$175K Total Fines Imposed in Rare Duck Trafficking Scandal 🦆

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:

TIME TO PAY UP
WASHINGTON HUNTING GUIDE SENTENCED TO PROBATION AND $175K IN FINES IN HARLEQUIN DUCK TRAFFICKING CASE

Branden Trager of Brush Prairie, Washington, and his company, Mayhem Services LLC, were back in court in December where they were handed a heavy sentencing following their guilty pleas to Lacey Act violations. The case, which stemmed from illegal harlequin duck hunts in British Columbia, should, if nothing else, serve as a cautionary tale to everyone and anyone who might be toying with the idea of playing international waterfowl roulette.

As we reported back in July, Trager and Mayhem Services organized guided hunts targeting harlequin ducks, a colorful and rare sea duck highly sought after by waterfowl enthusiasts, during a period when Washington's hunting season for the species was closed (2022–2024). To circumvent this pesky inconvenience, Trager decided to lead three hunting parties to British Columbia, where the season remained open. However, Canadian regulations prohibit non-citizens from holding guiding licenses, leading Trager to sidestep yet another thorny regulation by misleading officials by claiming the trips were recreational rather than commercial.

Having thought he had got away with the hunts, Trager continued to push the envelope…

🦌 Top Trophy Buck States Shine in National Deer Association Report. The 2026 National Deer Association Deer Report shows a record-high percentage of mature bucks (3½ years and older) harvested nationwide, averaging 46% across reporting states, marking a 43% increase versus the prior year. The top states for harvesting mature bucks, based on the percentage of antlered bucks that were 3½+ years old, are dominated by the South and Southeast. Oklahoma led with 81%, followed closely by Mississippi at 80%, Louisiana at 75%, Texas at 70%, and Arkansas at 67%. These states stand out for quality buck hunting, often due to liberal seasons, no or minimal antler restrictions, and strong habitat/management practices that allow bucks to reach maturity.

For overall buck hunting opportunities—including high densities, total harvests, and success rates, Texas tops the list with the highest antlered buck harvest (425,529), while Pennsylvania excels in density metrics, ranking No. 1 in antlered bucks per square mile (3.9) and second nationally in total antlered bucks harvested (175,280). Other strong contenders include Wisconsin, Michigan, and Alabama for high total harvests, and states like South Carolina for buck harvest per hunter (leading at 70 per 100 hunters). Florida saw the biggest jump in antlered buck harvest (up 35% over its five-year average). See the full report here.

🐻 Grizzly Delisting Inches Closer with New Deadline Extension. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has secured a court-approved extension to finalize its decision on grizzly bear protections in the lower 48, pushing the deadline from January 31, 2026, to December 16, 2026. This stems from a settlement in a 2022 lawsuit by groups like Save the Yellowstone Grizzly against the USFWS and the state of Idaho, requiring the agency to revise or remove rules maintaining the bears' threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. After receiving over 200,000 public comments on a Biden-era proposal to keep grizzlies listed , the USFWS requested more time, citing the complexity, administration change, and other factors. A federal judge in Idaho approved the delay, deeming it reasonable and in the public interest.

Hunting advocates and state officials in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho now view the extension as a potential step toward eventual delisting, which could enable state-managed hunting seasons, something that was attempted in 2018 before being overturned in court. Populations in key areas like the GYE exceed recovery goals, with over 2,000 grizzlies estimated regionally, and officials like Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman argue federal oversight has overstayed its welcome since goals were met decades ago. Conservation groups such as WildEarth Guardians naturally oppose this, pointing to high mortality rates while insisting grizzlies need continued federal protection for connectivity and recovery across fragmented habitats. FWS Director Brian Nesvik has indicated intent to resolve grizzly policy, though a decision could come sooner than the new deadline.

