Poachers Caught with Live Gators, a Cobra, and a Pile of Illegal Deer and Elk 👮

I’m currently at the “it’s Thursday already?” phase of the workweek and am unsure as to whether or not that is a good thing as of yet.

With that in mind, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get this Thursday morning dispatch out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about today:

GATORS AND A COBRA?
MULTI-STATE INVESTIGATION NAILS POACHERS CAUGHT WITH LIVE GATORS, A COBRA, AND A PILE OF DEER AND ELK

‘Twas the night after Christmas 2024 when Tennessee wildlife officers were gifted a tip that would turn into a yuge multi-agency investigation, containing more than 160 violations and a side of exotic wildlife thrown in the mix.

It was December 26th, 2024, and with the post-Christmas glow still lingering and just about everyone in the county half-asleep on leftover ham, Tennessee Wildlife Officer Justin Pinkston was wide awake and responded to a report of possible road-hunting in Jefferson County. With help from a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy, who had already stopped the vehicle in question, Pinkston rolled up ready to blow this thing wide open...

🚁 South African Police Airlift Massive Crocodile Suspected of Eating Missing Businessman. South African authorities carried out a dramatic high-risk operation over the weekend, euthanizing and airlifting a massive crocodile from the Komati River that is suspected of consuming a missing 59-year-old businessman. The man, identified locally as Gabriel Batista, disappeared in late April after his Ford Ranger was swept away while trying to cross a flooded low-water bridge in crocodile-infested waters near Mpumalanga.

A specialized police task force tracked the large reptile for days after noticing it stayed unusually inactive near the crossing site, a sure-fire sign it had recently eaten a big, human-sized meal. On Saturday, the 15-foot croc was euthanized, and Captain Johan "Pottie" Potgieter was lowered by helicopter into the dangerous waters to secure it with ropes. The animal was then hoisted out and airlifted away. Upon examination, human remains were found inside its stomach, along with six pairs of sandals. DNA testing is underway to confirm the victim’s identity.

🚜 South Dakota Opens Unlimited Elk Hunting East of Missouri River as Herds Wander into Farm Country. South Dakota is responding to growing numbers of elk moving into eastern parts of the state by approving unlimited hunting licenses east of the Missouri River. The state’s Game, Fish and Parks Department says the elk, which are typically found in the Black Hills and western prairies, are becoming unwelcome visitors that damage crops in eastern farm fields. Officials have no plans to establish a permanent elk population in the region and are using liberal hunting rules to keep numbers in check.

A legislative rules committee approved the changes on a 4-2 vote Tuesday. The new rules also raise the cap on elk licenses in Custer State Park (from 20 to 100 antlerless licenses) because the park’s herd has grown larger than the target range of 500–600 animals. Only about 50 licenses will be issued this year, split between October and December hunts. The unlimited East River season excludes the Crow Creek Reservation, where the state is coordinating with tribal wildlife managers.

🐟 Scientists Gave Salmon Cocaine and Found They Swim 1.9 Times Farther (because of course they would). Researchers in Sweden conducted the first study tracking how cocaine and its main metabolite (benzoylecgonine) affect Atlantic salmon in the wild, rather than in a lab. They implanted slow-release devices into 105 juvenile salmon to mimic environmentally realistic levels of drug pollution from wastewater, then released the fish into Lake Vättern and tracked them for eight weeks using acoustic tags.

The results, as published in Current Biology, showed that exposed salmon swam significantly farther and dispersed more widely than unexposed control fish. Those given benzoylecgonine (the breakdown product commonly found in higher concentrations in rivers and lakes) were the most affected, moving up to 1.9 times farther per week and spreading roughly 12 km (about 7.6 miles) farther across the lake. Cocaine-exposed fish also roamed more, though the effect was somewhat weaker.

The findings raise concerns about how pharmaceutical and illicit drug pollution in waterways could disrupt salmon behavior, potentially affecting their feeding, predator avoidance, and overall population health.

🐻 Sharing isn’t caring when it comes to this battle between a bear and wolf. When a bear lays claim to a carcass, you better be tough if you think you’re going to knock him off of it.

Filmed in Yellowstone earlier this week…

❄️ Winter Caribou: Cold air stung my face as I stood up on the snowmobile. Cresting the low ridge, I could see for miles. Our trail, the only mark in the snow, led directly north, with spruce and rocks sporadically breaking the white world before me.

This was Labrador, only a century ago still uncharted, one of the last places on earth to be mapped. Not far to the east was Disappointment Lake and the region where American adventurer Leonidas Hubbard met death on his ill-fated 1903 journey into terra incognita. To the west, the dominant lake of Hubbard’s time has been enlarged by damming to become the freshwater sea now called Smallwood Reservoir, a body of water that nature would have needed an ice age to produce. Read the full story.

🐴 A Better View: Three horses of different colors stood abreast, hitched to the side of the trailer. A man, contrasted in black chaps and an oilskin duster, stepped from the back to saddle each one with leather scabbards alongside. When ready and with few words, he helped the hunters, a father and a son, aboard by stirrups and reins. He untethered his own horse, a noticeably taller steed named Beau, and proudly mounted with a clear appreciation for his better view of life. With a simple nod of his dark Stetson to the others, he signaled to move forward for the day.

Some miles north of Pierre, the group wandered the steppes of South Dakota with a plan. As they rode west, the plains appeared deceivingly flat when peering across the landscape. The movement from the wind mottled the view into a blur of waving grasses and flowers. The prairies undulated from rolling hills to sometimes steep ridges that tend to swallow horses and hunters alike when viewed from afar. Crevices choked with rose hips below warming southside slopes held treasures waiting to be discovered. The riches: prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse. Read the full story.

🌴 Panfish Paradise : Like so many outdoor adventures, this one starts with a phone call.

“Jonnie- Walt Jennings. Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers are running an outing to the Everglades. Would you like to join us?”

Well, yeah, but I need more information. The Everglades are huge, with everything from diminutive mosquitofish to monster goliath grouper.

“We’re fishing in canals along I-75. Mostly fishing for panfish– sunfish, small bass, oscars, cichlids, maybe peacock bass. We drive down and fish one day, and fish and drive back the next. When it’s good it’s close to a fish a cast.” Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…