House Passes Bill to Delist Gray Wolves from Endangered Species Act 🐺

The weekend might not be here just yet, but your favorite dispatch from the great outdoors is. 

So grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let's get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past 24-or-so hours. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

WE’RE GETTING CLOSE…KIND OF
HOUSE PASSES BILL TO DELIST GRAY WOLVES FROM ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

By the hair of their chinny-chin-chins, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation to remove gray wolves from federal protections under the Endangered Species Act across the Lower 48 states, marking a significant step in a decades-long debate over wolf management.

The Pet and Livestock Protection Act (H.R. 845), sponsored by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), cleared the House yesterday, by a vote of 211-204. The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a 2020 rule that delisted gray wolves (excluding the Mexican gray wolf subspecies) and includes provisions to block judicial review, aiming to end the onslaught of repeated court challenges.

“The Pet and Livestock Protection Act reflects a commonsense approach that has been recognized across administrations of both parties, including Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden,” Rep. Tom Tiffany said. “The gray wolf has recovered, and Wisconsin should be allowed to responsibly manage a population that has exceeded recovery goals without interference from out-of-state judges.” 

🔫 Stolen Colt Python Revolver Returned to 90-Year-Old Owner After 30 Years, Discovered Hidden in Canadian Cabin. In 1994, a valuable collector's Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver, worth an estimated $5,000, was stolen from a home in Hunting Valley, Ohio. In an incredibly turn of events, the gun resurfaced three years ago when it was discovered hidden inside the wall of a fire-damaged hunting cabin in Canada. The cabin had been struck by lightning, and during renovations, the owner found the weapon and turned it over to local police who later traced the serial number, confirming it had been reported stolen nearly three decades earlier.

After a three-year process involving ballistics testing by a Canadian crime lab, the revolver was finally released and on December 9th, Hunting Valley Police Chief Mike Cannon retrieved it from a Stratford detective at the Peace Bridge in Niagara Falls, New York. Five days later, on December 14, the gun was returned to its 90-year-old original owner, who is now in hospice care. The owner immediately recognized it as one of the items stolen in 1994, and it has since been transferred to his legal representative after a background check.

🤦 Pennsylvania Man Charged with Shooting Two Penned Deer in Huntingdon County. 21-year-old Preston McConaughey has been charged with multiple offenses after allegedly shooting and killing two penned deer on private property in Huntingdon County's Cass Township. The incident occurred last December, when property owners heard gunshots near their deer enclosure and found two does dead inside. One owner pursued a fleeing white sedan and identified the driver, leading police to McConaughey, who was found nearby in camouflage with a hunting rifle in his vehicle.

McConaughey initially denied involvement, blaming two other men, but later admitted to the shootings. He faces charges including aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals, unlawful killing of big game, recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief, possession of a weapon, and shooting across a highway. He is being held in Huntingdon County Prison on $35,000 bail, with a preliminary hearing set for December 24th. Merry Christmas, buddy.

🙅 North Carolina Supreme Court Declines to Hear Sunday Hunting Appeal, Upholding Restrictions. The North Carolina Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in a case challenging the state's restrictions on Sunday hunting, leaving existing laws in place. On December 14th, the court dismissed the appeal in Oates v. Berger, upholding a unanimous April 2025 Court of Appeals decision that found the restrictions constitutional. Plaintiff Tim Oates had argued that limits—such as no hunting from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., prohibitions near places of worship, and other rules under N.C.G.S. § 103-2—violated the state constitution's 2018 amendment guaranteeing the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, as well as rights to pursuit of happiness and the federal Establishment Clause.

The appellate courts applied rational basis review, noting that the constitutional amendment explicitly subjects the right to hunt to reasonable laws enacted by the General Assembly. Restrictions were deemed a valid exercise of police power to balance hunters' and non-hunters' interests, protect public welfare, allow undisturbed enjoyment of lands, and conserve resources. Prior to 2017, North Carolina banned all firearm hunting on Sundays; partial lifting that year still imposed limits. With the Supreme Court's refusal to take the case, Sunday hunting regulations remain unchanged.

Duck hunters busted with corn bait and alcohol at SC wildlife area: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources officers issued 11 summonses and 19 warnings to hunters after discovering multiple violations, including duck baiting, at Saint Helena Wildlife Management Area. Read the full story.

Louisiana Hunters Charged – 8 Deer Taken Illegally: The Louisiana Department of Wildlife is reporting two such incidents in the past three weeks in two different parts of the state. The first incident happened on December 9th in Lafourche Parish. Curtis Verdin was cited for taking an illegal deer and failing to tag the deer.   Read the full story.

Oklahoma Tribes await hearing date in hunting-fishing lawsuit: The Cherokee Nation’s top attorney expects movement soon in a federal lawsuit filed against the state and others over tribal hunting and fishing rights. “A hearing has not yet been set by the court, although we expect filings to occur at the very end of this week or perhaps sooner by the state,” CN Attorney General Chad Harsha said Dec. 15. Read the full story.

Late-night deer hunting leads to DUI arrest: According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, officers from Region IV-Metter pulled a vehicle over on Dec. 13 after seeing a passenger repeatedly shine a light across agricultural fields from the roadway. Read the full story.

What and when to hunt in Mississippi in January and February: For some of the state, the peak of the rut is over, but you'll still find bucks in many areas actively trying to find does that have yet to successfully breed. In the Southeast Deer Management Unit, the peak of the rut is coming, so there should be plenty of activity in January and February. Read the full story.

Wisconsin hunting dog depredated in Town of Little Rice: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) this week announced that wolves depredated a hunting dog in the Town of Little Rice in Oneida County.  Read the full story.

🎥 This is some awesome trail camera footage. This fella checked his cam after a heavy snow day prevented him from getting to his stand. Heck of a buck and a heck of a chase.

Hopefully he survived…

The pull of the weekend.

📸 by: @collincadecole

Oh, and one more thing…