Want to stop CWD? Study says we need to kill more big bucks 🦌

Welcome to 4th best day of the week besides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

While we’re slowly inching 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:

• I like big bucks - Study shows that killing big bucks might be the key to slowing CWD 🦌

• Seasons extended - Louisiana hunters get a free pass after snowfall 🥶

• Colorado eyes gun ban - You will have no semi-auto guns and you will be happy says Colorado law maker 🖕

• Landowner tags for sale? - Maybe, if new Wyoming proposal passes 💰

• Out of nowhere - Watch as a delivery driver has a close call with a mule deer 📦

I’M DOWN
WANT TO SLOW CWD? A NEW STUDY SAYS WE NEED TO HUNT MORE BIG BUCKS

In news that is sending ‘hell yeah’ vibes through the entire hunting community, a new study has concluded that one of the most effective ways of curbing chronic wasting disease is by shooting big ol’ bucks.

The study, which brings news we can all get behind, was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in tandem with Wyoming Game and Fish. Using data from two decades worth of CWD trends among Wyoming deer herds, the paper concluded that the taking of large, mature bucks works wonders when it comes to slowing the spread of the neurological disease.

In a state where CWD has since infected 35 of the state’s 37 mule deer herds, the study stated that researchers believed that by harvesting 40 percent of adult bucks every year for the next 20 years would result in an overall CWD prevalence of roughly 5 percent…

🥶 Louisiana hunters get extended seasons due to winter storm interruption. If you not only got to take your air boat out into the snow last week and now are getting a little bit of extra time to hunt, you might be from Louisiana. In an announcement made yesterday, the state’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said they were extending a number of seasons across the state. In the aftermath of last week’s unseasonable winter weather, many roads were closed, blocking access to hunting opportunities. Given that “maximizing hunting opportunities for sportsmen and women of the state is a priority for the LDWF”, a number of deer seasons along with select small game seasons have been extended.

🔫 Colorado continues to disgruntle sportsmen with a new bill aimed at banning semi-auto firearms sales and transfers. Introduced by Sen. Tom Sullivan (D-27), Senate Bill 3 contains some awfully damning language for those in support of basic freedoms as it pertains to law-abiding gun ownership. The proposed bill would prohibit the manufacture, purchase, sale, and transfer of semi-automatic rifles and shotguns with detachable magazines within the state of Colorado. The same prohibitions would also be placed upon on gas-operated semi-auto handguns with detachable magazines, and it would reclassify “rapid-fire devices” as dangerous or prohibited weapons under state law. 

While the bill has a bit of a way to go before it is signed into law, it does have the support of four primary sponsors along with 35 others in the House and Senate. Whether or not Gov. Jared Polis puts pen to paper if/when the bill does make it to his desk is another question altogether. He’s been skeptical of banning specific types of equipment or firearms in the past, and we’re all hoping he still shares some of that sentiment if this piece of legislation ends up in front of him.

💰 Wyoming's proposal that would allow landowners to sell their tags could spell trouble for state hunters. Senate File 118 was tabled last week and seeks to give landowners permission to sell hunting tags in a free and open market. As Americans, we love the idea of free market trade but as it pertains to hunting tags and our natural resources, many of us tend to be skeptical of creating a ‘rich man’s game’ in our outdoor pursuits. 

As of right now, Wyoming landowners that meet a certain criteria are awarded two hunting tags for their property under the state’s landowner tag program. The landowners currently have the right to exercise those tags on their property, or they can share them with immediate family members. The selling of these tags is strictly prohibited, but would be allowed under the new legislation, so long as those tags have not already been issued to a family member.

The truth is, both sides of this argument seem to have merit. On one side, we can view this as an exploitation of our natural resources, while on the other, it can be seen as a reward system of sorts to those that have stewarded their land in a way that is beneficial to the natural environment. The balance here comes in the form of rewarding landowners for their stewardship without commoditizing tags in a manner that would negatively affect local hunters. In this seemingly age-old debate, only time will tell whether or not we can strike that balance or whether Senate File 118 is the proposal to do it.

1. We’re all just trying to sell plastic and rubber so we can buy wood and stone.

2. I was fortunate to grow up in a time of unedited experiences. 

3. One of life’s most important skills to develop is the ability to avoid the wrong people.

4. God will make a way of escape for you but he won’t push you through the hatch 🙏

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

😲 Your package is h…oly SH*T!  I have no idea where that deer came from, what he might have been doing or if this is even real. I think it’s real. The delivery driver’s reaction seems real. It’s real.

Oh, and one more thing…