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:
Worldwide bans - Two Wasilla men are hammered in federal court for illegal outfitting operation 👨⚖️
Attack thwarted - Quick thinking father puts grizzly on the ground after it charged him and his son 🐻
See your a*s in court - Two conservation groups launch lawsuit against Montana FWP over corner crossing 🪜
$15K moose - Ontario men get big fines and suspensions for illegal killing of cow moose 🫎
FROM THE TOP ROPES - This bengal tiger comes out of nowhere 🐯
ANOTHER ILLEGAL OPERATION
FEDERAL JUDGE HAMMERS WASILLA MEN FOR ILLEGAL GUIDING OPERATION OUT OF KODIAK
A federal judge has come down on a pair of Wasilla men who had previously decided that the guiding game was just a bit too regulated for their blood. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Theodore Michael Turgeon, 29, and his business partner Charles Ernest Emmi, 29, figured they’d skip the suffocating stack of state licenses, charging clients real money for illegal hunts while literally flipping the state of Alaska the bird.
Court documents revealed that the pair of budding entrepreneurs kicked off their venture in March of 2021 under the name “The Rock Outfitters LLC,” without the required Alaska big game guide-outfitter license…
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS
🐻 Idaho Father Shoots Charging Grizzly Bear Dead Just 5 Yards Away to Protect Himself and Young Son. In a terrifying close encounter on Saturday evening, a father and his young son found themselves staring down a deadly threat while black bear hunting on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest outside Ashton, Idaho. A large male grizzly suddenly emerged from the treeline, crossed an open meadow, caught their scent, and charged straight at them with terrifying speed. As the massive bear closed the distance, the father shouted to alert it, but the animal showed no signs of stopping. In a split-second life-or-death decision, he drew his sidearm and fired, then swiftly switched to his hunting rifle, dropping the charging bruin just five yards from where they stood.
The father immediately contacted authorities, and Idaho Fish and Game investigators later confirmed he acted lawfully in defense of himself and his child. Officials stressed the importance of carrying bear spray, hunting with partners, and staying vigilant, noting that grizzly bears remain protected under both state and federal law. No charges were filed against the hunter.
🪜 Conservation Groups Sue Montana FWP in Battle to Unlock 871,000 Acres Through Corner Crossing. In a bold legal challenge that could reshape public land access across Montana, a pair of conservation organizations filed suit this week against Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and the Public Land Water Access Association are taking on the agency’s official stance that “corner crossing” is unlawful — a position they argue oversteps the agency’s authority and locks out hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts from vast stretches of public land.
The lawsuit, filed last week, in Lewis and Clark County District Court, seeks to clarify once and for all whether stepping diagonally across a shared corner from one public parcel to another, without touching private land, constitutes trespass. At stake are roughly 871,000 acres of corner-locked federal public lands in Montana. The groups contend that FWP’s interpretation of trespass statutes violates the public trust doctrine and undermines Americans’ constitutional right to access public lands. The suit comes just days after Montana’s Lieutenant Governor publicly reinforced the agency’s position that corner crossing remains illegal.
🫎 Three Ontario Hunters Fined $15K and Banned After Illegally Killing Cow Moose on Private Land. Three Ontario men have been fined a total of $15,000 and banned from hunting after illegally killing a cow moose on private property without permission. The case, which dates back to October 2023, came to light after conservation officers received a tip and launched an investigation.
Yong Li of Toronto received a $5,000 fine and a two-year ban on possessing an Ontario hunting license. Fei Teng of Richmond Hill was fined $7,000 and banned for one year, while their host Ronald Polmateer of Savard Township was fined $3,000 and had his moose hunting license suspended for one year. Although Li and Teng held moose tags, they only possessed a single calf tag, which did not authorize the harvest of the adult cow they shot in a hay field on private land.
THOUGHTS FROM THE STAND // FROM OUR NOTEPAD
If you grew up in the late 90s/early 2000s you had to become a cyber criminal. You had to pirate music and movies, enter obscure forums for health tips (or whatever), you had to do James Bond level sh*t to see boobs (or whatever), and all of this could be interrupted the moment your mom picked up the phone and knocked your web connection down.
A book a day keeps the demons away.
Rumination is a sure-fire path to unhappiness.
Seeds need soil not sky. Get dirty.
Sometimes you just need to delegate to the divine. 🙏
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🐯 FROM THE TOP ROPES! Watch as this group of tourists spots a herd of deer traversing a river when suddenly a big ol' Bengal comes out of nowhere to claim his dinner.
Hell of an ambush…
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
Remember Pride Rock from the Lion King? I always wondered if it was a real place or something dreamed up by Disney animators. Many (who have spent much more time contemplating this than I have) believe Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya was the spot that led to the inspiration behind what is now one of the world’s most recognized landmarks in animated film history. Living in Florida, I tend to spend a lot of time on or around the beach. I’ll have to try this simple trick to keep the seagulls at bay next time that old lady beside me starts throwing them snacks. An essay on the voices that help us fall in love with the game of baseball. And just how much was Pablo Escobar worth?
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Flat out like a lizard drinking.
📸 : @bigskywildlife
Oh, and one more thing…
