Four Separate Bull Elk Poaching Incidents Shock Southern Colorado 😳

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:

I DON’T GET IT
FOUR SEPARATE BULL ELK POACHING INCIDENTS SHOCK SOUTHERN COLORADO

In yet another series of brazen wildlife crimes, four bull elk were found to have been illegally killed in Las Animas County, Colorado. The incidents are believed to have taken place near the Stonewall and Picketwire areas on September 13, 26, and 27, respectively. The trail of death has since left local authorities and residents outraged over the senseless loss, leading them to demand answers from the public.

The quartet of poaching incidents involved four mature bull elk, each targeted in a different yet distinct and wasteful manner…

💵 Utah Poachers Fined Thousands for Illegal Bear Killing During Deer Hunt. In the fall of 2024, Utah officials received a tip that a group of hunters were suspected of illegally killing a bear during a muzzleloader deer hunt. After mounting an investigation based on the tip, officers soon found the bear that had been shot three times, but were without any real suspects.

Using hunt lists and other investigation techniques, DNR investigators first uncovered a slew of other violations before being directly led to the perpetrators in the bear killing incident. The investigation revealed the killing of a branch-antlered bull with a spike permit and along with a group of felons possessing firearms. When a photo of a suspect posing with the dead bear bubbled up to the surface, officials relied on tips from the public, which led to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the perpetrators, who now face thousands of dollars in fines and restitution for wanton waste of protected wildlife.

🕊️ Michigan Bills Propose Hunting Seasons for Mourning Doves and Sandhill Cranes by 2026. Towards the end of September, Michigan Representative Pat Outman (R-District 91) introduced House Bills 5067 and 5068, aiming to establish hunting seasons for sandhill cranes and mourning doves, respectively, which are currently prohibited under Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. House Bill 5067 would create an open season for sandhill cranes by April 1, 2026, with the Natural Resources Commission issuing orders to finalize the season’s details. Similarly, House Bill 5068 would authorize an open season for mourning doves by the same deadline, with the commission tasked to set regulations.

Previous attempts to allow sandhill crane hunting in Michigan, including resolutions in 2017, 2019, and 2021, have failed to gain traction. Seventeen states currently permit sandhill crane hunting, while 41 states allow mourning dove hunting, according to industry sources. Both bills have been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism for further review.

🏠 Tennessee Town Turns Back Porches into Deer Stands. In Hendersonville, Tennessee, deer season just got a lot cozier—and closer to home. Thanks to a quirky partnership between the city and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, residents can now channel their inner sharpshooter from their back porches to tackle a deer overpopulation crisis that’s got the locals ready to take back what’s theirs. With deer numbers soaring two to four times above the state average, the city’s Deer Control Committee, led by chairman Jerald Barrett, is encouraging urban hunting that’s less “trek through the wilderness” and more “sip coffee, aim, shoot.”

Jokes aside, safety remains the name of the game, with the TWRA requiring a hunting license, a safety course, and an elevated perch—think tree stand, not rocking chair—for legal backyard hunts. Barrett strongly suggests sticking to bows over firearms and is recommending neighborly permission should wounded deer disrespect any property lines. For non-hunters overwhelmed by deer munching their gardens, Hendersonville’s Deer Hunter Directory plays matchmaker, connecting homeowners with eager archers from across Tennessee. This free service helps curb deer-related crashes, diseases, and aggression, while hunters can donate their haul to Hunters for the Hungry to feed those in need.

👀 Something is putting the run on this herd of elk. But you’ve got to watch this video closely to catch a glimpse of it.

Did you catch it???

🐏 Out Of My Comfort Zone : “Are you still afraid of heights?”

“Uhhh, yeah?”

“Well, it’s looking like I might not be able to go to Alaska for my mountain goat hunt... and I was thinking of sending you.”

That was the conversation I had with my boss, Steve Speck, just three weeks before I headed out for a mountain goat hunt in Southeast Alaska.

Many of you may recognize Steve’s name. He has been in the hunting industry for years and has helped build several notable brands, including S&S Archery, Pure Elevation Productions, Solid Broadheads, and, most importantly, Exo Mtn Gear, where we design and build pack systems for backcountry hunting. Steve has been a huge influence on me and has done more than most would for a young employee, including sending me on this once-in-a-lifetime hunt. Read the full story.

🐡 Piranha Bingo: It takes all of a day—less than a day—of living in the jungle before I forgo shoes. I wander around the African tent-style lodging of Kendjam, letting my feet go from hot, rough bare sand to the warmth of the wooden boards, and it’s only when we head to the rocky waters of the Iriri River that I knot the laces of my old wading boots and bring them along. There’s the inevitable capitulation to footwear, but it feels like a fair trade.

I’m deep in Kayapó Indigenous Lands, a sprawling reserve roughly the size of the U.K.—or two Floridas—a broad swath of undeveloped rainforest in the Brazilian states of Pará and Mato Grosso, along the Central Brazilian Plateau. This is where the Amazon rainforest meets the savannah, and it looks about like the terrain from the old cartoon version of “The Jungle Book.” Between 5,000-6,000 Kayapó live in this huge space, joined by jaguar, puma, monkeys, giant river otters, capybara, tapir, and enough snakes, spiders, scorpions, and other critters to fill a guidebook. I’m here for the fish, though… chasing the encyclopedia-worth of tropical species which live in the Iriri and will eat a fly. Read the full story.

🦆 Make Ours Bluebills: Standing on a narrow dike between two ponds in the predawn darkness, we could hear the familiar sounds of the marsh—duck wings cleaving the sky high above us, and from out on the water the contented chatter of a hen mallard. It was opening day of duck season, and my hunting partner, Swede, and I had our decoys set on a state wildlife management area in north-central Montana. A bit later, as we waited for the clock to tick down to legal shooting time, we heard the unmistakable roar of a flock of scaup (a.k.a. bluebills) ripping over our decoys and splashing down in the pond. Maggie, Swede’s yellow Lab, pressed against his leg and whined softly. She knew that sound as well as we did.

A few minutes later, we heard them wheel away into the fading night. Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…