Prison Time for the “American Bearded Warrior” in Idaho Bear Poaching Case 🧔🏻‍♂️

The weekend might not be here just yet, but your favorite dispatch from the great outdoors is. 

So grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let's get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past 24-or-so hours. 

Here's what's worth reading about today:

LOCKED UP
THE “AMERICAN BEARDED WARRIOR” SENTENCED TO PRISON AND LIFETIME HUNTING BAN IN IDAHO UNDERCOVER BEAR POACHING CASE

If you were anything like us when you first heard about this case, it sounded like yet another influencer was on the cusp of getting a sweetheart of a plea deal. Leaving the question of jail time up to the judge, many (including us) expected a relatively light outcome focused on fines and the lifetime hunting ban.

Fortunately, that changed on June 2nd…

🦬 Bison That Killed Canadian Woman in Custer State Park Spared from Death Penalty. North Dakota officials have announced that the bull bison that fatally gored a 70-year-old Canadian woman in South Dakota’s Custer State Park last month will not be euthanized. The decision comes following public backlash against a rumored kill order that prompted widespread calls to officials, ultimately leading to the animal’s relocation instead of a death sentence.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Game, Fish and Parks have said that they plan to take the bison and place it in a secure, natural environment. Tribal officials expressed condolences to the victim’s family while standing behind cultural obligations to protect the animal as a relative. Park staff and wildlife managers had considered multiple options for public safety, but the public outcry and tribal partnership provided a solution that removes the bison from visitor areas without destroying it.

“We are grateful for Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s willingness to work with us to relocate the buffalo to a location that is suitable for the animal and away from interaction with the general public,” Nick Harrington, communications manager for the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department said.

👮 Nebraska Game and Parks Considers Cutting Antlered Deer Permits Amid 40-50% Population Drop. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is set to vote later today on a proposal to reduce the personal limit on antlered deer permits from two to one per hunter per calendar year. If approved, the change, which will be effective for the 2027 season, would result in roughly 13,000 fewer antlered permits issued statewide, aiming to help the state’s deer herd recover.

The deer population has declined 40-50% since 2019, driven primarily by prolonged drought, which hurt fawn survival, and recurring outbreaks of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, especially in northeastern regions of the state.

A recent hunter survey showed mixed opinions regarding the proposal, with some preferring to keep the two-buck limit for meat or multi-season and multi-unit hunting.

🤨 Polis Tries Again: New Colorado Parks and Wildlife Appointees Raise Familiar Questions for Sportsmen. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has named three new members to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission after his previous picks were rejected by the Senate in April. The fresh slate includes Rebecca Niemiec, a Colorado State University professor focused on human-wildlife coexistence and animal policy; John Le Coq, a photographer, gear entrepreneur, and ranch owner with strong ties to climate and conservation organizations; and Peter Maguire, a Grand Junction veterinarian and passionate hunter/angler filling the sportsman seat.

This round comes after sportsmen successfully pushed back against nominees perceived as leaning too heavily toward animal rights and non-consumptive agendas. While Maguire brings actual hunting experience to the table, questions remain about whether the overall group truly represents the hook-and-bullet crowd that funds the vast majority of CPW’s budget through licenses. Niemiec’s work on predator coexistence and Le Coq’s advocacy for wolves and native species restoration echo the same patterns that stalled the last round — priorities that often feel more aligned with urban environmentalism than the practical, science-based management hunters and anglers rely on.

Sportsmen groups like Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management are already voicing skepticism, seeing this as more of the same from Polis. With confirmation hearings still ahead, Colorado’s hunters and anglers will be watching closely to see if these appointees prioritize sustainable harvest and the North American Model—or continue tilting the commission toward broader “coexistence” and ecosystem values that sideline the people who actually pay the bills.

Near-record turkey season gives Tennessee hunters plenty to gobble about: The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) reports the state’s spring turkey hunting season resulted in a harvest of 34,990 birds, the fourth-highest reported harvest on record. It is the best harvest since the 2020 COVID record season and ranks behind only the 2006 and 2010 seasons overall. Read the full story.

LDWF announces launch of an October black-bellied whistling duck hunting season: The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced a new experimental black-bellied whistling duck season starting this year. Read the full story.

DNR Seeking Landowners to Host Fall Gun Deer Hunt for Hunters With Disabilities: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds landowners who are interested in sponsoring a Gun Deer Hunt For Hunters With Disabilities to enroll their properties, by July 1, 2026. Read the full story.

Georgia's most expensive hunting property for sale at $44 million: It's one of the largest sporting ranch plantations in the southeast and it's up for grabs – for the right price. Spring Creek Plantation hit the market this week for $44 million. If it sells at or near the asking price, it will be the most expensive sale for a hunting plantation property in Georgia's history.  Read the full story.

Inside the Syracuse slaughterhouse where nuisance deer become food for thousands: The unofficial tally of deer taken this past winter during Syracuse’s 2026 deer culling operations is 144, the most since the program began in 2020 when sharpshooters killed 159 deer, per city records. What happens to the deer after they’re killed impacts thousands of people across CNY, not just in Syracuse, yet this part of the story is largely unknown. Read the full story.

N.J. woman guilty of harboring a baby deer she rescued and named Rudy: A judge has found a Lawrence woman guilty of illegally possessing a deer she took in as a baby and raised for five years before wildlife police were tipped to its presence on her farm in 2024. Read the full story.

🏄 Just casually slaying massive halibut from your paddleboard. Watch as this guy gets it done off the coast of Alaska.

I’m more of a boat guy personally, but…

The pull of the weekend.

📸 by: @ryanbonneauphoto

 Oh, and one more thing…