As we continue to slowly but surely inch back towards the weekend, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get into what this beautiful Tuesday has to offer.
Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:
A touchy subject - Federal judge claps back on open fields doctrine defense in hunter harassment case 👨⚖️
Mom ain’t playing - Cow elk are sending grown men to the hospital in Estes Park 🤕
Arrow to the head - Oregon officials investigating a deer they found with an arrow lodged in its head 🏹
Thrown out - New Mexico ranchers lose their appeal over elk herd management claims 👩⚖️
Playing through - I’d get out of this fella’s way on hole 7 as well 🐊
THIS IS A THORNY ONE
JUDGE SIDES WITH DNR OFFICER IN MICHIGAN HUNTERS PROPERTY RIGHTS CASE
In another flashpoint in the growing clash between private landowners and wildlife enforcement, a federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit brought by Michigan deer hunters Dennis and Daynelle Vanderlaan against Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Cameron Wright.
While they were seemingly “doing everything right,” the Vanderlaans did not come into this with clean hands as court records show they previously pled guilty to a misdemeanor for interfering with a lawful hunt just one season prior. With a history of “neighborly” disputes about hunting, it become plain to see that Officer Wright wasn’t on some random expedition, fishing for excuses to bust the law-abiding duo, he was instead responding to a pattern of hunter harassment…
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS
Mean mugging in Estes Park | Zaqia Brown
🤕 Aggressive Cow Elk Sends Man to Hospital and Triggers Emergency Alert in Estes Park, Colorado. A protective cow elk attacked a man Saturday morning outside his apartment at Lone Tree Village in Estes Park, sending him to Estes Valley Medical Center after he startled her while walking out his front door. The incident, which happened around 8:39 a.m. amid several newborn calves in the area, triggered a public emergency alert through the LETA 911 system urging residents to avoid the complex entirely due to the aggressive mother elk.
Estes Park Police were dispatched to Manford Avenue three additional times that same day for other aggressive elk encounters, plus multiple calls to other parts of town. No other injuries were reported but Colorado Parks & Wildlife officers later located the elk and her calf, which had moved to a more secluded spot.
This is classic peak calving season behavior in Estes Park, when cow elk become highly defensive of their newborns. Officials continue to stress giving elk plenty of space—especially in residential neighborhoods where calves can pop up unexpectedly.
👮 Poaching Probe Underway in Eastern Oregon After Deer Found Alive with Arrow Lodged in Its Head. The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is seeking public tips after a deer was found alive in Burns with an arrow embedded in its head. On the morning of May 21st, officers from OSP, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Burns Police Department responded within city limits. The animal was tranquilized, the arrow removed, and then humanely euthanized due to its injuries. Authorities believe the deer was shot somewhere in or near Burns, though the exact timing remains unknown.
OSP is urging anyone with information to contact the Turn In Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or OSP from a cell phone. Reference case number SP26163743 — tips can be submitted anonymously. The TIP program offers preference point rewards (including 4 points for deer) and cash incentives for information leading to an arrest or citation.
🐮 New Mexico Ranchers Lose Court Battle Over Elk Herd Mismanagement. Seven Catron County landowners and ranchers lost their appeal this week when the New Mexico Court of Appeals rejected their lawsuit against the state Wildlife Department. The ranchers argued that the department’s mismanagement of elk populations has caused significant property damage, including overgrazing on private land, fence damage, and an unconstitutional taking of their property rights. The suit, originally filed in 2021, claimed the large elk herds had become a nuisance due to the state’s handling of the animals.
The court sided with the State Game Commission and Department of Wildlife, ruling that the agencies cannot be held liable for the behavior of wild elk and that their management decisions are authorized by law. Ranchers in the rural western New Mexico county have long complained that overly abundant elk herds compete with livestock for forage and create ongoing headaches for property owners. The lawyer representing the landowners has said that his clients are still exploring their options and that an appeal to the state Supreme Court is not out of the question.
THOUGHTS FROM THE STAND // FROM OUR NOTEPAD
I heard that someone knew a guy whose name was Jonathan. But instead of going by Jon he went by Nathan.
I had no idea you could do that.
An unreasonable amount of action will often cause the answer to reveal itself.
The impeded stream is the one that sings. (Berry)
Sometimes you just gotta say grace before a meal while the kitchen burns 🙏
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
After you, sir…
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
Back when the library used to come to the house and it got there by horseback. From which you might read something like “Why is almost every robust healthy boy with a robust healthy soul in him, at some time or other crazy to go to sea?” and 73 other bangers from a book like Moby Dick. The playlists people are now making for their dogs. And the legend of Hanoi’s famous yet humble beer glass.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Fighting words.
📸 : @walkwithlane
Oh, and one more thing…
