New Study Shows Cali Wolves Eating Cattle at Roughly 8x the National Rate 🐺

In the event that the weekend wasn’t quite long enough for you, here’s to hoping that your favorite dispatch from the outdoor world can give you 5-or-so minutes to prep yourself for yet another week.

So, without further ado, let’s grab that coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past few days. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

BEEF: IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER
NEW UC DAVIS STUDY SHOWS CALIFORNIA WOLVES EATING CATTLE AT ROUGHLY 8X THE NATIONAL RATE

Sometimes the data just refuses to cooperate with the narrative and such was the case in a recently released and udderly damning study coming out of California last week.

A new University of California, Davis study, published in PLOS One, took a hard look at what California’s returning wolves are actually putting in their stomachs.

And as lead author Tina Saitone put it with admirable bluntness: the cattle industry in California is most definitely “supporting the conservation success of wolves”…

Supporters submit signatures to enshrine right to hunt, fish in Colorado Constitution: The T. Roosevelt Conservation Alliance submitted more than 180,000 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office this week, exceeding the minimum of about 124,000 required to place Initiative 302 protecting hunting and fishing on the November 2026 ballot. Read the full story.

Ontario hunter fined $3,000 for unlawful deer hunt: An Essex man has been fined $3,000 after pleading guilty to unlawfully hunting during a controlled deer hunt in southwestern Ontario. According to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the man was convicted in the Ontario Court of Justice after hunting during the early-season controlled deer hunt without the required validation. Read the full story.

A Cow Elk Stopped a Colorado Deputy So the Rest of Her Family Could Cross the Road: A deputy had to wait for an unusual road crossing after a cow elk stepped in front of their patrol vehicle. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said the elk gave the deputy a long look while other elk crossed the road. The department joked that deputies don't usually but this elk helped to make a funny exception.  Read the full story.

Vt. game wardens seek tips after doe illegally killed in Bennington:  Fish and Wildlife investigators are searching for the person who illegally killed a deer in Bennington, took some of its meat and left the rest to waste. The doe was found in a field off South Steam Road on Thursday morning. It was discovered with its backstraps cut and taken.. Read the full story.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Urges Arkansans Not to Treat Wild Deer for Parasites or Screwworm: As more deer become visible along roadsides and fields this summer, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is reminding the public not to attempt treating wild deer for parasites or suspected New World screwworm infestations.  Read the full story.

🦬 Bison launches man over 8-feet in the air in Yellowstone. Watch as this elderly man get chased down and launched by one ornery bull. From the looks of things, he wasn’t terribly close, and according to reports, the bison had been on a tear for most of the day.

In this case it sounds like this poor fella just happened to be around the wrong bull at the wrong time…

I see you, handsome.

📸 by @chris_auch

Oh, and one more thing…