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:
Wildlife CSI - Tips and DNA evidence help SD officers nailed group of brazen poachers 👮
Exec order - Trump slashes pair of Utah National Monuments, hands control over to BLM ✍️
No fish for you - Yellowstone has closed down popular rivers to afternoon fishing as temperatures continue to climb 🌡️
Can we bear hunt? - South Dakota lawmaker is questioning whether or not a bear hunt makes sense in the Mount Rushmore State 🐻
Might be tough to get on plane - Watch as these boaters are carrying a bit of extra weight 🚤
BRAZEN
MULTI-STATE POACHING RING BUST LEADS TO 44 CONVICTIONS, HEAVY FINES AND HUNTING BANS
A landowner’s discovery of three headless white-tailed bucks dumped in a cornfield last fall triggered a multi-state poaching investigation that has now resulted in 44 misdemeanor convictions, hefty fines, hunting bans, and forfeited gear.
On October 26, 2025, a rural landowner near Vienna, South Dakota, reported finding the trio of headless carcasses roughly five miles southeast of town. After going public with the findings, tips submitted through the South Dakota Turn In Poachers (TIPS) program began to pour in and ended up being instrumental in busting the case wide open…
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS
✍️ Mixed Reactions in Utah as President Trump Shrinks Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. President Trump signed executive orders Monday that dramatically reduced two major southern Utah national monuments, cutting roughly 3 million acres of protected land in total.
On the chopping block was about 1.36 million acres of Bears Ears National Monument, which was reduced to roughly 121,100 acres (a 91% reduction) along with the Grand Staircase-Escalante, which dropped from 1.87 million acres to around 181,500 acres (a ~90% reduction). The move returns much of the land to standard Bureau of Land Management management, opening it up for greater multiple-use activities including grazing, mining, energy development, and recreation.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox called it “a big day for Utah,” arguing the original boundaries were unmanageable and that the changes will better protect antiquities while respecting local input.
On the ground in southern Utah, reactions remain deeply divided. Some residents and business owners see opportunity for economic activity and traditional land uses, while others expressed heartbreak, citing concerns over sacred sites, ancestral remains, traditional medicines, and potential increases in vandalism or looting.
Despite these concerns, the land isn’t suddenly “unprotected wilderness”, federal rules still apply, and BLM will continue managing and policing it. But the downgrade does remove a higher level of scrutiny and restrictions that were designed specifically to safeguard cultural resources.
Either way, expect plenty of debate — and likely litigation — ahead.
🎣 Yellowstone Closes Popular Rivers to Afternoon Fishing as Waters Heat Up. Yellowstone National Park is stepping in to protect its trout amid a stretch of hot weather. Effective as of July 9th, the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon rivers (downstream of Norris Campground) and their tributaries are closed to fishing daily from 2 p.m. until sunrise the following day.
Water temperatures have climbed above 68°F with low flows creating lethal stress for trout. Park officials expect the restrictions to stay in place as forecasts call for highs near 90°F in the coming days and have said they’ll continue monitoring and may adjust or lift the closures as conditions improve.
Other waters in the park — including Yellowstone Lake and unaffected rivers/streams — remain open under normal 2026 regulations. Rangers are urging anglers to hit the cool early mornings, land fish quickly, and practice gentle catch-and-release to give the fish the best shot at survival.
🐻 South Dakota Lawmaker Requests Study on Black Bear Hunting Season. Amid increasing black bear sightings across the Black Hills, Rep. Tim Goodwin (R-Rapid City) is now asking the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Commission to consider studying a potential black bear hunting season.
Goodwin made the request during the commission’s regular meeting on Thursday, coinciding with new reports of bears in and around Lead, though officials noted those incidents were unrelated to his proposal.
Bear populations in the region have drawn growing attention in recent years as sightings become more common. Goodwin and others believe that a formal study could help assess population numbers, habitat, and whether a limited hunting season might serve as a management tool alongside other strategies.
GF&P has not announced next steps, but the request puts the topic officially on the table for future discussion.
THOUGHTS FROM THE STAND // FROM OUR NOTEPAD
There is something about setting cruise control in the truck and then taking off my shoes. Happens every time. Anyone else suffer from this condition?
World Cup thought: I would have never guessed a dude by the name of Zlatan Ibrahimović played for Sweden.
No level of success can compensate for failure in the home.
Sometimes what holds us back isn’t what we lack, but what we have.
Ex: Free rent in a shitty little house.
The Word > The herd 🙏
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🚤 Where’s the truck?!?! Watch as these fellas realize they left the ramp with something that should have been left behind.
Tough to get that boat on plane I imagine…
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
There is much we can take from this piece about observing people, small Italian cars and the vulgarity of haste. I just finished reading Lonesome Dove for the first time and man, do I feel like a wuss. Those were hardy folks back then and most of them had these household items on hand. Chicken wings are the most popular grilled food in my state (Florida), what’s yours? And I think it’s safe to say that the summer heat is real for almost everyone in the country right now. So, aside from grilling, here’s some easy summer supper ideas for when it’s too damn hot to cook.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Curly.
Oh, and one more thing…
