Felon Who Gunned Down Elk Herd Avoids Prison via Mental Health Loophole 🤦

In the event that the weekend wasn’t quite long enough for you, here’s to hoping that your favorite dispatch from the outdoor world can give you 5-or-so minutes to prep yourself for yet another week.

So, without further ado, let’s grab that coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past few days. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

THIS ISN’T COMPASSION
FELON WHO GUNNED DOWN ELK HERD AVOIDS PRISON VIA MENTAL HEALTH LOOPHOLE

A 45-year-old Grays Harbor County man who admitted to gunning down at least five elk and leaving the carcasses to rot on private timberland will avoid prison under a controversial mental health sentencing alternative, prompting sharp criticism from wildlife officials and hunters.

Richard Loren Pratt pleaded guilty earlier this month to first-degree unlawful big game hunting, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and wasting wildlife. On Friday of last week, Superior Court Judge John C. Skinder sentenced Pratt to three years of community custody, a $10,000 fine, and a 10-year suspension of hunting privileges in Washington – but no jail time.

Despite prosecutors recommending prison time as part of the plea agreement, the judge instead invoked Washington’s seemingly newest progressive cheat code: the Mental Health Sentencing Alternative. The MHSA is a 2021 reform that allows for treatment-focused supervision in lieu of incarceration when a defendant’s serious mental illness is deemed a contributing factor. On the surface this seems reasonable, but in this case, no serious mental illness was disclosed and the only thing this guy seemed to have trouble with was following any semblance of the law…

Hunter dead in Fond du Lac County, likely 'unintended discharge' from gun: The preliminary investigation shows the person, identified as a 24-year-old man from Lomira, had a gunshot wound from what is believed to be an "unintended discharge." Read the full story.

Maryland Canada Goose Hunting Seasons Resume For 2025-26: Maryland’s Atlantic Population (Migratory) Canada goose hunting season opens Friday, Dec. 19. The season contains two segments, Dec. 19 through Jan. 3, 2026, and again from Jan. 14 through Jan. 31, 2026. Late southern and late western resident goose hunting split seasons run from late November into March 2026. Read the full story.

Duck hunters rescued after boat capsizes on Lake Alvin: The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 9:57 a.m. reporting a capsized boat with two duck hunters in the water on the north side of Lake Alvin. Ashten Buseman, 23, of Alexandria, Minnesota, and Ty Weller, 22, of Alexandria, Minnesota, were duck hunting when their boat capsized.  Read the full story.

Georgia deer hunters aim to donate 140,000 pounds of venison to families in need: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is encouraging deer hunters to donate their meat to those who may need it. Read the full story.

Deer hunter, deputies, drones help capture burglary suspect: A suspect that Crockett Co. Sheriff’s Office say fled a burglary scene was captured Saturday though efforts by a deer hunter, deputies, investigators, and the use of drone technology.  Read the full story.

2 more Wyoming deer hunt areas confirmed as CWD-positive: The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) yesterday announced first-time chronic wasting disease (CWD) detections in two more deer hunt areas: 106 and 150.  Read the full story.

🍗 The chase is on. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, this bobcat decided to take it upon himself to grab that one last free-range turkey in his neck of the woods.

And the turkey almost made it…

Having a good, hard look at the new week.

📸 : @ronthegsp

Oh, and one more thing…