Husband and Wife Duo Charged with Poaching at Least 10 Deer in Utah County 👮

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:

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
HUSBAND AND WIFE DUO CHARGED WITH POACHING AT LEAST 10 DEER IN UTAH COUNTY

A Springville husband and wife, along with a third accomplice, now face felony charges after authorities say the trio spent years illegally spotlighting and killing trophy-class mule deer in the canyons east of Mapleton, Utah.

Jeremy Edward Thomas, 36, his wife Tanza Ann Thomas, 34, and Braiden Wade Mattinson, 33, of Lindon, were formally charged this week in 4th District Court. Prosecutors accuse them of multiple counts of wanton destruction of protected wildlife, a third-degree felony in Utah when the crimes involve trophy animals or repeated offenses.

The case began with a single night in 2023 after two residents noticed a pickup truck parked in an empty field near Mapleton with its headlights trained on a large buck…

🐊 Louisiana Grandpa Fights Off 7-Foot Alligator to Save 9-Year-Old Grandson During Deer Hunt. Late last month, in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, 67-year-old deer hunter Keith Price experienced a harrowing encounter while wrapping up an afternoon hunt with his 9-year-old grandson, Owen. As the sun was setting, the pair descended from their elevated deer stand, with Owen reaching the ground first. Price soon heard splashing in a nearby ditch, initially mistaking it for a possum or armadillo. Instead, a 7-foot alligator lunged from the water, targeting Owen's boots. In a split-second act of protection, Price stepped between the reptile and his grandson, inadvertently drawing the gator's attention to himself.

The alligator clamped its jaws onto Price's lower right leg, holding tight for over a minute and leaving deep puncture marks on his boot. Amid the chaos, Price instructed Owen to grab a crossbow for defense, but the boy couldn't untie the rope— a detail Price later said he was thankful for, joking that "he might have shot me in the butt." Price fought back fiercely, eventually forcing the gator to release him. A tense standoff followed before the animal retreated into the darkness, allowing the shaken duo to escape unharmed. The alligator was tracked down and killed the next day by a nuisance hunter, closing out what could have been a tragic tale with a fortunate resolution. Both Price and Owen emerged unscathed, with the young boy already eager for their next climb up into the deer stand.

🚔 Pennsylvania Man Charged with Shooting at Four Hunters Over Trespassing Dispute, Faces Felony Aggravated Assault Charges. A tense confrontation in Juniata County escalated into gunfire earlier this month when 63-year-old Richard Imes of Mifflin, upset over hunters on what he believed to be his property, allegedly shot at a group of four men leaving the area. The hunters, who had permission to predator hunt in the vicinity, were wrapping up their outing when Imes approached one of them, pistol in hand, following a heated exchange about the activity. As the victim drove away in his truck, a single shot rang out, piercing the tailgate and causing about $1,700 in damage, though no one was injured.

Pennsylvania State Police from Lewistown investigated the incident, during which Imes reportedly admitted to firing the weapon at the fleeing vehicle. He now faces serious charges, including four felony counts of aggravated assault, four misdemeanors of simple assault, and four counts of recklessly endangering another person. Imes is being held in Mifflin County Prison on $500,000 bail, with a preliminary hearing set for December 3. Authorities later noted that the hunters were legally in the area, highlighting a blatant misunderstanding over property lines that turned what should have been a routine hunt into a dangerous standoff.

🙏 Ohio Woman Killed by Her “Pet” Buck in After Getting Trapped Inside the Animal’s Enclosure at her Home. On Saturday, 40-year-old Jodi Proger was fatally attacked by a buck at her family's home in Belmont County, Ohio. The incident unfolded around 10:30 p.m. when the deer, who was kept in an enclosure on the property, turned aggressive and trapped Proger inside with it. Family members, hearing her distress, rushed to the scene and desperately tried to intervene by attempting to shoot the animal themselves, but they were unable to reach her in time before authorities arrived.

Deputies from the Belmont County Sheriff's Office responded swiftly, shooting and killing the buck to secure the area and allow first responders access. Proger was pronounced dead at the scene from her injuries, with the coroner confirming the cause as trauma from the attack. No foul play is suspected, and investigators from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Agriculture are assisting in the ongoing probe to understand the circumstances surrounding the deer's sudden aggression. The tragedy has left the community reeling, but ought to serve as a reminder about the very real dangers of keeping wild animals in domestic settings.

😲 Now THAT is a herd of elk. Watch as this massive herd of elk crosses the road somewhere between Townsend and Three Forks earlier this week.

Just another day in the great state of Montana…

🤒 A Sickness: The cold air numbed my cheeks during the eight-mile four-wheeler ride. Morning light wouldn’t arrive for nearly two hours, but the time was needed for the upcoming strenuous hike. After 20 minutes, the machine was parked at an indiscrete patch of trees. Coats, gloves, and windbreaker pants were stowed; hunting pack and binoculars were donned; and the uphill climb began.

Big bull elk and their harems had consistently been moving from high elevation sagebrush slopes to bedding areas on dense north aspects at 9,200-feet elevation. I needed to climb nearly 1,000 feet to be in position to intercept their morning travel to have a chance at a herd bull with bow and arrow. Read the full story.

🐻 The Moose Killer of the Mulchatna: Guide Gary Stewart directed us to a shallow lake an hour’s flight from Taralik Lodge. Its bottom was deep with muck. We discovered this when Jerry’s Beaver slid to a stop a hundred yards from shore. We were already wearing waders, so we stepped out of the plane and began slogging our gear to shore. Gary had packed a luxury wilderness camp: A large Stone Glacier tent with floor and cots; a separate two-man tent for our packer, Jonah; and a variety of food including not just the usual freeze-dried meals, but frozen salmon filets and bacon. There were even three light, comfortable camp chairs from which to glass.

And did we ever glass. Look, look, look for hours, and then look some more. This hunt was all about letting our binoculars do the walking. Spring grizzly boars are famously peripatetic, striding across miles and miles of tundra, taiga forest, bogs, fens, and muskeg flats, looking but mostly sniffing for two things: food and mating partners. To find a killer boar, we needed a room with a view.  Read the full story.

💪 The Hard Way: There is no need to shoot another bird this season; a few more ounces of meat in the freezer are unnecessary. Today's hunt won't win any accolades. Someone else is bound to enamor the Instagram fanboys who crave tailgate body counts and lies. Nevertheless, we load gear into the dark truck. The destination isn't a predictable roadside covey, nor an easy limit. Chukar hunters have a code: challenge yourself, hike one more ridgeline, find your own spots, put in the work. There are no perfect disciples of this gospel, but the wild hills are our church. We don't know what they will give us, but we go. 

Hours of driving pass. Dawn is coming, but the black mountains still loom above us. We hunch in blue hour stillness, peering at the bright screen of my phone. I drag an OnX base layer to and fro. “Let's check out this hilltop,” I suggest. On the south side of it, a slight smear of green marks where snow accumulates on the lee side. It is hard to tell whether it is cheatgrass or not, but it's worth a shot.  Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…