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:
She doesn’t play - Colorado warden brings down three active-duty Army members in poaching bust 👮♀️
For now… - PA says they won’t move forward with earlier rifle season…yet 🗓️
Kentucky bucks - Kentucky posts up some great deer numbers 🦌
Mo’ sheep - Cali proposes more sheep hunting spots and available tags 🐏
Can’t see me - Ain’t no way the naked eye spots this cat 🐈
THIS WARDEN DOESN’T PLAY
FORT CARSON SOLDIERS HIT WITH $28K+ IN FINES FOR POACHING SIX MULE DEER ON RESTRICTED LANDS
Fort Carson, Colorado, became the unlikely backdrop for a wildlife crime when three active-duty Army soldiers were convicted of multiple misdemeanor violations for poaching mule deer on tightly controlled military lands and neighboring state territory. The investigation, led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Deme Wright, uncovered a pattern of deliberate illegal hunting that resulted in the illegal killing of six mule deer, hefty fines totaling over $28,000, and potential lifetime hunting bans.
The case kicked off on a snowy November day back in 2024, when a lawful hunter reported a suspicious scene in a training area on Fort Carson, a sprawling Army installation south of Colorado Springs. Officer Wright, responding alongside Fort Carson's Conservation Law Enforcement Officers, arrived to find a mule deer buck with its antlers crudely sawed off and a hindquarter removed, while the rest of the carcass was abandoned.
"It didn’t look like a normal harvest," Wright recalled. "That’s when you slow everything down."
QUICK HITS // FROM AROUND THE WEB
Pennsylvania deer hunting opener stays Saturday after Thanksgiving — ‘for now’: Pennsylvania hunting regulators cast a preliminary vote on keeping the Saturday after Thanksgiving as the opening day for the regular firearms season for white-tailed deer. Read the full story.
Possible changes coming to moose-hunting season in Maine: Community members and some people from outside of town gathered in Greenville for a public hearing Thursday afternoon. This comes as Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is proposing changes to the moose hunting season to include adding a September hunting season for antlered moose and adjusting the timing of the October antlered moose season. Read the full story.
Kentucky’s 2025-26 Deer Harvest was Fifth Highest on Record: Hunters harvested 145,433 deer in Kentucky during the 2025-26 season, the fifth-highest reported total in history and 3,000 above the 10-year average. Read the full story.
California Fish and Game Commission propose new Bighorn Sheep hunting areas and tag availability: The Commission says they periodically consider recommendations from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to amend bighorn sheep hunting regulations. Those considerations include recommendations for adjusting tag quotas, setting hunt periods, modifying area boundaries, and authorizing take methods to help manage the desert bighorn sheep population. Read the full story.
Cali Bighorns
Buying Montana Fishing Licenses In-Person Made Easier Again: The program is a partnership between FWP and local businesses around Montana who want to offer hunting and fishing license sales services to their customers. By moving to a modern, web-based system, the License Ambassador program allows more retailers to offer licensing services without the need for specialized, outdated hardware. Read the full story.
Wyoming Game and Fish seeking information on possible deer poaching near Evanston: “We are looking for the remnants of a gut pile or a deer carcass that is missing at least one hind quarter. It will likely be in close proximity to a road or two-track road,” Kemmerer Game Warden Alex Poncelet said. “We believe the vehicle involved is a lifted, pewter or silver-colored diesel pickup with large mud tires.” Read the full story.
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🙈 Talk about blending in with your surroundings. It’s easier to see in the clip above because it’s zoomed in, but looking at the original video (which was filmed from 200 yards away), you’ve got to have a good eye to see what’s hiding there.
True predators…
MONDAY MEME // JUST WALK AWAY
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
Would you take a shot at your target buck from one of these luxury treehouses? That one time Dean Martin wrecked a vintage car in the McDonald’s drive-thru. We alway joke about being deserted on an island somewhere and what we’d bring and all that. These 13 stories about people who actually did it (and survived), might make you change your mind. In a world filled with misleading headlines and AI slop, it pays to become what some are calling a reality somm - or someone who is able to cultivate what is actually real.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Back to work.
Oh, and one more thing…
