meat, then I think they should be allowed to have that opportunity and not be forced to process a hide that they have no desire to keep,” Loewen said.

Other amendments in Bill 41 include geographic restrictions on domestic sheep and goats, and the removal of judicial order requirements for Fish and Wildlife officers to allow them to respond faster to violations.

1. The path is a spiral - just make sure you’re heading upwards.

2. The first rule of fishing is to fish where the fish are.

3. Lie to people who want to be lied to and you’ll get rich. Tell the truth to those who want the truth and you’ll make a living. Tell the truth to those that want to be lied to and you’ll go broke.

4. Don’t treat people as bad as they are. Treat them as good as you are.  🙏

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

🪜 Watch this bear does exactly what this hunter tells him. Alright, so this dude walked up to his stand and found this big ol’ black bear already holding court up in his tree. Well, he started out by asking the bear “politely” to get his as* out of the stand.

To his surprise, he listened and climbed right back down that ladder. The audio on this is actually pretty funny..

Oh, and one more thing…