As we continue to slowly but surely 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:
A win for conservation - Canada and Alaska’s wood bison partnership 🦬
I don’t get it - A 50-year-old man gets jail time for traipsing all over Yellowstone’s fragile hot springs 🤦
The kids are alright - Missouri youth hunters bag over 5,000 birds last weekend 🦃
Modest price hike - Iowa increases hunting and fishing licenses by $1 💵
Always keep an eye on the buff - Watch as these tourists get a little close to the action 🐃
A GREAT CONSERVATION STORY
CANADA TRANSFERS 44 WOOD BISON TO ALASKA IN ONGOING CROSS-BORDER REINTRODUCTION EFFORT
In a carefully orchestrated operation at Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada, 44 young wood bison were wrangled onto transport trailers this week where they were set to begin a 40-hour journey to their new home in Alaska’s Minto Flats State Game Refuge. The move marks the fourth transfer of wood bison from Elk Island to Alaska and is part of a decades-long international partnership to restore the species to part of its historic North American range.
Handling the young bison like cattle, the animals were separated, sorted, and carefully handled at the park before getting a mild tranquilizer shot to calm their nerves ahead of the long road trip. Parks Canada and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have coordinated the logistics for months, with the goal of bolstering both Alaska’s emerging wild herds and the global security of wood bison…
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS
A sampling of some of the footprints at Canary Spring | U.S. Attorney's Office Exhibit Photo
🤦 Texas Man Gets Five Days in the Clink for Walking All Over Yellowstone’s Fragile Hot Springs. In yet another story that, if nothing else, reminds us as to why we can’t have nice things, a 50-year-old (really, dude?) man from Texas was sentenced to five days in jail after pleading guilty to walking off the designated boardwalks and trespassing on fragile thermal features in Yellowstone National Park’s Mammoth Hot Springs area.
According to reports, Eric Bedient (along with another person) left a clear trail of multidirectional footprints across several delicate hydrothermal terraces, including Canary Spring, Mound Terrace, Palette Hot Spring, and Jupiter Terrace last November. He followed a game trail to access the off-limits areas, sinking footprints up to 12 centimeters into the soft, unstable carbonate structures. Park geologists documented “significant” damage that could remain visible for months or even decades until the features naturally rebuild through hydrothermal activity.
While most thermal trespass cases result only in fines, this one stood out due to the scale of the damage and the man’s apparent failure to, you know, follow basic park rules. Thankfully U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick wasn’t playing and imposed the jail time in court late last month. Let’s pray that the latest sentence sends a message to any others who might consider becoming ‘thermal soup’ for that perfect picture for the ‘gram — or whatever social media platform 50-year-old men are using these days.
🦃 Young Missouri Hunters Bag More Than 5,000 Birds During Special Youth Weekend. Young hunters in Missouri had a strong showing during the state's annual spring youth turkey hunting weekend, harvesting a total of 5,255 turkeys over last weekend.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, this year's harvest represents a noticeable increase from last year's youth weekend, when 4,449 birds were checked. This past weekend marked the 25th anniversary of Missouri's special youth turkey hunting season where participation has grown significantly over the years — from just over 4,000 youth permits sold in 2001 to nearly 16,700 this spring. The state’s regular spring turkey season is slated to open on April 20th and runs through May 10th.
💵 Iowa Approves Modest Increase in Hunting and Fishing License Fees. Just last week, the Iowa Natural Resource Commission gave final approval to modest increases in hunting and fishing license fees across the state. The hikes are nominal, adding just $1 to both the price of an annual resident fishing license and an annual resident hunting license, marking the first increase since 2019.
Revenue from the licenses goes into the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, which funds habitat management, research, protection, and enhancement of Iowa’s natural resources. Public input showed 71% support and 29% opposition among the 126 comments received.
THOUGHTS FROM THE STAND // FROM OUR NOTEPAD
I went to see my barber this week. We usually chat sports and despite it being Masters Week and the finale of the NCAA men’s tournament, he was focused on a completely different topic: that dame Ella Langley.
I have four kids and my youngest turned 10 over the weekend. Praying the next decade slows to a crawl because the last one went in the blink of an eye.
You have like 10 key decisions in your life that determine your entire trajectory. Everything else is bullshit.
Stamina > Brilliance
The bread still gets multiplied even when the one being broken can’t see how. 🙏
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🐃 Watch out for the buff! These cape buffaloes can appear out of no where and, as these tourists will tell you; They. Are. Moving.
Man, I want to go to Africa…
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
I live in Florida so seeing some dude on the beach combing for lost treasure with a metal detector is an everyday occurrence. When I first moved here, I wondered how this way of life came to be and whether a regular Joe like me could get in on the action. And as if metal detecting beach dudes aren’t fascinating enough, how about this fella that created a little mini submarine for his parrot (and it actually works). The story about a French couple that, back in the 1920s, flew to Cambodia with plans to raid ancient temples of their antiquities in order to fund their lavish lifestyle. If you know me, you know I am vehemently against wearable tech. You won’t ever see an Apple watch on my wrist or any other form of slave device on my body. That said, this new wearable that is said to be the “Fitbit of farts”, if nothing else, has captured my attention.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Oh, and one more thing…