🧑‍⚖️ Sweetwater Case Drives Legislation to Clarify Tennessee Hunting Rules. An interesting duck hunting violation in Tennessee has ignited a push to clarify state hunting laws after six duck hunters were cited and convicted for discharging firearms inside Sweetwater city limits while hunting on private property. Last fall, the accused hunters purchased a 17-acre tract specifically for duck hunting and took extensive safety measures, such as using rangefinders, drones, and verifying safe shooting directions and distances. Despite this, Sweetwater municipal authorities deemed the activity "reckless" due to the property's urban surroundings. They were found guilty in municipal court, with the conviction upheld in circuit court, where the judge ruled no state law explicitly authorizes firearm discharge in city limits and dismissed reliance on a 2013 Tennessee Attorney General opinion. The case is now appealed to the East Tennessee Court of Appeals, with defense attorney Matthew Rogers arguing that upholding the ruling could allow local governments to create a patchwork of restrictions that undermine the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's statewide authority over wildlife management.

In response, Senators Adam Lowe (R-Bradley County) and Representative Mark Cochran (R-McMinn County) introduced Senate Bill 2028/House Bill 2017, which would prohibit cities, counties, or municipalities from regulating the "manner and means of taking wildlife," including firearm discharge during lawful hunting. The legislation aims to reaffirm that wildlife regulation stays with the state Fish and Wildlife Commission based on biological expertise, not local politics, while preserving existing safety standards. Supporters, including the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, emphasize the need for uniform rules to avoid uncertainty for hunters and landowners ahead of future seasons. The bill is in early stages and isn’t expected to impact the ongoing Sweetwater appeal, but it does do a great job shedding some light on broader concerns that similar local ordinances could limit legal hunting opportunities across Tennessee, even in areas where state rules permit it.

🎣 You’re going to need a bigger hole! Watch as this fella somehow, some way gets this massive musky up through the ice while fishing in southwestern NY.

Hell of a catch…

🫎 The Warthog and the Wapiti: When I was young I assumed that when I was a Dad I’d be an assistant wrestling coach with my kids, but this wasn’t my fate. God blessed me with two beautiful daughters who happened to be extremely gifted in performing arts. So now I’m into whatever they’re into. That’s what dads do. So there I was, backstage performing stage manager duties during a rehearsal for our local theater production of Cinderella. I won’t say it’s miserable trying to keep track of 50 theater kids, but let’s just say it’s not my natural environment. I feel my phone buzz and see I’m getting a call from Evan Hafer. 

It’s been almost two years since I met Evan, but I can remember it like it was yesterday. I had recently retired from the Air Force where I flew the A-10 Warthog. He invited me to be a guest on his podcast to talk about my flying career. We hit it off immediately, and ever since then, the best coffee in the world just magically shows up at my house every month. I had learned that when Evan calls good things happen.  

After some small talk about family, Evan asked if I wanted to go on an elk hunt at Deseret Ranch in Utah. I couldn’t believe my luck. A hunt of a lifetime!   Read the full story.

🔥 Watchers of the Campfire: For five years the big panther who ruled the high ragged plateau around the head waters of the Upsalquitch had been well content with his hunting ground. This winter, however, it had failed him. His tawny sides were lank with hunger. Rabbits, and none too many of them, were but thin and spiritless meat for such fiery blood as his. His mighty and restless muscles consumed too swiftly the unsatisfying food and he was compelled to hunt continually, foregoing the long, recuperative sleeps which the tense springs of his organization required. Every fiber in his body was hungering for a full meal of red-blooded meat, the sustaining flesh of deer or caribou. The deer, of course, he did not expect on these high plains of the plateau. They loved the well-wooded ridges of the sheltered, low-lying lands.

But the caribou — for five years their wandering herds had thronged these plains, where the mosses they loved grew luxuriantly. And now, without warning or excuse, they had vanished. Read the full story.

🐕‍🦺 Curly: The dog I own is a certified, bird-obsessed, bad-to-the-bone English springer spaniel. Both parents are field-trial champions. She is gaunt and intense, and an absolute killer when it comes to pheasants. Drive is not an issue. Last year, on opening day, she jumped out of the truck and flushed three roosters, one after the other, before we even got the guns loaded.

The farmer, a friend of mine, saw it all. He’s an old guy who’s heard all about my springer and her champion bloodlines. After the yelling stopped, he spoke up.

“That sure is a smart dog you got there. How much you pay for that smart dog?”

Plenty. Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…