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:
Sick - US Fish and Wildlife officials have confirmed the first case of CWD on the National Elk Refuge 🦠
Bucking the trend - Michigan set to vote on reducing “buck-centric” culture in deer hunting 🦌
Mangey - Montana elk are apparently dealing with a bit more mange than usual 🤒
50K birds - Missouri’s turkey season ends up with over 50,000 gobblers on the ground 🦃
Hell of a view - Watch as this guy grabs his camera and is treated to one heck of a view 📸
CWD HAS ENTERED THE CHAT
NATIONAL ELK REFUGE CONFIRMS FIRST CASE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
It was mid-April when wildlife managers put down a thin, discombobulated cow elk stumbling around on Wyoming’s National Elk Refuge. After observing classic signs of severe illness, managers overseeing one of the country’s largest over-wintering ranges had their worst fears confirmed after testing later confirmed the animal was positive for chronic wasting disease.
This marks the first confirmed case of CWD in an elk on the National Elk Refuge and the first documented detection in Wyoming Elk Hunt Area 77. Wildlife managers have long anticipated (and dreaded) this development for the roughly 11,000-strong Jackson Elk Herd, which spends their winters on the refuge…
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS
🦌 Michigan Moves to End Decades of Buck-Centric Hunting Culture. Michigan has long fostered a hunter culture focused heavily on harvesting bucks, a tradition rooted in early 20th-century conservation efforts that encouraged taking only antlered deer to rebuild the herd. Over time, policies expanded to allow multiple buck tags (including two bucks via combination licenses since the late 1970s), leading to what many describe as an unbalanced deer population with more does than bucks. This imbalance is blamed for fewer mature trophy bucks and challenges in controlling overall herd size.
Now, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has reversed its long-held position and is recommending a “one buck rule” to the Natural Resources Commission, with a vote possible as soon as this week. Advocates argue the change will create healthier, more balanced herds and better hunting opportunities, similar to states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. After years of advocacy and a recent legal review confirming it can be done without new legislation, supporters call it an overdue correction for sustainable deer management.
🤒 Rising Mange Cases Documented in Montana Elk Herds. Hunters and outfitters in southwest Montana are reporting a noticeable increase in elk suffering from mange, a mite-borne skin disease that causes intense itching, hair loss, crusty skin, and weakness. Affected animals often crowd together on private land around haystacks and alfalfa fields, which outfitters say is accelerating spread. In severe cases, the condition leads to prolonged suffering, exposure, starvation, or secondary infections, with some elk dying miserable deaths, especially in winter.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks acknowledges mange as an ongoing issue in the region but disputes claims of an unprecedented surge, noting it has historically ebbed and flowed. Wildlife experts are reminding the public that the elk-specific mites do not come from wolves or other carnivores (they are species-specific) and are not a threat to humans. While mange rarely affects the meat directly, hunters should watch for signs of secondary bacterial infections that could make it unfit to eat.
🦃 Missouri Spring Turkey Harvest Tops 50,000 Birds. Missouri hunters harvested a total of 50,730 turkeys during the 2026 spring season, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. This includes 5,255 birds taken during the youth weekend — a strong increase from 4,449 the previous year — and 45,475 during the regular adult season.
The harvest was slightly down from 2025 but still robust, reflecting good gobbler numbers from strong 2023 and 2024 hatches. Macon County led the state with 979 turkeys, followed by Callaway (926) and Franklin (879) counties. MDC biologists credit habitat management and successful hatches for the healthy population.
THOUGHTS FROM THE STAND // FROM OUR NOTEPAD
Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. If you aren’t a mom, you should be doing everything in your power to become one.
Our world needs more moms and dads (and thus, kids).
My Grandad turned 92 last week.
I asked him if he wanted a cold plunge for his birthday, he called me a pussy and told me to f**k off.
Pixels do not sharpen iron.
We often forgive those who bore us, but never those who we seem to bore.
I don’t know the next chapter, but I trust the author 🙏
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
📸 Talk about a front-row seat. Watch as this group settles in with their cameras for a truly up-close-and-personal encounter.
Thankfully that salmon was there to keep his attention…
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
Teachers skipped E and went right to F when it came to grading because parents were more inclined to believe their kid was Excellent (E) as opposed to an idiot (F). Speaking of kids, the first playgrounds were invented for parents and not children. They were more about fitness than fun, that is, until we let the young ones take over. What sand from beaches around the world looks like under a microscope. And the unassuming New York cottage Edgar Allen Poe penned his greatest poems.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
Spring season.
Oh, and one more thing…
