Repeat Offender's Commercial Fishing Fraud Verdict Is In 🧑‍⚖️

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:

THIS GUY HAS NO QUIT
FORMER ALASKA GUIDE AND REPEAT WILDLIFE OFFENDER CONVICTED IN MAJOR COMMERCIAL FISHING FRAUD CASE

A long-time commercial fisherman from Alaska, who’s spent a quarter-century thumbing his nose at every regulation the state ever printed, just got nailed by a Juneau jury earlier this month. Michael Duby, a 51-year-old former guide and serial rule breaker, was found guilty on eight criminal charges related to his black-market fishing racket known as Genesis Foods. 

The verdict landed on January 9th, at Juneau’s Dimond Courthouse, where Duby—after burning through three lawyers—decided to play his own defense before Superior Court Judge Larry Woolford…

🗻 Trump admin eyeing more hunting opportunities in Grand Teton National Park. The Trump administration, through Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, has directed the National Park Service to expand hunting opportunities on certain federal lands, including a specific push for Grand Teton National Park. As many of you will recall, a couple of weeks ago Burgum issued Secretarial Order 3447, requiring federal land managers to review regulations and recommend ways to increase hunting and fishing access by removing "unnecessary" barriers. In the case of Wyoming’s Grand Teton, this means NPS staff has until May 8th, to develop proposals focused on boosting elk hunting—despite hunting already being allowed in the park due to exceptions in its founding legislation (unlike most national parks where it's prohibited).

The directive stems from broader efforts to prioritize recreational access on public lands managed by the Department of the Interior. However, the Jackson Elk Herd is already below Wyoming Game and Fish Department targets, potentially limiting justification for more hunting pressure. Conservationists, including the National Parks Conservation Association, argue the order adds burdensome planning tasks to an understaffed NPS. At the moment, the proposal remains in early stages, with NPS awaiting further guidance.

🐺 Another female wolf from Yellowstone's Famous Junction Butte Pack has been found dead and authorities believe the killing was unlawful. A female wolf from Yellowstone National Park's highly visible Junction Butte Pack was believed to have been illegally killed north of the park boundary. Wolf 1478F, a collared daughter of the late matriarch 907F, was taken out on or around Christmas Day in Montana's Wolf Hunt Area 313—where the three-wolf quota had already been filled back in November, thus closing the area to legal hunting.

Described by experts as a "rising star" and potential future leader in the pack, 1478F was known for her promise within one of Yellowstone's most famous and tourist-favored wolf families. The Junction Butte Pack, often seen in Lamar Valley and habituated to human presence from years of visitor viewing, now sits at about 15 members (including pups), but has suffered repeated losses when members cross into Montana.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Game Warden Kameron Rauser confirmed the quota violation and that the case is active, but declined further details. The wolf's habituation makes her especially vulnerable outside park protection—where wolves face hunters, trappers, or poachers without the "fear of humans" that wilder packs develop. As the poaching probe continues, the spotlight will undoubtedly remain along the ongoing flashpoint where park boundaries meet state hunting regs.

🏎️ Alberta driver blames speeding Mercedes on wayward elk but police weren’t buying it. An Alberta man driving a Mercedes SUV got clocked doing 160 km/h (~100 mph) in a 100 km/h (62 mph) zone on a British Columbia highway back in December. When the BC Highway Patrol finally managed to pulled him over, his excuse was pure backcountry gold. When asked by officers about his excessive speed, he claimed he was flooring it to dodge a rogue elk that darted across the road.

Cpl. Michael McLaughlin wasn't having it.

“The maximum speed of a North American elk is about 70 km/h, so they are just as athletic as they are majestic,” he said in a release, “but if you feel the need to get away, you still have plenty of room to spare in a 100 km/h zone.”

Police noted there was no evidence of any elk involvement, and the driver's story didn't hold up—especially since slamming into one at that speed would’ve ended badly for both driver and animal.

The result? A ticket for excessive speed under the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act, which cost the driver $483, plus his Mercedes got impounded for seven days.

🦌 This fella is definitely rubbing up the wrong tree. Watch as this buck rubs a little too deep and gets stuck on the side of this power line pole.

He did manage to free himself after a little while…

Oh, and one more thing…