ven•a•tic: fond of or living by hunting
NORTH AMERICA’S MOST-READ OUTDOOR NEWSLETTER
Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the newsletter. If you’re still with us, that means you’ve made it to the middle of yet another week.
With that said, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey and get this mid-week dispatch out the door.
Here's what's worth reading about this morning:
No trespassing - Michigan lawmakers are pushing through legislation aimed at ending warrantless searches on private hunting property 🕵️♂️
Screwworm tracking - Texas officials are leaning on deer season to try and track the screwworm outbreak 🪰
Hell of a tuna - 1,100-pound tuna caught off the coast of New Hampshire sets new record 🐟
Poached bull - Saskatchewan officials are hunting for clues about wasted bull 👮
A good life - Legendary turkey hunter and author Col. Tom Kelly has passed away at the age of 99 🙏
Nothing else matters - This bull is on the prowl 😍
IT’S HEADED TO THE HOUSE FLOOR
MICHIGAN LAWMAKERS ADVANCE BILL TO HALT WARRANTLESS SEARCHES ON PRIVATE HUNTING LAND
Following in the footsteps of a landmark case that was recently won in Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, Michigan lawmakers are advancing sweeping legislation of their own that is designed to prevent state law enforcement and conservation officers from conducting warrantless searches on private property.
Leading the charge is state Rep. David Martin (R-Davison) whose House Bill 6128 was approved by the Michigan House Judiciary Committee two weeks ago on September 23rd. Inside the proposal is legislation that explicitly aims to block state agencies from relying on the century-old federal "open fields" doctrine, a legal loophole that property rights advocates argue has been heavily abused…
QUICK HITS // FROM AROUND THE WEB
Researchers using deer season to track spread of New World Screwworm: After New World Screwworm was confirmed in the U.S. nearly 80 years after its eradication, experts are hoping this year’s deer hunting season will help them track the spread. The USDA reports there are two active cases in Texas - one in Crockett County, and the other in Presidio County. Read the full story.
1,100-pound bluefin tuna sets new state record: A charter fishing trip produced a new state record for the largest bluefin tuna caught in New Hampshire waters.late September of 2026, ended with a rare collision with wildlife that was on the runway. Read the full story.
Man, dog injured in encounter with bear in northeastern Minnesota: A man and his dog received minor injuries from an early morning encounter with a bear this week in northeastern Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said it happened at about 4:30 a.m. Monday in Solway Township, west of Duluth. Read the full story.
Saskatchewan conservation officers investigate bull elk poaching near McLaren: Conservation officers in Saskatchewan are appealing to the public for information after an elk was poached and partially left to rot west of McLaren. On the morning of Sept. 29, Lloydminster Conservation Officers responded to a Turn in Poachers (TIPP) report involving a deceased bull elk. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the animal missing its head and three legs, with the remaining meat left to waste. Read the full story.
The bull in question
Legendary Hunter Tom Kelly, Author of the ‘Bible of Wild Turkey Hunting,’ Dies at 99: Colonel Tom Kelly, the legendary turkey hunter and author whose Tenth Legion became one of the most revered books in the sport, has died at 99. Kelly’s death was announced on his official Instagram account, prompting an outpouring of tributes from the hunting community and those who considered him one of the most influential voices in turkey hunting. Read the full story.
Migration Alert: Hunters Across the Canadian Prairies Enjoying Consistent Migration: Weather, migration, hunting conditions—regardless of the topic, it’s just about all good news coming from the prairie provinces of Canada this fall. Minus a brief stretch of inconsistent waterfowl movements during the full moon, there isn’t much that hasn’t gone right in northern Alberta, reports Trevor Manteufel with Top of the Flyway Outfitters. Read the full story.
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
💕 It’s that time of year when not even headlights and a blaring horn can get rutting bulls off their target. Watch as this bull damn near runs his lady into a parked car that was desperately trying to get their attention.
Love is in the air…
QUOTABLES // WORDS TO LIVE BY
The first turkey that ever came to me on the ground did it a long time ago. I sat there with my hands shaking and my breath short and my heart hammering so hard I could not understand why he could not hear it. The last turkey that came to me last spring had exactly the same effect, and the day that this does not happen to me is the day that I quit.”
— Col. Tom Kelly
HUMPDAY MEME // PLEASE?
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
We’ve been really fortunate down here in Florida this year without a single hurricane even coming close to our shores. Just north of us though, a nor’easter had it’s way with Nantucket and washed up what many believe to be the remnants of an 1884 shipwreck. What does it really mean when someone steals your thunder? This is an interesting piece on how reality only takes yes for an answer. And all of the car and truck models we are losing in 2027.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Reflections of the rut.
📸 by @vagabondvern1
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