Rare Fatal Black Bear Attack Kills 27-Year-Old in Saskatchewan 🙏

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:

ANOTHER ONE
RARE FATAL BLACK BEAR ATTACK KILLS 27-YEAR-OLD AT REMOTE SASKATCHEWAN URANIUM SITE

A 27-year-old man from India was fatally mauled by a black bear last Friday while working at a remote uranium exploration site in northern Saskatchewan — marking only the fourth recorded fatal black bear attack in the province’s history.

The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. at UraniumX Discovery Corp.’s Zoo Bay site in the Athabasca Basin, approximately 800 km (~500 miles) north of Saskatoon, near Wollaston Lake. The victim, an independent contractor who had been in Canada for about three years, was working at the isolated location when the attack took place. His name has not been publicly released...

🥴 French Police Warn Drivers About "Drunk" Deer Stumbling on Fermented Fruit. French police in rural Saône-et-Loire are urging drivers to stay extra alert after capturing hilarious yet cautionary footage of a deer acting visibly intoxicated. The animal was seen running in erratic circles, attempting jumps, and tumbling to the ground, classic signs of having indulged in a "forest aperitif" of fermented fruits, buds, or decaying plants that produce natural alcohol in their stomachs.

“Not all road users are sober. The proof is in the picture,” the Gendarmerie posted on Facebook, warning that these tipsy deer can suddenly dart across roads, zigzag unpredictably, or freeze in place — especially at night on secondary roads during spring. Officials advise slowing down and staying vigilant to avoid collisions with wildlife that’s had one too many.

🦃 Arkansas Turkey Hunters Bag Highest Spring Harvest in 20 Years. Arkansas turkey hunters had an outstanding 2026 spring season, checking a total of 13,591 birds, the highest harvest since 2006, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. This strong showing comes after several years of conservative regulations that helped build up mature gobbler numbers, combined with favorable weather and improved habitat in recent seasons.

AGFC officials credited the “No Jakes Rule” (limiting immature birds to youth hunters only since 2011) and this year’s split-season structure for much of the success, which allowed more targeted hunting of mature toms. While still below the all-time record of nearly 20,000 birds set in 2003, biologists say the state’s turkey population remains healthy heading into next year.

🦌 Record Low Deer Licenses Announced for North Dakota 2026 Hunt. North Dakota Game and Fish has set the 2026 deer hunting season with just 39,100 licenses available, a drop of 3,200 from last year and the lowest total in more than 50 years. The reduction is said to be the result of ongoing efforts to manage deer populations amid varying habitat conditions, winter survival rates, and hunter success data across the state.

Officials note that applications are open now, with hunters encouraged to apply early for their preferred units and weapon types. Despite fewer tags, the agency says the season remains a quality opportunity, particularly for those who draw licenses in good deer areas. This marks a significant shift from peak years when license numbers often exceeded 60,000–70,000.

🎣 Fishing during a traffic jam? These fellas out in Colorado found a pretty good way to spend their time while traffic was backed up.

My kind of road rage…

🥃 Señor Bing, Birds and Booze.: There was a time in Tinseltown when actors didn’t shy away from guns and hunting during the Golden Era of Hollywood. Many stars of the Silver Screen, both men and women, were regularly engaged in the pursuit of killing things for sport. It was the norm. Regarding celebrities, no one did it better than crooner Bing Crosby. Famously known for his smooth baritone voice, Bing used his public notoriety advocating and defending hunting.

The monumental entertainer, recording artist, and Oscar-winning actor regularly gallivanted around the world with style and panache in pursuit of wingshooting meccas hunting a long list of gamebirds. Bing hunted Idaho sage grouse, pheasants in the Midwest, sandgrouse in Africa, and driven partridge in Ireland. One of his most favorites pursuits was dove hunting. Oftentimes he would make it a point to meet up even for a day or two with other actors to shoot fast-flying mourning and white-winged doves along the southern border, then leave just as fast as he arrived. Read the full story.

🌄 Chasing Shadows: It started years ago when I flushed a large blue-gray bird while walking a high mountain trout stream. That was my first glimpse of a dusky grouse. All I had in my hand that day was a 3-weight fly rod, but the memory of that bird remained with me, and I told myself that someday I’d hunt dusky grouse in the cool shadows of tall mountains.

But I was a confirmed prairie rat, and for as long as I’d been chasing dogs chasing birds, September 1 had meant prairie birds: Kansas prairie chickens, Nebraska sharptails, Wyoming sage grouse, Montana Huns. Those strange, mysterious birds of the mountain meadows and dark timber were never able to draw me away from the plains.

In the end it took a series of brutally hot prairie-grouse openers to convince me that I should finally follow up on that long-ago promise and seek dusky grouse in the comparative coolness of the mountains. Read the full story.

🐻 Bear Hunter - A Short Story : I’ve pursued spring black bears three out of the last four years, but I wouldn’t call myself a bear hunter–not yet, anyway. 

Many serious bear hunters use bait, especially if looking for a trophy boar. I prefer spot-and-stalk, which only makes the task that much harder. That’s not to say baiting doesn’t have its own challenges. Baiting requires time and dedication to consistently monitor and restock bait sites–buckets of grease and piles of stale doughnuts. This equates to not only time spent in the field, but also money spent in preparation for spring bear season. Like most, I’m limited on both time and money. In this regard, spot-and-stalk has an advantage. Read the full story.

Oh, and one more thing…