First Wolf Lethal Action in Utah Since 2010 Confirmed After Photo Surfaces 🐺

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:

THEY OWNED IT
FIRST WOLF LETHAL ACTION IN UTAH SINCE 2010 CONFIRMED AFTER PHOTO SURFACES

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and one that has been leaked from a quiet corner of northeastern Utah is certainly doing that sentiment justice. In what depicted three dead gray wolves, the photo sparked both immediate backlash and eventual ownership by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Owning up to (and justifying) their actions, state officials confirmed the January 9th lethal removal of the wolves earlier this week, adding a bit more fuel to the raging fire that meets somewhere along the confluence of predator management and recovery in the American West.

The Utah DWR verified the event on Monday, following public inquiries sparked by the image. According to DWR spokesperson Faith Jolley, the wolves—described as traveling together and potentially establishing territory just before breeding season—were shot by personnel from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. The action occurred in a small "delisted" zone in northern Cache County, north of Interstate 80 and east of Interstate 84. And for those asking, this so happens to be the only portion of Utah where gray wolves are not federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, granting the state authority to manage them proactively…

💎 Blinged-out, Taxidermy Bear Lifted from Front Porch of Michigan Home. According to reports, some brazen thieves in southwestern Michigan made off with a striking 6-foot-tall taxidermy black bear right off the front porch of a home earlier this month. The bear in question wasn't your average stuffed trophy—it was decked out in full "bling": wearing a ring, a necklace, a fake sheriff's badge, and a holster complete with a toy gun. Security camera footage captured the theft, showing a suspect (described as thin to medium build, wearing glasses and black attire) dragging the snow-covered bear away. Michigan State Police (MSP) Wayland post is investigating and asking for public tips at 269-792-2213, with the unusual case quickly spreading through local news and social media.

The story gained national attention this week when police released video and photos of the accessorized bear and the suspect in action. No motive, value estimate, or leads have been publicly shared yet, but the sheer absurdity—a life-sized, dressed-up taxidermy bear vanishing from a porch—has turned it into a viral oddity, with calls for anyone spotting the flashy fugitive bear to come forward.

🦮 Long Island Hunter Ticketed for Bait Pile and Illegal Shot After Dog's Icy Discovery. A Suffolk County deer hunter was issued four tickets after New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Conservation Officers and their K9 partner, Finn, uncovered evidence of illegal hunting practices. The incident occurred on the opening day of Suffolk County’s special firearms deer season—when officers responded to reports of a black pickup truck entering a vacant camp in a closed facility, followed by a gunshot. Initial findings included a gun case in the truck, blood spots on the ground and tailgate, and two hunters (one carrying a bow) who claimed they had permission to be there and had shot a deer earlier with a shotgun before switching to archery. Despite frigid temperatures, K9 Finn located a fresh gut pile, a recently fired spent shotgun shell, and a bait pile near the property entrance, providing key evidence against the shooter.

The hunter was charged with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, hunting with the aid of a pre-established bait pile, failure to tag the deer, and the unlawful take of white-tailed deer.

🙏 The Hunting World Bids Farewell to Legend Mr. Fox Haas. The hunting world is saying goodbye to a true legend: Carl "Fox" Haas, affectionately known as "Mr. Fox," passed away peacefully at age 95 last weekend at his home in southeast Mississippi, surrounded by his family. Born in 1930 in Mobile, Alabama, Haas was a lifelong obsessive hunter who biked 20-30 miles as a boy just to pursue game, harvested his first wild turkey in 1944 at age 14, and went on to bag one every year for an astonishing 75 years (with only two missed due to tuberculosis). Even in his later years, he continued hunting—famously taking a turkey at 94 from a custom golf cart blind built by his grandson.

Haas's legacy extends far beyond personal prowess; he was a pioneer in wild turkey conservation during the late 1970s, when the species teetered near extinction in parts of the Southeast. A member of the Choctaw Bluff Hunting Club and collaborator with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, he advocated for and helped reintroduce turkeys near his home, providing seed stock that helped rebuild populations across northern Mississippi. He passed his deep passion for the outdoors and conservation to his son Toxey Haas, who founded the iconic camouflage brand Mossy Oak—where "Mr. Fox" later worked full-time after retirement and inspired the limited-edition "Mr. Fox Vest" (which sold out and raised significant funds for turkey conservation via NWTF auctions). Tributes from Mossy Oak, Field & Stream, and the broader hunting community describe him as a Southern gentleman, woodsman extraordinaire, and pillar whose influence lives on through family, conservation efforts, and the enduring resurgence of turkey hunting. As one quote from Haas shared by Mossy Oak reflects: "I believe it’s important to take care of the things we love ... the good that men do will live long after they’re gone."

👨‍⚕️ This is insane footage from down in South Texas where a hunter came upon a young buck stuck in the fence. After hoisting him on his shoulders, he was finally able to release the deer. Once on the ground, the animal was unresponsive, leaving the hunter only one option: to perform CPR.

And it worked…

🫎 The Moose Mecca: Oh, how the years have slipped away. More than forty years have passed since that frosty morning in late September found us transferring our hunting gear and supplies from the back of Dad’s pickup to a small bush plane on a gravel landing strip in a remote area of northern British Columbia. This would be my dad’s first real wilderness hunt.

It had been a hard sell, convincing my dad to accompany me on a wilderness hunt, especially when planes were involved. He hated flying, even in big commercial jets, so when he looked at the little single-engine plane perched on its big “tundra tires,” I could see he was more than a little distressed. Thinking it was probably best not to give him too much more time to dwell on the situation, we quickly loaded our gear and stuffed him in the plane.  Read the full story.

⛵️ To the Captain From This Kid: I hesitate to write this for many reasons. I mean, take your pick; being teased when I was wet behind the ears and full of dreams for liking his music when seemingly his audience was drinking bottles of their favorite octogenarian nutrition shakes, or maybe I am reserved about writing my thoughts down because I won’t do his life, memory, or legacy any justice (which is why I won’t try to). I’m also late to the party and we, as humans, tend to forget quickly. For me, it seems fresh even though it’s been a few months now. Maybe, most of all, I am afraid that my words will pale in comparison to his and be left unread. I am not everyone’s cup o’ tea but neither was James William Buffett.

I reckon that is part of why I like him so much… he simply didn’t care about that fact. He knew his audience well and especially his die-hard fans. He unabashedly wrote songs with a head nod to many cultures and musical styles all the while penning books that only Jimmy could manufacture with his many influences including Mark Twain, or as he referred to him, “That Old Articulator”. Read the full story.

🌈 Chasing Rainbows on the Guadalupe River: Trout fishing in America usually means wading in a swift-running river somewhere in the Rockies on a sunny summer day.

But from November through March, trout fishing in America is all about Texas. This is the time of year when the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department releases more than 300,000 young rainbow trout into Texas rivers, lakes, and streams. It’s an exceptionally popular program among anglers during the otherwise dormant winter season, when Texas waters are uniquely positioned to host the prized freshwater game fish. 

TPWD releases more than 18,000 rainbow trout into the tailrace below Canyon Dam on the Lower Guadalupe River every year. The Guadalupe River chapter of Trout Unlimited augments that stocking on the Lower Guad with an additional 11,500 larger rainbows.   Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…