Bloody Box of Deer Parts Leads to a Lifetime Ban for Idaho Poacher 🔪

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:

DOES A SUSPENSION MATTER TO THIS GUY THOUGH?
DISCARDED BOX OF DEER PARTS LEADS TO $10K IN FINES & LIFETIME BAN FOR IDAHO POACHER

They say that even the invisible leave footprints but in the case of one hapless Idaho poacher, he was kind enough to leave a bloody trail, complete with his home address. In this twisted tale of wildlife theft, a man by the name of Carl Van Loon was slapped with a plethora of felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an investigation that began with a bloody box of deer parts and ended up on his front doorstep.

The incident first came to light when a local rancher discovered a blood-covered cardboard box containing freshly processed deer parts that included a skinned hide, legs, and hooves that had been dumped along a remote backcountry road. Knowing full well that deer season had not yet opened, the rancher decided it was a good idea to alert the good folks over at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Thankfully for the investigating officer, the box also contained a pretty damning piece of evidence: a shipping label on the box that traced directly to Van Loon’s property address…

🍺 KDWP Boss's 'Intoxicated Hunters with Guns' Remark Sparks Fierce Backlash from Kansas Outdoorsmen. Kansas hunters have voiced strong frustration with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Secretary Chris Kennedy over remarks he made during a January 15th budget hearing before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee in Topeka. While advocating for additional funding to hire eight new law enforcement positions (part of a proposed $1 million allocation for fiscal year 2027 to consolidate and strengthen KDWP's game wardens, public lands, and parks enforcement divisions), Kennedy stated: "My game wardens are charged with enforcing game laws with individuals that carry guns 24/7 — and many who are intoxicated opening morning of deer season." He highlighted the dangers wardens face in approaching armed, potentially impaired people, noting KDWP's limited 61 field game wardens statewide, staffing shortages, hiring challenges, and the need for better pay, equipment, and safety measures.

The comments, captured in a 37-second Facebook reel that gained over 48,000 views and hundreds of shares (including in large hunter groups), triggered heated social media backlash. Many hunters criticized Kennedy as out of touch, calling him names like "moron" or "DEI hire," accusing him of bias against hunters, stereotyping the community as irresponsible, and disrespecting law-abiding participants in Kansas's strong hunting tradition. Some defended the core point about occasional bad actors but said he worded it poorly. Yesterday, Kennedy responded by standing by his statement on the "difficult and dangerous work" wardens do—especially with "bad actors" who violate laws—while clarifying it was not meant to disrespect hunters. As a hunter himself with decades in wildlife management, he expressed deep respect for the community of rule-following, safety-conscious people, emphasizing that his concern was warden safety amid the minority who behave badly, not a broad attack on hunters.

🧑‍⚖️ Freeburg Mayor Seth Speiser Pleads Guilty to Deer Baiting, Wraps Up Portion of 3-Year Hunting Case. It’s looking like we’ve finally got some movement on the long-running 2022 Illinois deer hunting violations case we covered back in November that’s been in a three-year standoff. After the case, involving Freeburg Mayor Seth Speiser and former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Danny Cox, suffered repeated court continuances and no trials or broad plea deals, the Speiser side looks to have been buttoned up in St. Clair County Circuit Court last week.

Freeburg Mayor Seth Speiser (61) pleaded guilty to a single Class B misdemeanor count of placement of bait (corn) for deer. He was fined $400 and placed on 12 months of court supervision; the judge dismissed his other three charges (two counts of unlawful taking of a white-tailed deer with the aid of bait, and one count of firearm deer hunting with the aid of bait). If he completes supervision without further violations, the conviction will ultimately be dismissed, though the fine and hunting privilege points remain. His son, Mitchell Speiser (28), pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful taking of a white-tailed deer (fined $400, 12 months supervision; other charge dismissed). Guest Brian Forrester (38) pleaded guilty to firearm deer hunting with the aid of bait (fined $300, 12 months supervision; other charge dismissed). Speiser declined further comment to avoid impacting his neighbor and friend Danny Cox's ongoing case.

World Series pitcher Danny Cox (66) is still up against four Class B misdemeanor counts related to alleged baiting, permit misuse (e.g., using his non-hunting wife's firearm permit and his son's archery tag), and related violations; his next hearing is scheduled for February 17, 2026.

🪜 Oregon Bill Aims to Legalize Corner Crossing for Access to Isolated Public Lands. Oregon lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 1545 to provide legal clarity and protection for "corner crossing," a method that allows hunters, anglers, and other recreationists to access isolated public lands by stepping directly from one public parcel to another at their adjoining corners—without touching private land—even when those public parcels are surrounded by private property. Sponsored by bipartisan Senators Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) and Anthony Broadman (D-Bend) ahead of Oregon's 2026 short legislative session, the bill specifies that such crossings do not constitute trespassing as long as individuals stay entirely on public land, cause no damage or physical harm to private property, and do not interfere with the landowner's use or quiet enjoyment. It also shields private landowners from liability for injuries or accidents that might occur during these crossings.

Supporters, including the Oregon Hunters Association, argue the measure is a common-sense fix to expand access to over 32 million acres of federally managed public lands in Oregon (about 53% of the state), many of which are checkerboarded due to 19th-century land grants and remain hard to reach otherwise. Sen. McLane emphasized that "legal clarity improves access to public lands and protects landowners," while Sen. Broadman noted the need for straightforward rules amid rising disputes, adding personally that passage would let him "gleefully access more federal lands in the chase of the elusive red-legged devil known as the chukar." The bill draws from a 2025 U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding corner crossing's legality in several Western states.

🎯 In a world of doomscrolling, this is what we all need. Watch as this young fella takes aim at his target buck on the family TV. It’s wholesome, if nothing else.

Hell of a release, lad…

🦬 Big Balls & Adobe Walls: By the time history noticed Billy Dixon, he had already lived the kind of life that rarely survives ink. Hard country had shaped him first. Hunger, wind, and long days on the Plains taught lessons no classroom ever could. Men like Dixon didn’t chase accolades. They chased hides, daylight, and the narrow margin between getting home and getting dead.

Dixon came west young and stayed because there was work to be done. Buffalo hides paid. The work was brutal, repetitive, and unforgiving. You learned fast or you died. Rifles mattered, but patience mattered more. The Plains rewarded stillness and punished haste. Dixon learned that truth early and carried it for the rest of his life.  Read the full story.

🦆 Decoys and the Characters Who Use Them: It may seem unfair of me to carve up our nation’s close-knit population of waterfowl hunters into specific categories. But I find the exercise to be quite entertaining, so that is what I am about to do. Lumping people into types helps me understand more about a person’s various skills and interests, and if I have learned one thing in four decades of hunting, it is that we should never stop growing our knowledge base and never stop trying new things.

In the meantime, humor me as I categorize hunters by their decoy-related idiosyncrasies. Don’t be surprised if you recognize yourself or some of your hunting buddies in one or more of these—I see at least a little bit of myself in there too. Read the full story.

🏝️ An Adak Island Bird Hunting Adventure: The cold air froze my lungs with every deep gasp for oxygen. My gloves were soaked through, making my fingers too numb to feel the cold as one hand was buried deep in the snow to keep my body upright. I was on my knees, dry heaving on the side of a mountain. I had just summitted, racing upwards through knee-deep snow to close the distance on a brace of ptarmigan sitting on the peak.

Between the sound of my heavy breathing, I heard footsteps breaking the crust of the snow and looked up to see my friend, Natalie, pushing her way through the deep drifts to my location.

“Dude, are you puking?” she yelled over the howling wind. Her voice admitted half concern, half amusement.  Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…