Budding Influencers Livestream Their Way to Multiple Violations 🤦

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:

C’MON, BOYS
BUDDING INFLUENCERS LIVESTREAM THEIR WAY TO MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS IN WASHINGTON STATE

It was a crisp October morning last Friday when two eager anglers took to Washington’s Quillayute River, drift boat in tow, chasing the thrill of coho salmon season. Armed with rods, reels, and a burning desire for internet clout, they decided to livestream their adventure, undoubtedly envisioning viral fame or a few extra subscribers for their burgeoning YouTube channel. What they got instead was a front-row seat to their own undoing, courtesy of a sharp-eyed tipster and a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officer with a knack for timing.

The Quillayute, a hotspot for anadromous fish like salmon and steelhead, is governed by strict regulations to protect dwindling runs teetering on the edge of extinction. But our duo seemed to either have missed the memo or figured the rules didn’t apply to their quest for likes…

🤬 Idaho Fish and Game Probes Rash of Poaching Incidents. In a troubling string of wildlife violations across Idaho’s Clearwater and Southwest regions, Idaho Fish and Game is investigating four separate poaching incidents reported between October 10 and October 20th. These cases involve the illegal killing and wasting of big game animals, including elk, a moose, and a whitetail deer, highlighting a disregard for state conservation laws. Each incident has prompted IDFG to seek public assistance through the Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) hotline and regional tip lines, offering anonymity and potential rewards for information leading to citations or arrests.

Near Bovill, two elk were harvested in Bob’s Creek between October 13 and 15 but not fully salvaged, with tenderloins left behind in violation of Idaho Code 36-1202, which mandates retrieving all edible portions (hind quarters, front quarters, loins, and tenderloins). In a separate case near Moscow, a bull elk was shot and left entirely unrecovered near Lenville Road, believed to be on October 10 or 11, with evidence pointing to a single bullet wound. In Adams County’s Unit 32A, a cow moose was illegally killed around October 10-12 near No Business Mountain, despite no open moose season in the region, possibly mistaken for an elk during concurrent antlerless elk hunts. Lastly, a whitetail buck was shot and abandoned along Mount Idaho Grade near Grangeville between October 19 and 20, with only its head taken, indicating a trophy poaching from the roadside. IDFG has stated that such acts are misdemeanors or potential felonies, stressing the importance of proper target identification and self-reporting to mitigate penalties, while also urging the public to help identify the culprits to protect Idaho’s wildlife resources.

💸 Michigan Senate Greenlights Hunting and Fishing Fee Hikes. The Michigan Senate passed legislation (SB 276 and 277) on Tuesday, with a 23-13 vote to increase hunting and fishing license fees, aiming to boost funding for the state’s Department of Natural Resources. The bills, which still need House approval and the governor’s signature, would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to raise fees for various permits, introduce charges for state-owned shooting range use, allow bobcat kill tags, and set new resident and nonresident license rates. The changes would generate an estimated $29.4 million in additional revenue for the DNR’s Game and Fish Protection Fund, a 43% increase from last year’s $67.9 million, marking the first fee hike in over a decade.

New license options include “complete licenses” bundling multiple permits, costing residents $150 and nonresidents $450, while a hunting-fishing combo license would run $100 for residents and $355 for nonresidents. Discounts for youths and seniors remain intact.

🤔 Hunter found shot in deer stand — but it wasn’t hunting related. In a bizarre incident near Broadway Lake in Anderson, South Carolina, a 30-year-old hunter was seriously injured after being shot in his deer stand last Friday. Initially investigated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources due to the hunting context, the shooting was quickly ruled non-hunting-related and not self-inflicted, with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office taking over. Evidence and confessions revealed a surprising twist: a family member had negligently discharged a firearm from an adjacent property without a proper backstop, causing a stray bullet to strike the hunter.

Despite the severity of the incident, the victim chose not to press charges against the family member after days of discussion, according to the sheriff’s office.

🏔️ Are Alaska kids built different? I mean, when it comes to taking a cast while a big ol’ bear takes a swim in front of you, I’d say so.

And you thought you had it good down here in the Lower 48…

🌯 Don’t Burn Your Burrito : The dense, freezing fog enveloped our surroundings, flocking the pine needles, shrubs and grass with a layer of heavy frost. A light breeze hastened the icy buildup. Every breath on the steep hike up the ridgeline was a white cloud of steam twisting and swirling into the near whiteout conditions. Sweaty backs chilled in the foggy breeze, and our feet ached from constant submersion in eight inches of powder snow. It was the late archery deer season in Washington State for me and my son-in-law, Chris. We had climbed nearly 1,500 feet of elevation, and now with the dreaded fog, we were ready to take a break, hoping it might soon lift. It was time to build a fire.

“Damn, it’s cold.”

“No shit, this is brutal.”

Late archery deer season has been one of my favorite hunts for over three decades. Deer hunting can be fantastic, especially with wintery conditions moving deer from summer range in the high country to their winter haunts on the lower treeline above the valley bottoms. Read the full story.

🤴 The Prince of the Pacific Northwest: I stood on a high ridge overlooking Oregon’s Umpqua River, which cut a winding route through the choppy hills of the western half of the state. It had been two days since I’d missed a shot at a Columbian whitetail, the big country and diminutive deer causing me to overestimate the range and send the Nosler ballistic tip high over the buck’s back. Now I was punishing myself, or being punished by my outfitter Jody Smith, by still-hunting from the river valley through the oak motts lining the surrounding finger ridges. While that may not sound like punishment to some, my Nebraska-bred lungs and flatlander legs weren’t prepared for these impossibly steep hillsides the Columbian whitetails call home.

Sweat dripping into my eyes, I stopped to shed my flannel shirt and catch my breath just a hundred or so yards from the top. Read the full story.

🏕️ Why Deer Camp Matters: Lessons, Laughter, and Legacy : Deer camp is a special place. The traditions, fellowship, and enjoyment that is upheld at deer camp is unmatched in the world of hunting. In my own life, I’ve experienced an evolving attitude towards deer camp. When I was a kid hunting with my dad, I couldn’t wait to get the camper trailer to the hunting property. Sitting around the fire with my dad, uncles, and cousins was what I looked forward to the most. But as I got a little older my attitude changed. 

I still enjoyed the comradery and meals that deer camp provided, but my seriousness for deer hunting was increasing. I started to care about finding and killing the best deer more than the deer camp experience. I went on like that for the early part of my young adult life. In the last few years I’ve started to come full circle on the hunting camp experience, and I’ve been fortunate enough to share hunting camps with the people that I love in the places that I love.  Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…