Wyoming tacks on felony charge to Cody serial poacher 🧑‍⚖️

If you’re still with us, that means you’ve made it to the middle of yet another week.

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

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

• Bad to worse - Michigan man gets nailed with felony in massive poaching case 🧑‍⚖️

• Bigfoot sighting - South Carolina man makes big claims from the deer stand 👣

• Hunting guide down - An Oregon hunting guide was fatally shot by friendly fire 🙏

• Mississippi teen cleans up - Repeat after me: 167 inches 😳

• Permission granted - Hunting in Michigan? Get your permission slip first! 🧾

• “I’m off, honey!” - Wife records group of deer in her yard after her husband departs for deer camp 🤣

MO’ KILLING, MO’ PROBLEMS
WYOMING AUTHORITIES TACK ON FELONY CHARGE FOR ILLEGALLY KILLED COW IN THE CODY DEER-KILLING CASE

Things went from really bad to worse for a Michigan man embroiled in a big-time poaching case in Cody, Wyoming. Back in September, 20-year-old Joshua Wielhouwer was arraigned on 18 wildlife-related charges including nine counts of unlicensed taking of a big game animal and nine counts of wanton destruction of a big game animal after multiple deer carcasses were found scattered throughout the town of Cody.

In what was originally thought of as a string of mysterious deaths or killings, eventually pointed to a silver Ford Fusion with Michigan tags and a compound bow. State game wardens spotted the vehicle and noticed a flash light in the hands of a man looking like he was inspecting what was later revealed to be a dead mule deer. The suspect evaded wardens but later turned himself in after an arrest warrant was made in his name.

The arrest resulted in the aforementioned 18 misdemeanor counts for the illegal killing of nine mule deer along with state-recommended $36,000 in bail, which would equal the restitution he would be ordered to pay, if convicted.

As if the young man wasn’t in enough trouble, this week authorities were able to attach Wielhouwer to another illegal killing, this one being bovine in nature. Stepping outside of his comfort zone, it seems as though the accused tested his illegal compound bow skills on a cow before going on a tear across Cody…

👣 South Carolina hunter reportedly spots Bigfoot while sitting in his stand. Now, I’m not saying that Bigfoot doesn’t exist - I’m simply stating that there is a YUGE lack of evidence out there confirming its existence. That said, sightings seem to pop up from time to time but what doesn’t help the believers is that in such cases, they remain anonymous and lack the aforementioned proof required to bring more folks over to their side. 

This was exactly the case this week when a South Carolina man went public with his apparent sighting of the mythical beast while deer hunting in Newberry County. According to reports, an off-duty police officer made the report, but chose to hide his identity, referring to himself solely as J.M. He went on to describe what he saw as a 7 - 7.5-foot-tall, human-like creature with long brown hair, an ape-like face and long arms. 

The creature allegedly grunted before stomping through the woods where he then spotted the figure.

“We watched each other for probably 30 seconds but felt like forever before it turned and walked off,” J.M. said. “I'm a police officer and had no clue what to make of it. At this point as much as I didn't want to admit it I am convinced it was a bigfoot.”

According to the folks over at the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, this sighting has since been classified as a Class A sighting, meaning that "misinterpretation or misidentification of other animals can be ruled out with greater confidence."

Perhaps I spend too much time around a bunch of old bullsh*tters in the woods, but I still adopt the old “pictures or it didn’t happen” mantra when it comes to otherworldly wildlife sightings.

🙏 Oregon guide fatally shot as they approached a group of elk.  In yet another unfortunate incident, a hunting guide has lost his life in a case of friendly fire in the Oregon mountains. According to reports, a pair of 72-year-old hunters were being guided on an elk hunt by 62-year-old Jon Marshall Nichols when they came upon a group of elk. Traveling together in a side-by-side, the group exited the vehicle to have a look and perhaps plan a shot on one of the animals when one of the hunters chambered a round and accidentally shot Nichols in the back.

The two men attempted CPR on their injured guide, but soon died from his injuries according to Baker County Sheriff’s deputies. Given the nature of the incident, the investigation remains ongoing.

Missouri issues deer hunting tags to manage overpopulation: The Missouri Department of Conservation has deemed the deer population as too much, so they have an opportunity for hunters, both residents and non-residents, to draw managed deer hunts. Read more at Fox 2.

Fish and Game offers mentored duck hunt to recent hunter education graduates:  Each year, as bird seasons open, Idaho Fish and Game staff from the Magic Valley Region organize a mentored pheasant and duck hunt for a small number of recent graduates of in-person hunter education classes.  Read more at Idaho F&G.

'He was just a monster.' Mississippi teen deer hunter harvests giant 167-inch buck: A Mississippi teen first got a particular buck on camera two years ago and although it was a 10-point, it didn't really stand out. Since the buck appeared to be young, the teen's father said they should let him grow and two years later that decision paid off with a huge buck that unofficially gross-scored 167 inches. Read more at Clarion Ledger.

Michigan DNR to continue testing in UP for Chronic Wasting Disease this hunting season:  The DNR says they have resources online and at check stations if you want to test your deer. Learn more at TV6.

AGFC warns of potential deer hunting closures in Arkansas: if you're in the eastern part of the state, you may want to keep an eye on water levels before you head out. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is warning of potential hunting area closures this weekend due to rising water.  Read more at THV11.

CONTROVERSY // ^{_{THIS WEEK’S SH*T DISTURBER}}

😁 Michigan DNR releases humorous permission slip for those looking to get afield this season. Well, this ain’t all that controversial, unless of course, you happen to be a teacher/boss or authority figure. In a Facebook post yesterday, the agency playfully released a permission slip that could potentially be used to excuse oneself from their academic or professional responsibilities for a few days to participate in Michigan’s opening weekend.

The agency was sure to include a disclaimer at the bottom of the slip, just in case someone took it a little too literally (which I would have). This was released in the middle of Michigan’s ‘quiet period’, which prohibits the transport or possess a rifle or shotgun with buckshot, slug load, ball load or cut shell in an area frequented by deer. In what wildlife managers call a little calm before the storm, it’s looking like Michiganders are chomping at the bit for Friday’s opener, whether they have permission or not.

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

🦌 Man leaves for hunting trip and his wife records group of deer in his yard shortly after. The truck’s packed up, you’ve got your rifle and enough cheap, domestic beer to get you through the week, and you kiss the wife and kids good bye. As you pull out the driveway, you wave farewell to your family as you head out into the woods to bring home the bacon venison. But not long after you hit that dusty old trail, a group of 10-or-so deer show up in your yard, as if knowing that the great white hunter has since departed. And what’s worse? Your wife records it, splices in a tune of annoyance and posts it up to the Tik Tok. Let’s hope he doesn’t come home empty handed…

🐺 Coy-Wolf or Woyote? I don’t know what the hell you call it, but it darn sure does like look like this Minnesota cameraman caught some sort of cross between the two. How about wolf-a-doodle?

Oh, and one more thing…