3 Bull Elk, a Bull Moose and 34 Deer Discovered in ND Poacher's Home 👮‍♂️

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:

UNFORTUNATELY THEY WEREN’T CAUGHT IN THE ACT
POACHING CASE TARGETS NORTH DAKOTA FATHER-SON DUO AFTER 3 BULL ELK, A BULL MOOSE AND 34 DEER DISCOVERED

A grisly discovery that included the remains of at least 34 deer, evidence consistent with three bull elk, and one moose with antlers during a search of a North Dakota residence, has lead to misdemeanor poaching-related charges against a father-son duo.

Tadan Defoe, 19, of Watford City, is currently being held at the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center in Dickinson on Class A misdemeanor charges under North Dakota Century Code 20.1-05 for unlawful taking or possession of big game animals. His father, Tyler Defoe, 34, is reportedly facing nearly the exact same charges.

The discoveries came on December 6th of 2024, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence for unrelated reasons. Reports indicate that both Tadan Defoe and his father are no strangers to the law, with prior involvement in a variety of other criminal matters that lead to a search warrant being executed on that fateful day…

☀️ Record Heat and Lack of Snow Lead to Fewer Mountain Lion Kills in Wyoming. Wyoming mountain lions largely evaded hunters during the final week of the state's seven-month hunting season, resulting in one of the lowest harvests in nearly a decade. As of Monday, only 268 licensed hunters had killed fewer than the typical 300-plus cougars from the state's heavily hunted population. The poor success was mainly attributed to difficult conditions caused by sparse snow and record heat, which made it harder for houndsmen and opportunistic hunters to track and pursue the big cats.

The unusual weather affected both hunter effectiveness and lion behavior. With limited snow cover, traditional tracking became challenging, while the heat appeared to alter how mountain lions moved and sought refuge. On the bright side, the slower hunting season should give the mountain lion population a chance to rebuild a healthier age structure. However, the full long-term effects remain unclear. Wyoming sets its mountain lion hunting regulations on a three-year cycle, so it will be interesting to see how wildlife managers incorporate this season’s data—especially since it marks the first year of the new regulatory period.

❌ New Jersey Town Moves to Prohibit Lethal Hunting of All Native Wildlife. Montclair, New Jersey's town council gave initial 4-0 approval earlier this month to an ordinance that would ban the hunting of all "native wildlife" within the township. The measure, which started as a deer-specific ban but was amended for broader protection, prohibits the township from participating in any county or state lethal wildlife management programs. Under the proposed law, lethal action against native wildlife would be allowed only by licensed veterinarians, certified wildlife rehabilitators, animal control officers, or law enforcement for humane euthanasia purposes.

The move comes ahead of a planned drone survey of the local deer population, funded by a $6,000 state grant accepted in late 2025. Council members and residents expressed concern that such surveys in other New Jersey towns (like Princeton, Livingston, and Millburn) have often preceded culling programs used to chop over-bearing deer populations in concentrated areas. Despite rising risks from deer-vehicle collisions, Lyme disease and over-browsing, locals are praising non-lethal alternatives like smart planting and who knows, maybe even some good old fashioned deer vasectomies (this has been done). For now, the ordinance requires a public hearing and a second vote to become final.

🐻 North Carolina Black Bear Research Could Lead to Human Medicine Breakthroughs. The Tarheel State is home to one of the largest populations of black bears in the United States, and research into their unique hibernation abilities could lead to major breakthroughs in human medicine. Dr. Joseph Folta, a biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, highlighted how black bears enter a state of suspended animation during hibernation and recycle their own urea (a toxic waste product) into usable protein to maintain muscle mass. These adaptations, he explained, hold promise for transforming emergency medical care and treating chronic conditions.

Folta suggested that understanding suspended animation could allow doctors to temporarily halt a patient’s biological processes after severe trauma, such as a car crash, giving more time to reach a hospital or secure transplant organs. He also noted that mimicking the bears’ urea-to-protein recycling process might one day eliminate the need for kidney dialysis. Speaking at a recent event in Durham, Folta reminded his audience that protecting North Carolina’s black bear population is not only important for conservation but could also yield life-saving advancements for humans.

🦭 The sea dragon emerges from the depths. Watch as this leopard seal surfaces to dazzle a couple of kayakers with his pearly whites.

Seals are cute, right???

🍻 Spring Broke: I’d witnessed Spring Break once before, in Fort Lauderdale circa 1984. I spent most of it bobbing on a beat-up, twin-fin Fox surfboard, trying to catch 6-inch waves while thousands of spring breakers swarmed the beach around me. Beautiful girls everywhere, beer-can pyramids stacked floor to ceiling in motel windows. I didn’t fully understand what Spring Break was supposed to be—but from a surfboard, it looked pretty damn good.

Fast forward a decade and I had a much clearer picture—and no desire to be around that many people. So, I did what I normally do. Fish.

Not having money was my greatest barrier to going places. Still is, I suppose. Being a teenager with no job and no real source of income complicated things. Luckily, I had some birthday money and a dream: camping in the Keys. Read the full story.

🦃 The Turkey Drought Breaks: It had been a long time since I’d killed a turkey. A long time. Too long. It wasn’t for lack of trying—I’d chased toms for years across Maryland, in the driving rain and the blistering sun, deep in the tick-infested woods and baking out in parched wheat fields from Charles County to the Eastern Shore. I had lured turkeys in close and seen them dance at a distance, but year after year, they lingered just out of range. Until now.

I hit the road early, aiming for a 4 a.m. arrival at the farm where I had hunted the year before. The memory of that particular chase still haunted me—everything from the bone-chilling, eight-hour, torrential downpour we sat through to the image of a bright red head peeking over the undergrowth at 65 yards. That recollection has cost me sleep ever since, wrestling bed sheets and leaping over my long-suffering wife night after night as I frantically reach for an imaginary shotgun with one hand and a phantom coffee thermos with the other. Read the full story.

🔫 Finding Freedom in the Antique Double Gun: The guns themselves are beautiful mysteries: hand-me-downs and internet finds whose stories are lost to time. I own them not as a financial asset, but as tangible history, waiting for me to add my chapter onto their enduring timeline.

This pursuit is less about owning and more about caring. In a world that constantly demands we buy and hoard, I embrace the wisdom of stewardship, a spiritual principle of looking after things, not possessing them absolutely. Carrying a fine handcrafted double gun into the field is an act of profound respect for tradition and craftsmanship. Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…